The Whale and the Grasshopper Part 5

"Not until he loses his pride."

"And his arrogance and his selfishness."

"What are you looking at now?"

"I'm not looking at anything in particular, but watching to see my great, great, great grandaunt Helen of Aughrim."

"Who was she?"

"She was the most beautiful of all womankind."

"Maybe she pa.s.sed by unknownst to you."

"She has not pa.s.sed yet. I could recognise her by her queenly gait. They say she was the most beautiful woman that ever lived and had as may lovers as Granuaile herself."

"And whom did she marry?"

"No one at all."

"And what is her story then?"

"Listen, and I'll tell you."

"I'll listen," said Micus.

"As I have already told you, for beauty and elegance there was never the likes of Helen of Aughrim, and though every one who laid eyes on her fell in love, she never fell in love with any one at all."

"And who did she like best of the lot?"

"Maurice the Rover. And when he was a young man of three sevens, he up and ses to her: 'Helen' ses he, 'will you marry me?' But she said she would wed no man, and told him to search the whole wide world for some one more beautiful. So he sailed away that very hour, and for seven years he travelled, and travelled, and travelled, up hill and down dale, but could find no one more beautiful. And then he returned and told her his story. But all she said when she heard it, was: 'Try again,' ses she. And away over the seas he sailed again, and searched until seven more years had pa.s.sed away, and he returned again, and he said, 'Helen'; but she interrupted and ses: 'I know what you are going to say,' ses she. 'But all I can say to you, is try again.'

"And so he came and went every seven years, only to get the same answer, and the years pa.s.sed, and his hair turned white, and his eyes grew dim, and the stateliness of Helen's figure disappeared, and deep lines were on her brow, and once again, he up and ses: 'Helen,' ses he, 'will you marry me?' And for the first time her eyes filled with tears, and she ses: 'You are a faithful lover,' ses she, 'and I will marry you on the morrow.' But when he came on the morrow, she was dead."

"Is that a true story?" said Micus.

"Of course, 'tis a true story. I can see them now walking along the road arm in arm. And 'tis seven years ago since I saw them before, and 'twill be seven years before I will see them again. But they will walk along the road to the Valley of the Dead every seven years, until the stars fall from the sky and time is no more," said Padna.

"Love is a wonderful thing."

"A wonderful thing, surely."

"And a faithful lover is the dearest treasure of all."

"Without love, there is no life, for its roots are centered in the heart of G.o.d."

"Without love the world would wither up, and every plant and shrub and flower would die. And when I die, I hope I will be with my friends."

"And while I live, I hope that I will be with mine."

"Friendship is a great thing."

"Love is greater."

"What are you waiting here for?"

"Nothing at all. The last of the great army has pa.s.sed into the Valley, and I will go home and pray for the dead," said Padna.

"And I will go home and pray for the living," said Micus.

"Good night," said Padna.

"Good morning, you mean," said Micus.

THE KING OF MONTOBEWLO

"I wonder," said Padna Dan to his friend Micus Pat, as they strolled along a country road together, "if you ever heard the story of the King of Montobewlo."

"Who the blazes is or was the King of Montobewlo?" said Micus.

"The King of Montobewlo was such a man as you only meet once in a lifetime, and if you will only hold your tongue and keep quiet, I will tell you all about him," said Padna.

"I'll hold my tongue, of course," said Micus.

"Well," said Padna, "the King of Shonahulu was getting old and cranky, and the poor devil suffered badly from frost-bite and rheumatics besides; so he up and ses to Hamando, who was his chief cook and private secretary: 'Hamando,' ses he, 'I think I must have a change in my dietary. What have you for dinner to-day?'

"'I have nothing in the way of dainties,' ses Hamando. 'The last missionary was boiled with the cabbage yesterday.'

"'That's too bad,' ses the King. 'There seems to be a great scarcity of missionaries in these parts lately. I wonder whatsomever can be the reason at all.'

"'There must be some reason,' ses Hamando, 'because there is a reason for everything, even for unreasonable things.'

"'That's a fact, bedad,' ses the King, as he killed a mosquito on Hamando's nose with a cudgel, and stretched poor Hamando flat on the ground.

"'Wisha,' ses Hamando, as he picked himself up after the unmerciful clout he got, 'I suppose it must be the way the English people are learning sense at last and keeping them at home to look after the suffragettes, or else that England has as much land as she is able to control.'

"'I don't think that can be the reason,' ses the King. 'What does it matter to England whether she can control a place or not, so long as she owns it. Take Ireland, for instance.'

"'Yes, bedad,' ses Hamando. 'England can blunder magnificently when dealing with Irish affairs. And her wonderful stupidity has lost her not only all the Irish in America, but the Irish in other countries as well. However, the English are a far-seeing and a very polite cla.s.s of people, and that's why they send out pious and well-meaning missionaries to lay the foundation stones, so to speak, of the Empire beyond the seas.'

"'True,' ses the King. 'And 'tis an ill wind that blows n.o.body good, as the Devil said when the forty tinkers of Ballinderry were lost at sea. Nevertheless, there's no one likes the missionaries better than ourselves, even though I do say so myself.'

"'Very true, indeed,' ses Hamando.