“Well,” laughed Merry, “as long as we are not going to push this thing any farther, I propose that we let him off if he sings us a song. I understand he is a lovely singer.”
“A song! a song!” shouted the students.
“Rise, Ready,” commanded the master, “and sing us a song.”
Jack felt that the best thing he could do was to make no resistance, so he stood up, asking:
“What shall I sing?”
“Anything, anything.”
Jack began to sing an Irish song, the chorus of which was as follows:
“Arran, go on, ye’re ownly foolin’.
Arran, go ’way, ye’re ownly t’asin’!
Arran, go on, ye’re something awful!