"Well, then, sir, they were not very many weeks married, when the
Gubbaun wished to _try_ the wife still more, to see whether she was
knowin' enough for him, in order that she might be depended on
completely, if any thing should happen. So one day he towld the son to
get ready, and to come with him, for that he had heard of a fine job
of work. So they started; and when they had got about three miles on
the road, the Gubbaun turned sharp round, and asked Boofun the
distance to the next place.

"'Twenty miles, no less,' says Boofun.

"'Well,' says the Gubbaun, 'every inch of the road we have to go,'
says he, 'but it's too long by ten miles.'

"'Sure I can't help that,' says Boofun.

"'You _can_, sir!' says the Gubbaun, 'you can make it _ten_ miles, if
you like; and if you can't, go back, sir, and stay at home with your
wife, for you're not fit to travel with me,' says he.

"Boofun said 'he couldn't do it;' so he had to go back. And when he
came home, his wife ran out.

"'Well, what's brought you back? Any thing the matter?'

"'Every thing!' says poor Boofun. 'We hadn't got three miles before
the Gubbaun towld me to shorten the road one half; and sure, you know,
_all I could say_ wouldn't shorten it!'

"'I don't know that,' says she, 'may be not; but take my advice, run
back, and begin to tell him some story,' says she, 'no matter whether
it is true or not, but amuse him as well as you can; and if he isn't
satisfied, cut my head off when you come back,' says she. So, sir, he
never stopped until he overtook the Gubbaun; and the very minute he
began the story, he had confidence in Boofun's wife.

"Now, Tom, tell us--what reason could he have had for that? Couldn't
they and she both have taken care of themselves?"

"Howld on a while, and maybe you'll see, sir."

"They traveled on and on, a hundred miles, or maybe more, and at last
they came to a most splendid, iligant, noble palace, that the King of
Munster was building. Thousands of masons, and carpenters, and all
kinds of workmen, were in full operation at it--and the finest of work
they were doing. It was just dinner-time, as it happened, when the
Gubbaun and Boofun came, but they made no delay, but asked the steward
of the works, sir, for employment, an' they didn't let an they were
_any thing in particklar_, only just masons.

"'O!' says the steward, says he, 'there's plenty av employment for men
in your line,' says he, 'but wait till after dinner, and t