In the olden time there was once a man named William O’Rooney, living near Clare-Galway. He was a farmer. One day the landlord came to him and said: “I have three years’ rent on you, and unless you have it for me within a week I’ll throw you out on the side of the road.” “I’m going to Galway with a load of wheat to-morrow,” said Leeam (William), “and when I get the price of it I’ll pay you.”
Next morning he put a load of wheat on the cart, and was going to Galway with it. When he was gone a[93] couple of miles from the house a gentleman met him and asked him: “Is it wheat you’ve got on the cart?”
“It is,” says Leeam; “I’m going to sell it to pay my rent.”
“How much is there in it?” said the gentleman.
“There’s a ton, honest, in it,” said Leeam.
“I’ll buy it from you,” said the gentleman, “and I’ll give you the biggest price that’s going in the market. When you’ll go as far as the cart boreen (little road) that’s on your left hand, turn down, and be going till you come to a big house in the valley. I’ll be before you there to give you your money.”
When Leeam came to the boreen he turned in, and was going until he came as far as the big house. Leeam wondered when he came as far as the big house, for he was born and raised (i.e., reared) in the neighbourhood, and yet he had never seen the big house before, though he thought he knew every house within five miles of him.
When Leeam came near the barn that was close to the big house, a little lad came out and said: “A hundred thousand welcomes to you, William O’Rooney,” put a sack on his back and went in with it. Another little lad came out and welcomed Leeam, put a sack on his back, and went in with it. Lads were coming welcoming Leeam, and putting the sacks on their backs and carrying them in, until the ton of wheat was all gone. Then the whole of the lads came round him, and Leeam said; “Ye all know me, and I don’t know ye!” Then they said to him: “Go in and eat your dinner; the master’s waiting for you.”
Leeam went in and sat down at table; but he had not the second mouthful taken till a heavy sleep came on him, and he fell down under the table. Then the enchanter[95] made a false man like William, and sent him home to William’s wife with the horse and cart. When the false man came to Leeam’s house, he went into the room, lay down on the bed and died.
It was not long till the cry went out that Leeam O’Rooney was dead. The wife put down water, and when it was hot she washed the body and put it over the board (i.e., laid it out). The neighbours came, and they keened sorrowfully over the body, and there was great pity for the poor wife, but there was not much grief on herself, for Leeam was old and she was young. The day on the morrow the body was buried, and there was no more remembrance of Leeam.
Leeam’s wife had a servant boy, and she said to him: “You ought to marry me, and to take Leeam’s place.”
“It’s too early yet, after there being a death in the house,” said the boy; “wait till Leeam is a week buried.”
When Leeam was seven days and seven nights asleep, a little boy came to him and awoke him, and said: “You’ve been asleep for a week; but we sent your horse and cart home. Here’s your money, and go.”
Leeam came home, and as it was late at night nobody saw him. On the morning of that same day Leeam’s wife and the servant lad went to the priest and asked him to marry them.
“Have you the marriage money?” said the priest.
“No,” said the wife; “but I have a sturk of a pig at home, and you can have her in place of money.”
The priest married them, and said: “I’ll send for the pig to-morrow.”
When Leeam came to his own door, he struck a blow on it. The wife and the servant boy were going to bed, and they asked:[97] “Who’s there?”
“It’s I,” said Leeam; “open the door for me.”
When they heard the voice, they knew that it was Leeam who was in it, and the wife said: “I can’t let you in, and it’s a great shame, you to be coming back again, after being seven days in your grave.”
“Is it mad you are?” said Leeam.
“I’m not mad,” said the wife; “doesn’t every person in the parish know that you are dead, and that I buried you decently. Go back to your grave, and I’ll have a mass read for your poor soul to-morrow.”
“Wait till daylight comes,” said Leeam, “and I’ll give you the price of your joking!”
Then he went into the stable, where his horse and the pig were, stretched himself in the straw, and fell asleep.
Early on the morning of the next day, the priest said to a little lad that he had: “Get up, and go to Leeam O’Rooney’s house, and the woman that I married yesterday will give you a pig to bring home with you.”
The boy came to the door of the house, and began knocking at it with a stick. The wife was afraid to open the door, but she asked: “Who’s there?”
“I,” said the boy; “the priest sent me to get a pig from you.”
“She’s out in the stable,&r............