t wan, barrin' Saint Patrick, that stands in a
betther place than the blessed Saint Kevin av Glendalough, fur the
wondherful things that he done is past all tellin'. 'Twas he that built
all the churches ye see in the vale here, an' when he lived, he owned all
the land round about, fur he restored King O'Toole's goose, that the king
had such divarshun in, when it was too ould to fly, so the king gev him
all that the goose 'ud fly over, an' when the goose got her wings agin,
she was so merry that she flew over mighty near all the land that King
O'Toole had before she come back at all, so he got it.

"'Twas he too that put out o' the counthry the very last sarpint that was
left in it, afther Saint Patrick had druv the rest into the say, fur he
met the baste wan day as he was walkin' in the hills and tuk him home wid
him to give him the bit an' sup, an' the sarpint got as dhrunk as a piper,
so Saint Kevin put him in a box an' nailed it up an' flung it into the
say, where it is to this blessed day.

"But 'tis my belafe that the besht job o' work he ever done was markin'
the divil so if you'd meet him an the road, you'd know in a minnit that it
was himself an' no other that was in it, an' so make ready, aither fur to
run away from him, or to fight him wid prayin' as fast as ye cud, bekase,
ye see, it's no use fur to shtrive wid him any other way, seein' that no
waypon can make the laste dint on his carkidge.

"In thim days, an' before phat tuk place I'm tellin' ye av, the divil was
all as wan as a man, a tall felly like a soger, wid a high hat comin' to a
pint an' feathers on it, an' fine boots an' shpurs an' a short red jacket
wid a cloak over his shoulder an' a soord be his side, as fine as any
gintleman av' the good ould times. So he used to go about the counthry,
desavin' men an' wimmin, the latther bein' his chice as bein' aisier fur
to desave, an' takin' thim down wid him to his own place, an' it was a
fine time he was havin' entirely, an' everything his own way. Well, as he
was thravellin' about, he heard wan day av Saint Kevin an' the church he
was afther buildin' an' the haythens he was convartin' an' he says to
himself, 'Sure this won't do. I must give up thriflin' an' look afther me
bizness, or me affairs 'ull go to the dogs, so they will.'

"It was in Kerry he was when he heard the news, an' was havin' a fine time
there, fur when Saint Patrick convarted Ireland, he didn't go to Kerry,
but only looked into it an'