There was no nicety about him. He said to his wife that he would go to the forge to get a doctoring instrument. He went to the forge the next day. “Where are you going to to-day?” said the smith. “I am going till you make me an instrument for doctoring.” “What is the instrument I shall make you?” “Make a crumskeen and a galskeen” (crooked knife and white knife?). The smith made that for him. He came home. When the day came—the day on the morrow—Neil O’Carree rose up. He made ready to be going as a doctor. He went. He was walking away. A red lad met him on the side of the high road. He saluted Neil O’Carree; Neil saluted him. “Where are you going?” says the red man. “I am going till I be my (i.e., a) doctor.“ ”It’s a good trade,” says the red man, “’twere best for you to hire me.” “What’s the wages you’ll be looking for?” says Neil. “Half of what we shall earn till we shall be back again on this ground.” “I’ll give you that,” says Neil. The couple walked on.
“There’s a king’s daughter,” says the red man, “with the (i.e., near to) death; we will go as far as her, till we see will we heal her.” They went as far as the gate. The porter came to them. He asked them where were they going. They said that it was coming to look at the[149] king’s daughter they were, to see would they do her good. The king desired to let them in. They went in.
They went to the place where the girl was lying. The red man went and took hold of her pulse. He said that if his master should get the price of his labour he would heal her. The king said that he would give his master whatever he should award himself. He said, “if he had the room to himself and his master, that it would be better.” The king said he should have it.
He desired to bring down to him a skillet (little pot) of water. He put the skillet on the fire. He asked Neil O’Carree: “Where is the doctoring instrument?” “Here they are,” says Neil, “a crumskeen and a galskeen.”
He put the crumskeen on the neck of the girl. He took the head off her. He drew a green herb out of his pocket. He rubbed it to the neck. There did not come one drop of blood. He threw the head into the skillet. He knocked a boil out of it. He seized hold on the two ears. He took it out of the skillet. He struck it down on the neck. The head stuck as well as ever it was. “How do you feel yourself now?” “I am as well as ever I was,” said the king’s daughter.
The big man shouted. The king came down. There was great joy on him. He would not let them go away for three days. When they were going he brought down a bag of money. He poured it out on the table. He asked of Neil O’Carree had he enough there. Neil said he had, and more than enough, that they would take but the half. The king desired them not to spare the money.
“There’s the daughter of another king waiting for us to go and look at her.” They bade farewell to the king and they went there.
They went looking at her. They went to the place where she was lying, looking at her in her bed, and it was[150] the same way this one was healed. The king was grateful, and he said he did not mind how much money Neil should take of him. He gave him three hundred pounds of money. They went then, drawing on home. “There’s a king’s son in such and such a place,” said the red man, “but we won’t go to him, we will go home with what we have.”
They were drawing on home. The king (had) bestowed half a score of heifers on them, to bring home with them. They were walking away. When they were in the place where Neil O’Carree hired the red man, “I think,” says the red man, “that this is the place I met you the first time.” “I think it is,” says Neil O’Carree. “Musha, how shall we divide the money?” “Two halves,” says the red man, “that’s the bargain was in it.” “I think it a great deal to give you a half,” says Neil O’Carree, “a third is big enough for you; I have a crumskeen and a galskeen (says Neil) and you have nothing.” “I won’t take anything,” said the red man, “unless I get the half.” They fell out about the money. The red man went and he left him.
Neil O’Carree was drawing home, riding on his beast. He was driving his share of cattle. The day came hot. The cattle went capering backwards and forwards. Neil O’Carree was controlling them. When he would have one or two caught the rest would be off when he used to come back. He tied his garrawn (gelding) to a bit of a tree. He was a-catching the cattle. At the last they were all off and away. He did not know where they went. He returned back to the place where he left his garrawn and his money. Neither the garrawn nor the money were to be got. He did not know then what he should do. He thought he would go to the house of the king whose son was ill.
[151]
He went along, drawing towards the house of the king. He went looking on the lad in the place where he was lying. He took a hold of his pulse. He said............