gie," said he,
"you're leavin' th' ould house at last?"
"High, Jerry," quoth Georgie. "We were forced tull it, neighbor, for
that black boggart torments us so that there was no rest night or day
for it. The poor bairns' stomachs are empty, and the good dame's nigh
dead for it. So off we go, like th' field-fares in the autumn--we're
flittin', we're flittin'!"
Now on the wain was a tall, upright churn; as soon as Georgie had ended
his speech, the lid of the churn began to clipper-clapper, and who
should speak out of it but the boggart himself. "Ay, Jerry!" said he,
"we're a flittin', we're a flittin', man! Good-day to ye, neighbor,
good-day to ye! Come and see us soon time!"
"High!" cried Georgie Griggs, "art thou there, thou black imp? Dang un!
We'll all go back tull th' old house, for sure it's better to bear
trouble there than in a new place."
So back they went again--boggart and all.
By this you may see, my dear, if you warm an imp by your fire, he will
soon turn the whole house topsy-turvy. Likewise, one cannot get rid of a
boggart by going from here to there, for it is sure to be in the cart
with the household things.
But how did Georgie Griggs get rid of his boggart? That I will tell you.
He went to Father Grimes, the wise man, who lived on in a little house
on the moor. "Father Grimes," said he, "how shall I get rid of my
boggart?"
Then Father Grimes told him to take this and that, and to do thus and so
with them, and see what followed. So Farmer Griggs went to Hugh the
tailor's, and told him to make a pretty red coat and a neat pair of blue
breeches. Then he went to William the hatter's, and bade him to make a
nice little velvet cap with a bell at the top of it. Then he went to
Thomas the shoemaker's, and bade him to make a fine little pair of
shoes. So they all did as he told them, and after these things were
made he took them home with him. He laid them on a warm spot on the
hearth where the boggart used to come to sleep at night. Then he and his
dame hid in the closet to see what would follow.
Presently came the boggart, whisking here and dancing there, though
neither the farmer nor the dame could see him any more than though he
had been a puff of wind.
"Heigh-ho!" cried the boggart, "these be fine things for sure." So
saying, he tried the hat upon his head, and it fitted exactly. Then he
tried the coat on his shoulders, and it fitted like wax. Then he tried
the breeches on his legs, and
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