her hang his trousers on the
knobs of the chest of drawers and run across the room and try to jump
into them, and he tried over and over again, and couldn't manage it;
and the gentleman wondered whatever he was doing it for. At last he
stopped and wiped his face with his handkerchief. "Oh dear," he says,
"I do think trousers are the most awkwardest kind of clothes that ever
were. I can't think who could have invented such things. It takes me
the best part of an hour to get into mine every morning, and I get so
hot! How do you manage yours?" So the gentleman burst out laughing,
and showed him how to put them on; and he was very much obliged to
him, and said he never should have thought of doing it that way.

So that was another big silly.

Then the gentleman went on his travels again; and he came to a
village, and outside the village there was a pond, and round the pond
was a crowd of people. And they had rakes, and brooms, and pitchforks,
reaching into the pond; and the gentleman asked what was the matter.
"Why," they say, "matter enough! Moon's tumbled into the pond, and we
can't rake her out anyhow!" So the gentleman burst out laughing, and
told them to look up into the sky, and that it was only the shadow in
the water. But they wouldn't listen to him, and abused him shamefully
and he got away as quick as he could.

So there were a whole lot of sillies bigger than the three sillies at
home. So the gentleman turned back home again and married the farmer's
daughter, and if they didn't live happy for ever after, that's nothing
to do with you or me.

* * * * *

CELTIC STORIES

* * * * *

KING O'TOOLE AND HIS GOOSE

ADAPTED BY JOSEPH JACOBS

Och, I thought all the world, far and near, had heerd of King
O'Toole--well, well, but the darkness of mankind is untellable! Well,
sir, you must know, as you didn't hear it afore, that there was a
King, called King O'Toole, who was a fine old King in the old ancient
times, long ago; and it was he that owned the churches in the early
days. The King, you see was the right sort; he was the real boy, and
loved sport as he loved his life, and hunting in particular; and from
the rising o' the sun, up he got, and away he went over the mountains
after the deer; and fine times they were.

Well, it was all mighty good, as long as the King had his health; but,
you see, in the course of time the King grew old, by rai