merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"Sure, I'm looking for the heifers, poor things!"

"What would bring them there?"

"I don't think anything could bring them in it; but I looked first into
the likely places, that is, the cow-houses, and the pastures, and the
fields next 'em, and now I'm looking in the unlikeliest place I can
think of. Maybe it's not pleasing to you it is."

"And to be sure it isn't pleasing to me, you aggravating goose-cap!"

"Please, sir, hand me one pound thirteen and four pence before you sit
down to your dinner. I'm afraid it's sorrow that's on you for hiring me
at all."

"May the div--oh no; I'm not sorry. Will you begin, if you please, and
put in the thatch again, just as if you were doing it for your mother's
cabin?"

"Oh, faith I will, sir, with a heart and a half;" and by the time the
farmer came out from his dinner, Jack had the roof better than it was
before, for he made the boy give him new straw.

Says the master when he came out, "Go, Jack, and look for the heifers,
and bring them home."

"And where will I look for 'em?"

"Go and search for them as if they were your own." The heifers were all
in the paddock before sunset.

Next morning, says the master, "Jack, the path across the bog to the
pasture is very bad; the sheep does be sinking in it every step; go and
make the sheep's feet a good path." About an hour after he came to the
edge of the bog, and what did he find Jack at but sharpening a carving
knife, and the sheep standing or grazing round.

"Is this the way you are mending the path, Jack?" said he.

"Everything must have a beginning, master," said Jack, "and a thing
well begun is half done. I am sharpening the knife, and I'll have the
feet off every sheep in the flock while you'd be blessing yourself."

"Feet off my sheep, you anointed rogue! and what would you be taking
their feet off for?"

"An' sure to mend the path as you told me. Says you, 'Jack, make a path
with the foot of the sheep.'"

"Oh, you fool, I meant make good the path for the sheep's feet."

"It's a pity you didn't say so, master. Hand me out one pound thirteen
and fourpence if you don't like me to finish my job."

"Divel do you good with your one pound thirteen and fourpence!"

"It's better pray than curse, master. Maybe you're sorry for your
bargain?"

"And to be sure I am--not yet, any way."

The next night the master was going to a wedding; and says he to Jack,
before he set out: "I'll leave at midnight, and I wish you, to come and
be with me home, for fear I might be overtaken with the drink. If
you're there before, you may throw a sheep's eye at me, and I'll be
sure to see that they'll give you something for yourself."

About eleven o'clock, while the master was in great spirits, he felt
something clammy hit him on the cheek. It fell beside his tumbler, and
when he looked at it what was it but the eye of a sheep. Well, he
couldn't imagine who threw it at him, or why it was thrown at him.
After a little he got a blow on the other cheek, and still it was by
another sheep's eye. Well, he was very vexed, but he thought better to
say nothing. In two minutes more, when he was opening his mouth to take
a sup, another sheep's eye was slapped into it. He sputtered it out,
and cried, "Man o' the house, isn't it a great shame for you to have
any one in the room that would do such a nasty thing?"

"Master," says Jack, "don't blame the honest man. Sure it's only myself
that was thrown' them sheep's eyes at you, to remind you I was here,
and that I wanted to drink the bride and bridegroom's health. You know
yourself bade me."

"I know that you are a great rascal; and where did you get the eyes?"

"An' where would I get em' but in the heads of your own sheep? Would
you have me meddle with the bastes of any neighbour, who might put me
in the Stone Jug for it?"

"Sorrow on me that ever I had the bad luck to meet with you."

"You're all witness," said Jack, "that my master says he is sorry for
having met with me. My time is up. Master, hand me over double wages,
and come into the next room, and lay yourself out like a man that has
some decency in him, till I take a strip of skin an inch broad from
your shoulder to your hip."

Every one shouted out against that; but, says Jack, "You didn't hinder
him when he took the same strips from the backs of my two brothers, and
sent them home in that state, and penniless, to their poor mother."

"Sure, I'm looking for the heifers, poor things!"

"What would bring them there?"

"I don't think anything could bring them in it; but I looked first into

the likely places, that is, the cow-houses, and the pastures, and the

fields next 'em, and now I'm looking in the unlikeliest place I can

think of. Maybe it's not pleasing to you it is."

"And to be sure it isn't pleasing to me, you aggravating goose-cap!"

"Please, sir, hand me one pound thirteen and four pence before you sit

down to your dinner. I'm afraid it's sorrow that's on you for hiring me

at all."

"May the div--oh no; I'm not sorry. Will you begin, if you please, and

put in the thatch again, just as if you were doing it for your mother's

cabin?"

"Oh, faith I will, sir, with a heart and a half;" and by the time the

farmer came out from his dinner, Jack had the roof better than it was

before, for he made the boy give him new straw.

Says the master when he came out, "Go, Jack, and look for the heifers,

and bring them home."

"And where will I look for 'em?"

"Go and search for them as if they were your own." The heifers were all

in the paddock before sunset.

Next morning, says the master, "Jack, the path across the bog to the

pasture is very bad; the sheep does be sinking in it every step; go and

make the sheep's feet a good path." About an hour after he came to the

edge of the bog, and what did he find Jack at but sharpening a carving

knife, and the sheep standing or grazing round.

"Is this the way you are mending the path, Jack?" said he.

"Everything must have a beginning, master," said Jack, "and a thing

well begun is half done. I am sharpening the knife, and I'll have the

feet off every sheep in the flock while you'd be blessing yourself."

"Feet off my sheep, you anointed rogue! and what would you be taking

their feet off for?"

"An' sure to mend the path as you told me. Says you, 'Jack, make a path

with the foot of the sheep.'"

"Oh, you fool, I meant make good the path for the sheep's feet."

"It's a pity you didn't say so, master. Hand me out one pound thirteen

and fourpence if you don't like me to finish my job."

"Divel do you good with your one pound thirteen and fourpence!"

"It's better pray than curse, master. Maybe you're sorry for your

bargain?"

"And to be sure I am--not yet, any way."

The next night the master was going to a wedding; and says he to Jack,

before he set out: "I'll leave at midnight, and I wish you, to come and

be with me home, for fear I might be overtaken with the drink. If

you're there before, you may throw a sheep's eye at me, and I'll be

sure to see that they'll give you something for yourself."

About eleven o'clock, while the master was in great spirits, he felt

something clammy hit him on the cheek. It fell beside his tumbler, and

when he looked at it what was it but the eye of a sheep. Well, he

couldn't imagine who threw it at him, or why it was thrown at him.

After a little he got a blow on the other cheek, and still it was by

another sheep's eye. Well, he was very vexed, but he thought better to

say nothing. In two minutes more, when he was opening his mouth to take

a sup, another sheep's eye was slapped into it. He sputtered it out,

and cried, "Man o' the house, isn't it a great shame for you to have

any one in the room that would do such a nasty thing?"

"Master," says Jack, "don't blame the honest man. Sure it's only myself

that was thrown' them sheep's eyes at you, to remind you I was here,

and that I wanted to drink the bride and bridegroom's health. You know

yourself bade me."

"I know that you are a great rascal; and where did you get the eyes?"

"An' where would I get em' but in the heads of your own sheep? Would

you have me meddle with the bastes of any neighbour, who might put me

in the Stone Jug for it?"

"Sorrow on me that ever I had the bad luck to meet with you."

"You're all witness," said Jack, "that my master says he is sorry for

having met with me. My time is up. Master, hand me over double wages,

and come into the next room, and lay yourself out like a man that has

some decency in him, till I take a strip of skin an inch broad from

your shoulder to your hip."

Every one shouted out against that; but, says Jack, "You didn't hinder

him when he took the same strips from the backs of my two brothers, and

sent them home in that state, and penniless, to their poor mother."