"'Well, Boofun,' they'd say, for they knew him, 'are you going to sell that fine sheep's skin?' 'I am,' he'd say; 'but I know _you_ wont buy it, for by the way I'm selling it, it would be a dear article for you.' 'Why so, man? I'm in want of wool, an' very little would make me buy the same _skin_, for it's fine _wool_.' 'Yes, but,' Boofun would say, 'you must pay me for it, and then give it me back if you buy it!' So he would be always laughed at, an' he was nearly dying av dishpair. "However, on he traveled and walked; and many miles from home he came to a beautiful lake, all surrounded with trees, very like that lake where your honor and the captain, and the ladies used to go and fish, and make peckthers, (pictures,) Inchiquin lake, sir; an' if he did, there was as darlin' a young lady as could be seen, an' she standing on the shore of the lake, and after finishing washin' some of the finest fleeces of iligant wool. 'O!' said he to himself, 'if I could only get this darlin' to buy _my_ fleece! But no one will ever do so foolish a thing as that, an' I shall never sell it, nor get back again!' "However, Boofun took courage, and wint up to her. 'God bless your work, alanna! 'tis yourself's not idle this morning! And what beautiful wool! I've a fleece here myself, an' I thought it good, but yours bates it intirely! I would sell mine, too, but neither you nor any one else will ever buy it! A voh! voh!' "'Why, that _must_ be a curious fleece, if no one'll buy it. Sir,' says she, 'what may be the price?' "'O, for that,' says he, 'it's for little or nothing I'd sell it; but what good would that do you, agrah, when I'm never to enter my father's house again, nor call myself his son, until I bring him back the skin and the price of it as well! However, it's no use talking to you, at any rate, for _you'll_ have nothing to do with me.' "'Why, how can you say so till I tell you?' says she. "'O, my thousand blessings for that word,' says he, 'it makes my heart rise like a cork to hear you!' "'Well, what will you take for the skin?' "'O, very little, then--only so much, (mentioning a small sum.) "'Very good,' says she, 'I'll give you that much, and welcome;' and whisper, 'are you the son of the Gubbaun Seare?' "'I am; but how could you guess that?' "'Because,' says she, 'no one could think of such a plan but his own four bones, _and I think I see the meanin' of it, too_,' says she. 'Hand me the skin.' So Boofun did, sir; and she fell to work, and in a very short time she had the wool stripped off. 'And here, now,' says she, 'here is your _skin_ back for you, and _here_ is the price of it,' says she, handing him the money; and tell the Gubbaun a very good _buraun_ the skin'll make,' says she. "'O, my million thanks to you,' says he; 'though I never should have thought of this in thousands of years, yet you've settled it with one word!'