“‘I tell you again ’twas a blackbird,’ siz Shawn.
“‘Och,’ siz Nancy, beginnen to laugh, ‘that was the quare blackbird.’
“Wud that, one word borrowed another, an’ Shawn stood up an’ gev her the father av a batin’.
“The third Christmas Day kem, an’ they wor in the best o’ good humour afther the tay, an’ Shawn puttin’ on his ridin’-coat to go to Mass.
“‘Well, Shawn,’ siz Nancy, ‘I’m thinkin’ av what an unhappy Christmas mornin’ we had this day twelve months, all on account of the thrish you caught in the crib, bad ’cess to her.’
“‘’Twas a blackbird,’ siz Shawn.
“‘Wisha, good luck to you, an’ don’t be talkin’ foolish,’ siz Nancy; ‘an’ you’re betther not get into a passion agin, account av an ould thrish. My heavy curse on the same thrish,’ siz Nancy.
“‘I tell you ’twas a blackbird,’ siz Shawn.
“‘An’ I tell you ’twas a thrish,’ siz Nancy.
“Wud that, Shawn took a bunnaun[23] he had seasonin’ in the chimley, and whaled at Nancy, an’ gev her the father av a batin’. An’ every Christmas morning from that day to this ’twas the same story, for as sure as the sun Nancy ’d draw down the thrish. But do you tell me, Sally, she’s afther givin’ in it was a blackbird?”