There was a woman one time, and she on her way to the market, counting
the price of her basket of eggs.
"If eggs are up," says she, "I'll be gaining a handful of silver,
and evenly if prices be down I'll not do too badly at all for I have
a weighty supply."
With that she remarked a little wee boy sitting down by the hedge,
he stitching away at a brogue.
"If I had a hold of yon lad," says she, "I'd make him discover a
treasure--for the like of him knows where gold does be hid."
She juked up behind him, like a cat would be after a bird, and she
caught a strong grip of his neck.
Well he let an odious screech out of him, for he was horrid surprised.
"I have you, my gosoon," says she.
"Oh surely you have, mam," he answers. "The strength of your thumb
is destroying my thrapple this day."
"Will you show me a treasure?" says she.
"I'd have you to know," he replies, "that the pot of gold I could
convey you in sight of is guarded by the appearance of a very strange
frog."
"What do I care for the creeping beasts of the world," says she. "Worse
nor a frog wouldn't scare me at all."
"You're a terrible fine woman, mistress dear," says the
leprachaun. "I've travelled a power of the earth and I never came in
with your equal."
"Go on with your old-fashioned chat," she replies, but she was middling
well pleased all the same.
"I'm a small little fellow," says he, "and I couldn't keep up with
yourself. But it's light in the body I am, the way I'd be never a
burden at all and I sitting up on the handle of the basket."
"Up with you," she answers, "for I'll soon put you down to walk by
my side if you are not speaking the truth."
But she didn't find the least burden more on the basket when himself
was on the handle.
He was a great warrant to flatter, and he had her in humour that day
all the while he was watching out for a chance to escape, but she
kept a hold of his ear.
What did he do only put his two wee hands down into the basket and
he began for to bail out the eggs. She fetched him a terrible clout,
but the harder she beat him the faster he threw out the eggs.
"Oh mam! oh mam!" says he, "what for are you skelping my head?"
"To make you quit breaking my eggs, you unmannerly coley," says she.
"Sure it's doing you favour I am," he replies. "I'd have you to
know when I spill an egg on the ground a well-grown spring chicken
leps out."
"Quit raving," says she.
"If you doubt my word," he makes answer, "let you turn and look back
at the chickens are flocking along."
With that she turned her head, and the leprachaun slipped from her
grasp. He made one spring from the basket into the hedge, and he
vanished away from the place.
"The wee lad has fooled me entirely," says she, "and my beautiful
eggs are destroyed--but I am the finest woman he's seen, and that is
a good thing to know!"