"You see it was Saint Kavin, sure enough--the saint himself in
disguise, and nobody else. 'Oh, never mind,' says he, 'I know more
than that. May I make bowld to ax how is your goose, King O'Toole?'
says he. 'Blur-an-agers, how kem ye to know about my goose?' says the
king. 'Oh, no matther; I was given to understand it,' says Saint
Kavin. After some more talk the king says, 'What are you?' 'I'm an
honest man,' says Saint Kavin. 'Well, honest man,' says the king, 'and
how is it you make your money so aisy?' 'By makin' ould things as good
as new,' says Saint Kavin. 'Is it a tinker you are?' says the king.
'No,' says the saint; 'I'm no tinker by thrade, King O'Toole; I've a
betther thrade than a tinker,' says he--'what would you say,' says he,
'if I made your ould goose as good as new?'
"My dear, at the word o' making his goose as good as new, you'd think
the poor ould king's eyes was ready to jump out iv his head. With that
the king whistled, and down kem the poor goose, all as one as a hound,
waddlin' up to the poor cripple, her masther, and as like him as two
pays. The minute the saint clapt his eyes on the goose, 'I'll do the
job for you,' says he, 'King O'Toole.' 'By _Jaminee_!' says King
O'Toole, 'if you do, bud I'll say you're the cleverest fellow in the
sivin parishes.' 'Oh, by dad,' says St. Kavin, 'you must say more nor
that--my horn's not so soft all out,' says he, 'as to repair your ould
goose for nothin'; what'll you gi' me if I do the job for you?--that's
the chat,' says St. Kavin. 'I'll give you whatever you ax,' says the
king; 'isn't that fair?' 'Divil a fairer,' says the saint; 'that's the
way to do business. Now,' says he, 'this is the bargain I'll make with
you, King O'Toole: will you gi' me all the ground the goose flies
over, the first offer, afther I make her as good as new?' 'I will,'
says the king. 'You won't go back o' your word?' says St. Kavin.
'Honor bright!' says King O'Toole, howldin' out his fist. 'Honor
bright!' says St. Kavin, back agin, 'it's a bargain. Come here!' says
he to the poor ould goose--'come here, you unfort'nate ould cripple,
and it's I that'll make you the sportin' bird.' With that, my dear, he
took up the goose by the two wings--'Criss o' my crass an you,' says
he, markin' her to grace with the blessed sign at the same minute--and
throwin' her up in the air, 'whew,' says he, jist givin' her a blast
to help her; and with that, my jewel, she tuk to her heels, flyin'
like one o' the aigles themselves, and cuttin' as many capers as a
swallow before a shower of rain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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