ent through the market asking for the skin and the price of it.
Everyone joked about him. He went into the market-house and came to a
woman who was buying things that no one else would buy. "What do you
want, youth?" said she. "The price of the skin and the skin itself,"
said Gilly. She took the skin from him and plucked the wool out of it.
She put the wool in her bag and put the skin back on the board. "There's
the skin," said she, "and here's the price of it." She left three groats
and a tester on top of the skin.

The Churl had finished his supper when Gilly came into the house. "Well,
Master, I've come back to you," said Gilly. "Did you bring me the price
of it and the skin itself?" said the Churl. "There is the skin," said
Gilly, putting on the table the sheep-skin with the wool plucked out of
it. "And here's the price of it--three groats and a tester," said he,
leaving the money on top of the skin.

After that the Churl of the Townland of Mischance began to be afraid
that Gilly of the Goatskin would be too wise for him, and would get away
at the end of the three months with his wages, a guinea, a groat and a
tester, in his fist. This thought made the Churl very downcast, because,
for many months now, he had got hard labor out of his serving-boys,
without giving them a single cross for wages.

XIII

The day after Christmas the Churl said to Gilly, "This is Saint
Stephen's Day. I'm going to such a man's barn to see the mummers perform
a play. Foolish people give these idle fellows money for playing, but
I won't do any such thing as that. I'll see something of what they are
doing, drink a few glasses and get away before they start collecting
money from the people that are watching them. They call this collection
their dues, no less."

"And what can I do for you, Master?" said Gilly. "Run into the barn at
midnight and shout out, 'Master, Master, your mill is on fire.' That
will give me an excuse for running out. Do you understand now what I
want you to do?"

"I understand, Master."

The Churl put on his coat and took his stick in his hand. "Mind what
I've said to you," said he. "Don't be a minute later than midnight. Be
sure to come in with a great rash--come in with horse's legs--do you
understand me?"

"I understand you, Master," said Gilly.

The mummers were dancing before they began the play when the Churl came
into the barn. "That's a rich man," said one of them to another. "We
must see that he