The Devil And Bailiff McGlynn
Source: The Stone Fiddle by Paddy Tunney
Location: New Edition, page 110
One fine Sunday evening last summer, I was walking in Condae na Mí,
When a pair of quare boys cologing, before me I happened to see.
To know what these boys were up to, a trifle I hastened my walk,
And in troth I soon learned their profession, when I cam within range of their talk.
Now one of these boys was the Devil, the other was Bailiff McGlynn.
The one was as black as the other, and both were as ugly as sin.
Said the oul’ boy: “You know I’m the Devil and you are a bailiff I see.”
“Is it the Devil himself sure that’s in it, well that beats the Devil,” says he.
Close by at a patch of potatoes, a bonive was striving to dig
When a woman ran out and she shouted: “May the Devil take you for a pig!”
Said the bailiff: “Now that’s a fine offer, why not take the bonive?, said he.
“It’s only her lips that have said it, and that’s not sufficient for me.”
A gársun ran out of a cottage and off with him over the fields.
“May the Devil take you!” said his mother, and she rattled a stone off his heels.
Said the bailiff: “Now that’s a fine offer, why not take the gársun?” says he.
“It was only her lips that have wished it, and that’s not sufficient for me.”
A yound lad looked up from his playing, and off to his mother he sped.
“O, mother” says he there’s the bailiff,” and she clasped her two hands and she said:
“May the Devil take that ugly bailiff!” Said the oul lad: “Bedad, that’ll do.
‘Twas straight from her heart that came surely , so Bailiff McGlynn I’ll take you.”