se he passed, to stop and have
a chat with the rabbits he knew were hid beneath it; and more than
once he was on the point of running up to a friendly deer and kissing
his cold, black nose, just for auld lang syne. But, for a wonder, he
was constant to his errand, and ran straight on--not stopping even to
throw stones at a squirrel by the way--till he came to the forester's
hut.

He found the old forester and his wife alone. They received him
kindly, for, notwithstanding his mad pranks, Puck was a favorite every
where, and especially among the poor and humble, who were always safe
from his mischievous propensities. The young Paudeen was out a little
bit in the forest, but would return directly.

"And what brings good Master Puck from among the great lords and
beautiful ladies of the coort to our poor little shieling, not bigger
nor betther than the mud cabins of ould Ireland itself?" inquired the
old woman, who had grown, with age and toil, wrinkled deaf and sour.

"I'll explain all that as soon as Paudeen comes home," replied the
grave and mysterious Puck; "but, in the meantime, how do you get on
Mr. O'Rafferty, and what is the news in the forest?"

"We get on but poorly," said the old forester, "and the news is, that
the people at the other side of the forest, where the potatoes have
all rotted, and the land is wore down to its bare bones, for want of
rest like, are very bad. Some of the women and childhers have already
starved, and the men have for the most part took to dhrinken and
fighten, till things is in a mighty bad way."

"Yes," chimed in the old woman, who seemed to have caught by instinct
the subject of conversation, "and the poor stharven people say, too,
that there is plenty of money squandhered upon extravagance by the
king and his coort to give them all bread; and that the forests that
is kept for the deers and craythurs to be killed for the spoort of the
big folks, would give every man a bit of fresh land, and that the
potatoes would grow well enough then."

"Auch, Peggy, will ye have us hung for parjery, out and out!"
exclaimed the terrified husband, casting a deprecating look at Puck.
"Poor craythur, she doesn't know what she is saying."

At this juncture the young Paudeen made his appearance, and put a stop
to a conversation that was becoming decidedly stupid. He made his
respects cordially to Puck; and when he heard his errand, seemed
amazed and delighted. After a good deal of difficulty, th