Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/157

 Rh enchanter made a false man like William, and sent him home to William's wife with the horse and cart. When the false man came to Leeam's house, he went into the room, lay down on the bed and died.

It was not long till the cry went out that Leeam O'Rooney was dead. The wife put down water, and when it was hot she washed the body and put it over the board (i.e., laid it out). The neighbours came, and they keened sorrowfully over the body, and there was great pity for the poor wife, but there was not much grief on herself, for Leeam was old and she was young. The day on the morrow the body was buried, and there was no more remembrance of Leeam.

Leeam's wife had a servant boy, and she said to him: "You ought to marry me, and to take Leeam's place."

"It's too early yet, after there being a death in the house," said the boy; "wait till Leeam is a week buried."

When Leeam was seven days and seven nights asleep, a little boy came to him and awoke him, and said: "You've been asleep for a week; but we sent your horse and cart home. Here's your money, and go."

Leeam came home, and as it was late at night nobody saw him. On the morning of that same day Leeam's wife and the servant lad went to the priest and asked him to marry them.

"Have you the marriage money?" said the priest.

"No," said the wife; "but I have a sturk of a pig at home, and you can have her in place of money."

The priest married them, and said: "I'll send for the pig to-morrow."

When Leeam came to his own door, he struck a blow on it. The wife and the servant boy were going to bed, and they asked: "Who's there?"