y. "Maybe
you would bring me my coat out of the house so that I needn't make two
journeys." The Churl went into the house for Gilly's coat. When he came
back he found Gilly standing in the nice grass of the pasture-field
lighting a wisp of hay. "What are you doing that for?" said the Churl to
him. "To burn the grass on the pasture-field," said Gilly. "To burn the
grass on my pasture-field, you villain--the grass that is for my good
race-horse's feeding! What do you mean, at all?" "Sure, you told me not
to let the grass grow under my feet," said Gilly. "Doesn't the world
know that the grass is growing every minute, and how will I prevent it
from growing under my feet if I don't burn it?" With that he stooped
down to put the lighted hay to the grass of the pasture-field. "Stop,
stop," said the Churl, "I meant that you were to go to the town,
without loitering on the way." "Well, it's a pity you didn't speak more
clearly," said Gilly, "for now the grass is a-fire." The Churl bad to
stamp on the grass to put the fire out. He burnt his shins, and that
made him very angry. "O you fool," said he to Gilly, "I'm sorry--" "Are
you sorry for the bargain you made with me, Master?" "No. I was going
to say I was sorry I hadn't made my meaning clear to you. Go now to the
town and bring me back salt for my supper as quickly as you can."

After that the Churl was very careful when he gave Gilly an order to
speak to him very exactly. This became a great trouble to him, for the
people in the Townland of Mischance used always to say, "Don't let the
grass grow under your feet," when they meant "Make haste," and "Don't
be there until you're back," when they meant "Go quickly" and "Come with
horses' legs" when they meant "come with great speed." He became tired
of speaking to Gilly by the letter, so he made up his mind to give him
an order that could not be carried out, so that he might have a chance
of sending him away without the wages he had earned.

One Monday morning he called Gilly to the door of the house and said to
him, "Take this sheep-skin to the market and bring me back the price
of it and the skin." "Very well, Master," said Gilly. He put the skin
across his arm and went towards the town. The people on the road said
to him, "What do you want for the sheep-skin, young fellow?" "I want
the skin and the price of it," Gilly said. The people laughed at him and
said, "You're going to give yourself a long journey, young fellow."

He w