their respicts. Whin wan o' thim found out that another
wan was comin', he'd come the aftener himself to make up fur it, an'
afther a while, they all found out aitch other, an' thin, begob all o'
thim come to be beforehand wid the rest, an' from foor times in the year,
it was foor times in the week that the gang o' them 'ud be settin' in the
kitchen till the cock 'ud crow, all a-makin' love to the young Princess.

[Illustration: "All a-makin' love to the Young Princess"]

"An' a fine sight it was to see thim, bekase they was all shtrivin' to do
somethin' for her. Whin she paled the pitaties fur the ould King's
brekquest, sure wan o' thim 'ud be givin' her the pitaties, another wan
'ud catch the palin' an' the rest lookin' on wid the invy shinin' out o'
their faces. Whin she dropped the thimble, you'd think the last wan 'ud
jump out av his shkin to get it, an' whin she wint to milk the cow, wan
'ud carry the pail, another wan 'ud fetch the shtool, an' two 'ud feed the
cow, an' two other wans 'ud hold the calf, an' aitch wan 'ud bless God
whin she gev him the laste shmile, bekase she was so cowld, d' ye mind,
that divil a wan o' thim all cud say that he'd get her at all.

"So at firsht, ould King Dennis, that bein' his name, was mighty plazed to
see the young chaps all afther his dawther, an' whin he knewn they was in
the kitchen, he'd shmoke his pipe an' have his sup be himself in the other
room so as to lave thim; an' whin he saw thim hangin' over the wall o' the
garden beyant, or peepin' through the hedge, he'd let on not to parsave
thim; an' whin they folly'd the Princess to church, he was as proud as a
paycock to see thim settin' behind her wid their crowns in a row undher
the sate. But whin they kept an a-comin' ivery night in the week an'
drinkin' his whishkey an' shmokin' his besht terbakky,--more-betoken, whin
they begun' to be oncivil to aitch other, says he to himself, says he,
'Bedad,' says he, 'there'll be throuble if it kapes on thish-a-way. Sure
I'll shpake to the gurrul.'

"So he called to the Princess, 'Biddy,' says he.

"'What, Father?' says she.

"'Come here to me,' says he.

"'Sure how can I? I'm busy,' says she.

"'Phat's that you're at?' says he.

"'I'm afther shwapin' the kitchen,' says she.

"'Lave aff,' says he. 'Come to me at wanst,' says he.

"The ould King was very starn, bekase he knewn it was only an axcuse she
was afther makin,' an' she was lookin' that he'd be sayin' some