There is men in this town enough to be got.
“If you had the grey mare you would marry me,
But now you have nayther the grey mare nor me.
“The price of the grey mare was never so great,
So fare you well, Roger,
So fare you well, Roger,
Go murn[2] for Kate.”
Traditional (taken down from a peasant by
Dr. Douglas Hyde).
WILL O’ THE WISP.
In old times there was one Will Cooper, a blacksmith who lived in the parish of Loughile; he was a great lover of the bottle, and all that he could make by his trade went to that use, so that his family was often in a starving condition. One day as he was musing in his shop alone after a fit of drunkenness, there came to him a little old man, almost naked and trembling with cold. “My good fellow,” said he to Will, “put on some coals and make a fire, that I may get myself warmed.” Will, pitying the poor creature, did so, and likewise brought him something to eat, and told him, if he thought proper, he was welcome to stay all night. The old man thanked him kindly, and said he had farther to go; “but,” says he, “as you have been so kind to me, it is in my power to make you a recompense; make three wishes,” says he, “for anything you desire most, and let it be what it will you shall obtain it immediately.” “Well,” says Will, “since that is the case, I wish that any person who takes my sledge into their hand may never get free of it till I please to take it from them. Secondly, I have an armed chair, and I wish that any person sitting down on the same may never have power to rise until I please to take them off it. I likewise wish for the last,” says Will, “that whatever money or gold I happen to put into my purse, no person may have power to take it out again but myself.” “Ah! unfortunate Will!” cries the old man, “why did not you wish for Heaven?” With that he went away from the shop, as Will thought, very pensive and melancholy, and never was heard of more. The old man’s words opened Will’s eyes; he saw it was in his power to do well had he made a good use of the opportunity, and when he considered that the wishes were not of the least use to him, he became worse every day, both in soul and body, and in a short time he was reduced to great poverty and distress.