Page:History of the yellow dwarf.pdf/22

22 “HewHow [sic] deesdoes [sic] he knew my name?” theughtthought [sic] he.

“Mick Purcell, I knew you, and I have a regard ferfor [sic] yeuyou [sic]; therefore do as I warn you, eror [sic] you may be sorry for it. Your cow may die before you go to Cork. There may be many cattle at the fair, and you get a bad price, or you may be robbed when you are cemingcoming [sic] home; but I see you are determined to throw away your luck, Mick Purcell.”

“Oh! no, I would not throw away my luck, sir, and if I was sure the bottle was as geed as you say, I’d give yeuyou [sic] the cow.”

“Give me the cewcow [sic]!” said he; “I weuldwould [sic] not tell you a lie. Here, take the bettlebottle [sic], and dedo [sic] exactly what I direct.”

Mick hesitated.

“Well, then, geedgood [sic] bye, I can stay no longer: once more, take it, and be rich; refuse it, and beg for your life, with your children in poverty and your wfiowife [sic] dying for want!” said thothe [sic] little man with a grin.

“May be ’tis true,” said Mick, still hesitating; he did netnot [sic] know what to do,—at length, in a fit of desperation, he seized the bottle—“Take the cow,” said he, “and if you are telling a lie, the curse efof [sic] the poor will be on you.”

“I have spoken truth, Mick Purcell, and that yeuyou [sic] will find to-night, if you do what I tell you.”

“And what’s that?” says Mick.

“When you go home, never mind if yeuryour [sic] wife be angry, but be quiet yourself, and make her sweep thothe [sic] room clean, set the table out right, and spread a clean cloth over it; then put the bottle on the greundground [sic], saying these words: ‘Bottle, do your duty!’”

“And is this all ?” says Mick.

“No more,” said the stranger, “GoedGood [sic] bye, Mick Purcell—you are a rich man.”

“God grant it!” said Mick, as the old man moved after the cow, and he retraced thothe [sic] road towards his cabin. He could not help turning to look after his cow; but nononone [sic] was to bobe [sic] soonseen [sic].

“Lord between us and harm!” said Mick: “He can't belong to this earth; but wherowhere [sic] is the cow?” Mick went homeward muttering prayers, and holding fast the bottle.