As soon as they were inside the cabin, Biddy-be-sure rushed forward to greet them. But she was so very ugly that they shrank from her in fear.
“Sure,” she cried, wondering at their evident dislike to being embraced, “sure and Oi’ll give ye a kiss each,” and she came forward with her lips pursed up.
“Oh! I—I think we really must be going,” cried Coppertop, backing to the door.
“Would ye be after lavin’ me the momint ye arrive?” said Biddy, looking very crestfallen. “Sure, ye moight jist as well ’ave gone before ye came!”
“It’s the Blarney Stone ye’ve come to kiss,” she added, peering at them sharply, “and not poor ould Biddy-be-sure, ye’ll be after sayin’. But ye can’t go into the Castle atall, atall, these toimes, unless Oi help ye.”
“And it’s moighty dangerous!” she warned.
“However did you know that we wanted to kiss it?” cried Coppertop in astonishment.
“Sure, the North Wind had a gossip wid me, not ten minutes agone, on this very subject!” explained Biddy, with a twinkle in her eye.
Whilst this conversation was going on, Kiddiwee had discovered Pimby, the Flying Pig, and the two had struck up a fast friendship. Pimby was quite a dear, but, being an inflated pig, he was apt to give himself airs; he had two really beautiful wings, and—well—Flying Pigs are rare, and Pimby knew it.
As for the Black Cat, it had scuttled up the chimney as soon as the children appeared, and was seen no more.