Barney looked, and wished and scratched his head. “It’s not the sort of price my mother thought I’d be after getting,” he said.
“It’s a price that will be worth more than gold and silver to you in the end,” said the little man.
Well, the end of it was that Barney gave him the cow and received in exchange the harp, the stool, and the little cockchafer. He took out his handkerchief and wrapped them up in it very carefully, and when he looked about again the little man and Whitey had disappeared entirely. There was no sign of them anywhere.
“And that’s a curious thing, too,” said Barney to himself, and then he set out for home.
When he came within sight of the house, his mother was at the window watching for him, and she came out to meet him.
“I see you sold the cow,” she said. “And how much did you get for it?”
“Come inside and I’ll show you.”
They went into the house and Barney dusted off the table; then he untied his handkerchief and put the harp, the stool, and the little musician upon it. The cockchafer made a bow to Barney’s mother; then he seated himself and began to play, and if Barney had laughed before he roared with pleasure now. The old woman, too, began to laugh and that was what she had not done for many a year before. She laughed till the tears ran down her face, and then she dropped into a chair and laughed some more.
But, when at last the tune came to an end, the old woman wiped her eyes and began to come to herself. Then she remembered the cupboard was still bare, and the rent still due the landlord in spite of all the gay doings.
“You worthless lout!” she cried to her son. “Is that what you sold the cow for? How do you expect us to fill our stomachs and pay the landlord with such nonsense as that?”