Shaun O'Day of Ireland Read online

  CHAPTER IX

  WANDERING

  "Over hill, over dale, Through bush, through brier, Over park, over pale, Through flood, through fire, I do wander everywhere." --WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

  While John traveled with his good fairy, his mother and father satbefore their fireside. They talked for hours about the lad's goodfortune.

  Of course Shaun explained to his wife that the girl was no fairy. Hetold Dawn O'Day that she was Marjorie, the baby Princess, for whom hehad worked so long ago.

  Dawn O'Day was pleased to think how much her boy was learning. Sheloved to think that some day little John might be a great, wise man.

  And the boy was indeed learning, and seeing all manner of wonders.Together he and Marjorie visited the Giant's Causeway, which is in thenorthern part of Ireland. The Giant's Causeway is a very remarkableplace.

  It is supposed to have been made by the giants of old. It is believed bysome that the queer rocks were built by giants. These great monsterswere trying to make a great bridge across the water to join Ireland andScotland.

  Of course this is only a fairy tale. But those huge, queer rocky formsdo look as though giants had built them.

  The water roars up to the shore and often splashes over those strange,tall rocks. They are probably the result of a terrible eruption by somevolcano, or fire mountain, years ago.

  The rocks form many peculiar shapes. There is the Giant's Organ--a groupof immense rocks resembling a mighty organ.

  There is the Wishing Chair, a single column backed by higher ones. Itforms a very comfortable chair. And they tell you that if you make awish there, it will come true. But never must you speak that wish aloud.

  THE WISHING CHAIR]

  There is a well of clear, fresh water within a few feet of the AtlanticOcean.

  There is the gate which stands as the gate to Giant Land.

  THE GATE TO GIANT LAND]

  There are the Giant's Eyeglass, the Chimney Tops, the Loom, and otherforms of great size made of these strange rocks. It is no wonder thatthe people think of giants, when looking at them.

  THE GIANT'S EYEGLASS]

  The little boy and his guide visited the mountain of Crough Patrick, oneof the sacred places of Ireland.

  It is where St. Patrick stood when he banished all snakes and otherreptiles from Ireland. This is supposed to have happened in the year 450A.D.

  St. Patrick imprisoned all creeping things in a deep canyon and keptthem there. When he was ready to destroy them, he stood upon the summitof the mountain with a bell in his hand.

  He stood there and rang that bell. And each time he rang that bellthousands of snakes and other creeping creatures went tumbling into thesea.

  In Ireland to-day there are no snakes, toads, or poisonous reptiles. Thepeople believe that it is because St. Patrick destroyed them all, manyyears ago.

  In July many pilgrims climb to this mountain. They pray there to St.Patrick.

  John and Marjorie went to the Lakes of Killarney. These are perhaps thebest known lakes in all the world. Songs and poems have been writtenabout their beauty.

  There are three lakes. Each one has a peculiar beauty of its own. Thelakes lie between mountains like brilliant diamonds glistening in anemerald setting.

  They tell a legend in Killarney. They say that once no lakes were thereat all. One man living there had a magic well. If he always kept thewell covered, no harm would come.

  But one night somebody came to the well for water and forgot to coverit. The next morning a great flood had swallowed up the land. The townwas completely under water.

  Sometimes, the natives say, one can still see, at the bottom of thelakes, this old town with the same old well. The Irish do love to betelling tales of magic.

  Blarney Castle is noted for the famous Blarney Stone. It is said thatthose who kiss the Blarney Stone forever afterward possess the art offlattery and beautiful speech.

  BLARNEY CASTLE]

  You have often heard people say, "You must have kissed the BlarneyStone!"

  People who make many compliments are sometimes accused of kissing theBlarney Stone.

  Nor is it an easy object to kiss! John O'Day and Marjorie climbed to thetop of Blarney Castle. There the old stone hangs from the top of thebattlements. It lies in a peculiar position.

  John lay flat and thrust his head down about three feet through anopening. He then twisted his neck in order to kiss the precious stone. Aguard held his feet.

  It was a wise thing to do, for it is over a hundred feet to the groundbelow! It would be a terrible fall!

  As they traveled, they passed beautiful green country. They saw manypigs and many donkey carts.

  THEY PASSED DONKEY CARTS]

  In every village they found a war memorial. Some of these memorialsstand in the center of the town. Some are very large and beautiful.Others are small. But all mean the same thing. Ireland lost manysoldiers in the Great War.

  A WAR MEMORIAL IN EVERY VILLAGE]

  They found few fruits growing in Ireland. Gooseberries are plentiful,and they ate many.

  Marjorie found the Irish peasants friendly and kind. Several times theystopped for the night in farmhouses.

  The people told Marjorie many wonderful tales as she sat before theirfiresides. They were very much surprised to find the girl travelingabout alone with a young child.

  But she only laughed in her easy way, as the old women said, "God bepraised, but American girls do be knowing no fear!"

  Marjorie always made John go to bed right after dinner. The little boywas tired from his long day's travels. He was tired, too, with seeingand hearing so many new things. So he did not hear the people talking atnight. He still believed his girl fairy was one of the Good People.

  One day they were stopping in a small village. Marjorie left John alonewith the car and went into a shop to buy some cakes.

  A group of little boys came over to the car. Their eyes were verycurious, indeed.

  They began to talk to John. When they heard his accent they knew at oncethat he was Irish.

  One boy said, "'Tis surely a rich American lady driving the automobile?"

  John looked at him in a pitying manner. "And don't you know a fairy whenyou see one?" he asked.

  The boys' mouths opened. They stared at John.

  Then one boy came close to John and cried out, "Arrah, 'tis no fairy, atall, at all! 'Tis an American lady from across the seas!"

  John faced the boy. There was a frown on his face.

  "You'll not be standing there saying that again!" he said. "'Tis herselfis one of the Good People!"

  The boy laughed again. "Och, you know well she is no fairy!"

  "She is!" yelled John.

  "She is not!" shrieked the boy.

  John rolled up his sleeves. He hit the boy.

  When Marjorie came out of the shop she found her young friend in afierce battle. She separated the boys and thrust John into the car. Hewas waving his arms and shouting.

  Marjorie jumped into the driver's seat. She started the car, and offthey went.

  SHE SEPARATED THE BOYS]

  John's clothing was torn. He was bruised. The boy with whom he hadfought was larger than he. But John knew that he had left the other boyas bruised and torn as he was himself. So he smiled.

  Marjorie drove for a while in silence.

  Then she asked, "John, why did you fight?"

  John told her the reason. She bit her lip and was silent again.

  Then she said, "John, how do you know that I am a fairy?"

  The little boy answered promptly, "Because I was after calling thefairies that day by the lake. And because I did take off my petticoatand put on the clothes of a boy."

  "Do you believe that was the reason I took you away?" asked Marjorie.

  "I do," answered John firmly. "And," he continued, "if I had been in thepetticoats of a girl, you would never have noticed me at all."

  "Why?" Marjorie queried.

 
"Sure, and the Good People do be wanting the boys to work forthemselves. They'll not be noticing girls, and they so weak!" Johnanswered.

  Marjorie frowned. Then she said, "But I have not made you work."

  John looked at her quickly and replied, "Och, no! But 'tis willing I amto work for you now. Only--" He hesitated.

  "Only what, John?" asked the girl.

  "I'll not be wanting to stay away forever from my mother and father,"was the reply.

  Marjorie put an arm about his shoulder.

  "Do you know that we are almost at your home now?" She laughed gayly."Look about you!"

  The little boy was amazed to see that they really had returned. Theywere on the same dusty road whence they had started their trip so manydays ago.

  Marjorie drew the car up to the side of the road and stopped it.

  "Now you may jump out and run home to your mother and father," shesaid.

  John O'Day just stood and stared at her.

  "And you'll not be asking me to work at all?" he questioned, withwondering eyes.

  Marjorie shook her head and smiled.

  "Och," cried the boy, "but I want to do something for you!"

  Marjorie stroked his hand and replied softly, "It is not necessary,Shauneen. Your father did so very much for me many years ago. I am gladthat I can now give his son a little happiness."

  "And will you not be coming back again to the lake, good fairy?" askedJohn.

  Marjorie's smile faded as she answered, "Shauneen, I am not a fairy. Youmust believe that. I shall come back to the lake to see you. But I shallcome to bid you good-bye, for I am going back to America."

  For a moment John was almost going to believe her. His throat feltchoky. Then suddenly he shook his head and laughed aloud.

  "Sure, 'tis not so at all, at all!" he laughed. "There's not a girl inall the world as beautiful as you. There's not a girl in all the worldso good and kind, Faireen. Och, no! Not even the girls from the land ofAmerica! 'Tis indeed the fairy you are!"

  The little boy climbed out of the car. He saw a shamrock growing by theside of the road. He ran and picked it. He gave it to Marjorie. Then hekissed her hand and ran as fast as he could.

  THEN HE KISSED HER HAND]

  He left the girl staring after him in real amazement. So he would notbelieve her! He thought that she was a fairy! Ah, well, she mustcertainly show him in some way that what she told him was true.

  She did not want to leave Ireland and feel that she had deceived theboy. Still, she loved to think that he believed her to be a fairy.

  It was a beautiful dream to John. She did not like to disturb thatbeautiful dream. Puzzled, she shook her head as she started her car.Then she was off, down the dusty road.