"I'd sooner cut my eye out," said Meehawl, "and go
about as wall-eyed as Lorcan O'Nualain's ass: I would
that. Did you ever see his ass, sir? It--"

"I did not," said the Philosopher. "Did you kill a
robin redbreast?"

"Never,'" said Meehawl. "By the pipers," he added,
"that old skinny cat of mine caught a bird on the roof
yesterday."

"Hah!'' cried the Philosopher, moving, if it were pos-
sible, even closer to his client, "now we have it. It is the
Leprecauns of Gort na Cloca Mora took your wash-
board. Go to the Gort at once. There is a hole under a
tree in the south-east of the field. Try what you will
find in that hole."

"I'll do that," said Meehawl. "Did you ever-"

"I did not," said the Philosopher.

So Meehawl MacMurrachu went away and did as he
had been bidden, and underneath the tree of Gort na
Cloca Mora he found a little crock of gold.

"There's a power of washboards in that," said he.

By reason of this incident the fame of the Philosopher
became even greater than it had been before, and also by