The gentleman came, and John told him as I have told thee. But John would not marry the old girl of the hoary bodach. At the end of a day or two John would not stay longer. He filled his pockets full of the gold, and he asked the gentleman to give plenty of gold to the poor. He reached the house,[5] but he was wearying at home, and he had rather be back with the regiment. He took himself off on a day of days, and he reached the hill above the town, from which he went away. But who should come to him but the Mischief.
‘Hoth! hoth! John, thou hast come back?’
‘Hoth on thyself!’ quoth John, ‘I came. Who art thou?’
‘I am the Mischief, the man to whom thou gavest thyself when thou was here last.’
‘Ai! ai!’ said John, ‘it’s long since I heard tell of thee, but I never saw thee before. There is glamour on my eyes; I will not believe that it is thou at all. But make a snake of thyself, and I will believe thee.’
The Mischief did this.
‘Make now a lion of roaring.’
The Mischief did this.
‘Spit fire now seven miles behind thee and seven miles before thee.’ [[281]]
The Mischief did this.