_Mother:_ I must make it now indeed, or I will be late with it. I am late as it is; I was expecting one of the neighbours to bring me white flour from the town. I’ll wait no longer, I’ll go borrow it in some place. There will be a wedding in the stonecutter’s house Thursday, it’s likely there will be flour in the house. _Child:_ Let me go along with you. _Mother:_ It is best for you to stop here. Be a good child now, and don’t be meddling with the things on the table. Sit down there by the hearth and break up those little sticks I am after bringing in. Make a little heap of them now before me, and we will make a good fire to bake the cake. See now how many will you break. Don’t go out the door while I’m away, I would be in dread of you going near the river and it in flood. Behave yourself well now. Be counting the sticks as you break them. (_She goes out._) _Child:_ (_Sitting down and breaking sticks across his knee._) One—and two—O I can break this one into a great many, one, two, three, four.—This one is wet—I don’t like a wet one—five, six—that is a great heap.—Let me try that great big one.—That is too hard.—I don’t think mother could break that one.—Daddy could break it. (_Half-door is opened and a travelling man comes in. He wears a ragged white flannel shirt, and mud-stained trousers. He is bareheaded and barefooted, and carries a little branch in his hand._) _Travelling Man:_ (_Stooping over the child and taking the stick._) Give it here to me and hold this. (_He puts the branch in the child’s hand while he takes the stick and breaks it._) _Child:_ That is a good branch, apples on it and flowers. The tree at the mill has apples yet, but all the flowers are gone. Where did you get this branch? _Travelling Man:_ I got it in a garden a long way off. _Child:_ Where is the garden? Where do you come from? _Travelling Man:_ (_Pointing southward._) I have come from beyond those hills. _Child:_ Is it from the Golden Mountain you are come? From Slieve na n-Or? _Travelling Man:_ That is where I come from surely, from the Golden Mountain. I would like to sit down and rest for a while. _Child:_ Sit down here beside me. We must not go near the table or touch anything, or mother will be angry. Mother is going to make a beautiful cake, a cake that will be fit for a King that might be coming in to our supper. _Travelling Man:_ I will sit here with you on the floor. (_Sits down._) _Child:_ Tell me now about the Golden Mountain. _Travelling Man:_ There is a garden in it, and there is a tree in the garden that has fruit and flowers at the one time. _Child:_ Like this branch? _Travelling Man:_ Just like that little branch. _Child:_ What other things are in the garden? _Travelling Man:_ There are birds of all colours that sing at every hour, the way the people will come to their prayers. And there is a high wall about the garden. _Child:_ What way can the people get through the wall?