Page:History of the yellow dwarf.pdf/23

23 At last Mick reached his hemehome [sic]. “ Oh! Mick, are you come back?” said his wife. “Sure you weren’t at Cork all the way? Where is the cow? Did you sell her? Tell us every thing about it.”

So Mick had nothing left but to tell the whole story of his meeting with the little man, and how he had told Mick that the bottle was the only thing for him.

Mick’s wife was grieved and angry at her husband’s folly; but at last becoming pacified, she got up, and began to sweep thothe [sic] floor; put out the table, and spread the cloth upon it, and Mick, placing the bottle on the ground, looked at it and said, “ Bottle, do your duty!”

“Look there! look there, mammy!” said his chubby eldest son, “look there! look there!” and he sprang to his mother’s side, as two tiny little fellows rose like light from the bottle, and in an instant covered the table with dishes and plates efof [sic] gold and silver, full of the finest victuals that ever were seen, and when all was done, went inteinto [sic] the bottle again. After a long pause of astonishment, they sat down and made a hearty meal, though they could not taste half the dishes.

“Now,” says Molly, “I wonder will those two good littlolittle [sic] gentlemen carry away these fine things again?” They waited, but no onoone [sic] came; so Mick next day went to Cork and sold his plate, and bought a horsohorse [sic] and cart, and began to show that he was making money. His landlord at last found out the secret, and offered him a deal of money for the bottle; but Mick would not give it, till at last he offered to give him all his farm for ever; so Mick, who was very rich, thought he’d never want any more money, and gave him the bottle: but Mick was mistaken—he and his family spent money as if there was no end of it; and to make thothe [sic] story short, thoythey [sic] became poorer and poorer, till at last they had nothing left but onoone [sic] cow; and Mick oncoonce [sic] moromore [sic] drove his cow before him to sell her at Cork fair, hoping to meet the old man and get another bottlobottle [sic]. It was hardly daybreak when hohe [sic] left homohome [sic], and he walked on at a good pace till he reached the big hill, where he was fortunatofortunate [sic] enough to meet again with his queer little friend. Mick told his story, and after somosome [sic] parley got another bottle.

“Good byobye [sic] to you, sir,” said Mick, as he turned back;