Dream Of Owen O'mulready
THERE
was a man long ago living near Ballaghadereen named Owen O'Mulready, who was a
workman for the gentleman of the place, and was a prosperous, quiet, contented
man. There was no one but himself and his wife Margaret, and they had a nice
little house and enough potatoes in the year, in addition to their share of
wages, from their master. There wasn't a want or anxiety on Owen, except one
desire, and that was to have a dream - for he had never had one.
One day when he was digging potatoes, his master - James Taafe
- came out to his ridge, and they began talking, as was the custom with them.
The talk fell on dreams, and said Owen that he would like better than
any-thing if he could only have one.
"You'll have one to-night," says his master,
"if you do as I tell you."
"Musha, I'll do it, and welcome," says Owen.
"Now," says his master, "when you go home
to-night, draw the fire from the hearth, put it out, make your bed in its
place and sleep there to-night, and you'll get your enough of dreaming before
the morning."
Owen promised to do this. When, however, he began to draw the
fire out, Margaret thought that he had lost his senses, so he explained
everything James Taafe had said to him, had his own way, and they went to lie
down together on the hearth.
Not long was Owen asleep when there came a knock at the door.
"Get up, Owen O'Mulready, and go with a letter from the
master to America"
Owen got up, and put his feet into his boots, saying to
himself, "It's late you come, messenger."
He took the letter, and he went forward and never tarried till
he came to the foot of Sliabh Charn, where he met a cow-boy, and he herding
cows.
"The blessing of God be with you, Owen O'Mulready,"
says the boy."
"The blessing of God and Mary be with you, my boy says
Owen. "Every one knows me, and I don't know any one at all."
"Where are you going this time of night ?" says the
boy.
"I'm going to America, with a letter from the master; is
this the right road ? " says Owen.
"It is ; keep straight to the west; but how are you going
to get over the water?" says the boy.
"Time enough to think of that when I get to it,"
replied Owen.
He went on the road again, till he came to the brink of the
sea; there he saw a crane standing on one foot on the shore.
"The blessing of God be with you, Owen O'Mulready,"
says the crane.
"The blessing of God and Mary be with you, Mrs.
Crane," says Owen. " Everybody knows me, and I don't know any
one."
"What are you doing here ?"
Owen told her his business, and that he didn't know how he'd
get over the water.
"Leave your two feet on my two wings, and sit on my back,
and I'll take you to the other side," says the crane.
"What would I do if tiredness should come on you before
we got over?" says Owen.
"Don't be afraid, I won't be tired or wearied till I fly
over."
Then Owen went on the back of the crane, and she arose over
the sea and went forward, but she hadn't flown more than half-way, when she
cried out:
"Owen O'Mulready get off me; I'm tired."
"That you may be seven times worse this day
twelve-months, you rogue of a crane," says Owen ; "I can't get off
you now, so don't ask me."
"I don't care," replied the crane, "if you'll
rise off me a while till I'll take a rest."
With that they saw threshers over their heads, and Owen
shouted:
"Och ! thresher, thresher, leave down your flail at me,
that I may give the crane a rest!"
The thresher left down the flail, but when Owen took a hold
with his two hands, the crane went from him laughing and mocking.
"My share of misfortunes go with you !" said Owen,
"It's you've left me in a fix hanging between the heavens
and the water in the middle of the great sea."
It wasn't long till the thresher shouted to him to leave go
the flail.
" I won't let it go," said Owen ; " shan't I be
drowned ?"
"If you don't let it go, I'll cut the whang."
"I don't care," says Owen ; " I have the
flail;" and with that he looked away from him, and what should he see but
a boat a long way off.
"O sailor dear, sailor, come, come ; perhaps you'll take
my lot of bones," said Owen.
"Are we under you now ? " says the sailor.
"Not yet, not yet," says Owen.
"Fling down one of your shoes, till we see the way it
falls," says the captain.
Owen shook one foot, and down fell the shoe.
"Uill, uill, puil, uil, liu - who is killing me ? "
came a scream from Margaret in the bed. " Where are you, Owen ?"
"I didn't know whether 'twas you were in it,
Margaret."
"Indeed, then it is," says she, "who else would
it be?"
She got up and lit the candle. She found Owen halfway up the
chimney, climbing by the hands on the crook, and he black with soot ! He had
one shoe on, but the point of the other struck Margaret, and 'twas that which
awoke her.
Owen came down off the crook and washed himself and from that
out there was no envy on him ever to have a dream again.
was a man long ago living near Ballaghadereen named Owen O'Mulready, who was a
workman for the gentleman of the place, and was a prosperous, quiet, contented
man. There was no one but himself and his wife Margaret, and they had a nice
little house and enough potatoes in the year, in addition to their share of
wages, from their master. There wasn't a want or anxiety on Owen, except one
desire, and that was to have a dream - for he had never had one.
One day when he was digging potatoes, his master - James Taafe
- came out to his ridge, and they began talking, as was the custom with them.
The talk fell on dreams, and said Owen that he would like better than
any-thing if he could only have one.
"You'll have one to-night," says his master,
"if you do as I tell you."
"Musha, I'll do it, and welcome," says Owen.
"Now," says his master, "when you go home
to-night, draw the fire from the hearth, put it out, make your bed in its
place and sleep there to-night, and you'll get your enough of dreaming before
the morning."
Owen promised to do this. When, however, he began to draw the
fire out, Margaret thought that he had lost his senses, so he explained
everything James Taafe had said to him, had his own way, and they went to lie
down together on the hearth.
Not long was Owen asleep when there came a knock at the door.
"Get up, Owen O'Mulready, and go with a letter from the
master to America"
Owen got up, and put his feet into his boots, saying to
himself, "It's late you come, messenger."
He took the letter, and he went forward and never tarried till
he came to the foot of Sliabh Charn, where he met a cow-boy, and he herding
cows.
"The blessing of God be with you, Owen O'Mulready,"
says the boy."
"The blessing of God and Mary be with you, my boy says
Owen. "Every one knows me, and I don't know any one at all."
"Where are you going this time of night ?" says the
boy.
"I'm going to America, with a letter from the master; is
this the right road ? " says Owen.
"It is ; keep straight to the west; but how are you going
to get over the water?" says the boy.
"Time enough to think of that when I get to it,"
replied Owen.
He went on the road again, till he came to the brink of the
sea; there he saw a crane standing on one foot on the shore.
"The blessing of God be with you, Owen O'Mulready,"
says the crane.
"The blessing of God and Mary be with you, Mrs.
Crane," says Owen. " Everybody knows me, and I don't know any
one."
"What are you doing here ?"
Owen told her his business, and that he didn't know how he'd
get over the water.
"Leave your two feet on my two wings, and sit on my back,
and I'll take you to the other side," says the crane.
"What would I do if tiredness should come on you before
we got over?" says Owen.
"Don't be afraid, I won't be tired or wearied till I fly
over."
Then Owen went on the back of the crane, and she arose over
the sea and went forward, but she hadn't flown more than half-way, when she
cried out:
"Owen O'Mulready get off me; I'm tired."
"That you may be seven times worse this day
twelve-months, you rogue of a crane," says Owen ; "I can't get off
you now, so don't ask me."
"I don't care," replied the crane, "if you'll
rise off me a while till I'll take a rest."
With that they saw threshers over their heads, and Owen
shouted:
"Och ! thresher, thresher, leave down your flail at me,
that I may give the crane a rest!"
The thresher left down the flail, but when Owen took a hold
with his two hands, the crane went from him laughing and mocking.
"My share of misfortunes go with you !" said Owen,
"It's you've left me in a fix hanging between the heavens
and the water in the middle of the great sea."
It wasn't long till the thresher shouted to him to leave go
the flail.
" I won't let it go," said Owen ; " shan't I be
drowned ?"
"If you don't let it go, I'll cut the whang."
"I don't care," says Owen ; " I have the
flail;" and with that he looked away from him, and what should he see but
a boat a long way off.
"O sailor dear, sailor, come, come ; perhaps you'll take
my lot of bones," said Owen.
"Are we under you now ? " says the sailor.
"Not yet, not yet," says Owen.
"Fling down one of your shoes, till we see the way it
falls," says the captain.
Owen shook one foot, and down fell the shoe.
"Uill, uill, puil, uil, liu - who is killing me ? "
came a scream from Margaret in the bed. " Where are you, Owen ?"
"I didn't know whether 'twas you were in it,
Margaret."
"Indeed, then it is," says she, "who else would
it be?"
She got up and lit the candle. She found Owen halfway up the
chimney, climbing by the hands on the crook, and he black with soot ! He had
one shoe on, but the point of the other struck Margaret, and 'twas that which
awoke her.
Owen came down off the crook and washed himself and from that
out there was no envy on him ever to have a dream again.
