What do you think did my father do? He wouldn’t beg (a thing one of our people never done yet, thank heaven!) an’ he hadn’t the money to buy a thing, so what does he do? He takes up a couple o’ the big limestones that were lying in the road, in his two hands, an’ away with him to the house.
‘Lord save all here!’ says he, walking in the door.
‘And you kindly,’ says they.
‘I’m come to you,’ says he, this way, looking at the two limestones, ‘to know would ye let me make a little limestone broth over your fire, until I’ll make my dinner?’
‘Limestone broth!’ says they to him again: ‘what’s that, aroo?’
‘Broth made of limestone,’ says he; ‘what else?’
‘We never heard of such a thing,’ says they.