Shaun O'Day of Ireland Page 6

  CHAPTER V

  THE FRIGHTENED GIANT

  A giant did call at a fairy ball With the wee folk he wanted to play, But as soon as he lifted his clumsy arm He frightened the fairies away.

  Then back they all came and they played their game, And the giant once more tried to play, But so quick and so light were the fairies bright They frightened the giant away.

  When Marjorie's nurse went out, it was Shaun who took Marjorie to playin the park. Sometimes they stayed in the big gardens of Marjorie'shome, and Shaun told stories.

  SHAUN TOLD MARJORIE STORIES IN THE GARDEN]

  But occasionally the little girl liked to go where she would meet herfriends.

  On such a day Shaun and Marjorie were playing ball with the children inthe park. They were throwing the ball to one another.

  Shaun was standing among them like a giant. He was trying to be gentleas he threw the ball. But all at once his strength let go and over thetree tops went the ball.

  "O-oh, what a terrible throw!" sneered a small boy.

  Shaun ran and brought back the ball. He tried to be more careful. Butonce he threw it into the duck pond, and at last he lost it altogether.He heard a child snickering as he came back from an unsuccessful search.

  Marjorie said, "Let's go home. I'm tired, anyway."

  She looked cross, but she did not say a word to Shaun on the way home.

  That night Shaun was dressing to help the butler serve dinner. He lookedat his big hands.

  He looked at his strong arms and sighed, "Och! Shaun O'Day is too big tobe the playmate of a fairy princess!"

  But he did not worry until later.

  Then that evening when he was helping wash dishes, the cook said, "Watchout, boy. You'll break the dishes yet, with your big, clumsy hands."

  He tried so hard to be careful. He tried too hard, perhaps, for whatcook had warned him of came to pass. He broke a precious cup and saucer.

  The other servants said nothing, but smiled behind their hands.

  Cook, however, cautioned, "Mind you don't do that again, boy."

  Shaun went to his room with a heavy heart that night. What was thematter? Was he too big, too clumsy?

  Would he never learn to be deft and quick like Perkins the butler? Orneat and brisk like the chauffeur Paul?

  Oh, well, he could only try. He could be very careful. But anyway,Marjorie still loved his tales.

  He could tell stories and amuse the Princess. That was one thing none ofthe others could do. He fell asleep smiling.

  A few days later, Marjorie told him that she was planning a birthdayparty. She told him about all the amusements they were to have. Manychildren were to be asked.

  They would have ice cream and cake and chocolate in the garden underthe trees. Shaun would serve them.

  They would play games, and Shaun would tell them stories. Oh, that wasto be the best part of all, Marjorie thought.

  Shaun and the little girl planned the party together. Shaun suggested anIrish game, and Marjorie said it would be fun to play it.

  So the day arrived. It was a shiny spring day. It was a pretty sight tosee the little boys and girls running about and playing together in thegreen garden.

  Marjorie cried out, "Come now! Shaun will show you how to play hisgame."

  And the tall lad stood among the little children. He tried to make themunderstand what fun it was to play an old Irish game.

  It was a game that Shaun had played and that Shaun's father had playedand perhaps Shaun's father's father.

  But these young Americans did not like it. They said so. They turnedtheir backs and refused to play it.

  So Marjorie said, "Then Shaun will tell us a story."

  The children gathered around Shaun and he began: "Once upon a time inold Ireland--"

  "Will there be any wars in the story?" asked one of the children--a boy,of course.

  Shaun twinkled and replied, "Perhaps."

  "ONCE UPON A TIME IN OLD IRELAND"]

  Then he went on. He was telling a fairy tale. The boys began to realizethat it was not about wild Indians and wars. They twisted and fidgeted.They dug their heels into the ground, and one boy pinched another. Hesquealed aloud.

  "S-sh!" said one girl. "Stop making that noise!"

  But the boys did not want to listen.

  One boy stood up and said, "Who wants to hear about fairies?"

  "I don't! I don't!" yelled the others.

  Marjorie frowned.

  The boys ran away, shouting, "Come on! Let's play robbers."

  Marjorie said, "They would have liked Shaun's story. They should havelistened. It was awf'lly 'citing! But he hardly started to tell it."

  By this time the group was scattered. Even the little girls werewhispering together.

  Shaun got up and walked away. He walked to a bench at the other end ofthe garden and sat down. He was thinking very deeply.

  He sat there until he heard his name called. He had to go into the houseto help bring out ice cream and cake and chocolate to Marjorie's guests.

  As he served little ice cream boats and flowers and animals, histhoughts were far away. The crystal and gold of the plates and gobletsdid not seem so lovely as before.

  Everything on the table swam before Shaun's eyes. Even the children'sfaces seemed blurred. He heard their talk and laughter in a dream.

  He was very unhappy.

  "Oh, Shaun, do look what you're doing!" cried a voice in distress.

  Shaun looked in horror at what he had done. He had poured hot chocolateover the tablecloth. It was trickling down over a little girl's dress.

  Perkins the butler grabbed the chocolate pot out of Shaun's hand.

  He muttered, "Clumsy fellow!" and started mopping up.

  The little girl began to cry.

  Shaun went into the kitchen for a fresh napkin. When he came out to theparty again, he heard the children snickering and whispering amongthemselves. As he approached the table, they stopped. He knew they weremaking sport of his clumsiness.

  He looked at Marjorie. There were tears in her brown eyes, and she wasbiting her lip. That night Shaun packed his few things and left a letterfor Marjorie.

  THERE WERE TEARS IN MARJORIE'S BROWN EYES]

  He told her that he was too clumsy to stay in the home of a princess anylonger. He told her that he should never forget her kindness to him.

  Then he wrote another letter and put a stamp on it. He walked out ofthe big house with the letter in one hand and his old Irish carpet bagin the other.

  He walked along the bright city streets until he came to a mail box. Hekissed the letter and then dropped it into the box.

  Dawn O'Day read the letter a few weeks later in Ireland.

  This is what it said:

  "My Dawn O'Day--

  "At last I am leaving the fairy folk. My fingers have grown too clumsyand my arms too big for the dainty likes of the Good People. Thoseelves, the children of this bright world, do not be wanting Shaun O'Dayany more.

  "And so, little Eileen, I am coming back to you and Ireland. And in mypocket is silver and gold to buy us a wedding and a cottage.

  "But the cottage will not be in that New Island. 'Twill be in the oldEmerald Isle.

  "Your Shaun."

  Shaun sold everything he had but an old suit of clothes. He bought aticket on a boat going to England and sailed away from New York.

  As the big ship left behind her the great American city, the Irish ladsaluted and murmured, "Farewell, fairyland. 'Tis too grand you are forthe likes of a simple lad like me. But, och, a wonderful, greatfairyland you are!"

  Slowly the stately harbor disappeared from view.