New-York tribune., 1913-06-28
FlCT ION
A Philosopher, Leprechauns and
the Great God Pan.
TOPSY-TURVY FARMLAND.

THE CROCK OF GOLD. BY James
Stephens. limo, pp 29s. The Macmillan
Company.
II is difficult to review this book
without recourse 10 a string OF de-
lighted superlatives. There is poetry
here, which means a sense OF the beau
" Of Nature and life; there is some
wisdom, clever observation Of human
nature, wit and humor; the highest Of
high spirits revelling in pure nonsense,
and the Celtic genius for paradox.
Every clan Of lepreChauns, as is well
known. has a crock Of gold wherewith
TO ransom its members when mortals
capture them. II is, therefore. a ca
| lamity when the hoard is stolen. This
/ happens at the very beginning OF this
tale. The Philosopher. who is married
to the Thin Woman Of Inis Magrath,
tells Meehawl MacMurrachu where he
can find his wifes vanished wash
board; and Meehawl, seeking It, discov-
ers the pot Of gold instead. II fol-
/ lows, then, that the leprechauns must
| recover their treasure. wherefore, the
Thin Woman being related 10 an
other family Of fairies. they appeal 70
/ her:
| When the Philosopher came home late
/ that night the Thin Woman was waiting
Woman" said the Philosopher. you
/ ought 10 be IN bed D"
ought l. indeed?" said the Thin
90 to bed when Ike and get up when I
| Ike without asking your or any one eise's
| permission
THAT is not true" said the Philosopher.
you get sleepy whether you like II or
not. and you awaken again without your
/ permission being asked"
So many things happen in this story
| that IL were vain 10 give even the
/ barest outline Of them. II Is the way
in which they happen that gives most
delight. and still more the inconse-
quential way IN which they are taken
/ by little people" and mortals alike.
! Pan strolls out OF Greece into the En-
erald Isle. preaching the sensuous en-
! joyment Of the beauty OF life. The
| Philosopher encounters him-he has
made a peasant girl his willing captive
and sternly worsts him in debate
! yet when he leaves the Greek he kisses
with great enjoyment the pleasant
! faced, plump woman he encounters at
| the well. under the laughing. blue sky,
among the beauties OF Nature in her
/ summer verdure. Every child knows
/ that every grown female person in the
world has authority TO wash children
and to give them food" observes the
author elsewhere; and again he reports
| a conversation between an ass and
spider on the subject Of matrimony
The patient ass has just been kicked by
! its master:
"Does anybody ever kick you in the
/ nOse?" said the ass.
AYE does there" said the spider. you
and your like that are always walking on
| me, or lying down on me, or running over
me-"
We'll. why don't you stay on the wall7"
sure, my wife is there" replied the
/ spider.
What's the harm in that7" said the
ass.
! shed eat me-" said the spider. Have
| you got a wife yourself. now"
Il have not" said the, ass. 81 wish l
had"
! That's bachelors talk" said the
! spider; "all the same, We can't keep away
| from them"
IF your wife was an ass she wouldn't
/ eat you" said the ass.
! Shed be doing something else. then"
| replied the spider
How the Vaccinations OF the lepre-
! chaune ever seeking IN recover THAR
/ hoard, lead to charge Of murder
| against the Philosopher. and how the
Constabulary appear in this web OF
| fantasy, the reader must discover for
himself On the way he will find grow
ing in him a sense of gratitude toward
Mr.. James Stephens for book of rare
delight.