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ago there was a widow woman living in the County Galway, and two sons with her, whose names were Dermod and Donal. Dermod was the eldest son, and he was the master over the house. They were large farmers, and they got a summons from the landlord to come and pay him a year's rent. They had not much money in the house, and Dermod said to Donal, "bring a load of oats to Galway, and sell it." Donal got ready a load, put two horses under the cart, and went to Galway. He sold the oats, and got a good price for it. When he was coming home, he stopped at the half-way house, as was his custom, to have a drink himself, and to give a drink and oats to the horses.

When he went in to get a drink for himself, he saw two boys playing cards. He looked at them for a while, and one of them said: "Will you have a game?" Donal began playing, and he did not stop till he lost every penny of the price of the oats. "What will I do now?" says Donal to himself, "Dermod will kill me. Anyhow, I'll go home and tell the truth."

When he came home, Dermod asked him: "Did you sell the oats?" "I sold, and got a good price for it," says Donal. "Give me the money," says Dermod. "I haven't it," says Donal; "I lost every penny of it playing cards at the house half-way." "My curse, and the curse of the four-and-twenty men on you," says Dermod. He went and told the mother the trick Donal did. "Give him his pardon this time," says the mother, "and he won't do it again." "You must sell another load to-morrow," says Dermod, "and if you lose the price, don't come here."