Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/17

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SHIANA
3
Peg.—You are good at flattery, Abbie.
Abbie.—You are better at stories, Peg. How did it go with Shiana?

Peg.—One day, as he was making shoes, he found that he had no more leather, nor thread, nor wax. He had put on the last patch, and had made the last stitch, and he had to go and get materials before he could make any more shoes. He set out in the morning, with three shillings in his pocket, and he was not more than a mile from the house when he met a poor man asking for alms.

"Give me alms for the Saviour's sake, and for the souls of your dead, and for your health," said the poor man.

Shiana gave him a shilling, and then he had only two shillings. He said to himself that perhaps the two shillings would do for what he wanted. He was only another mile from home when he met a poor woman, who was bare-footed.

"Give me some help," said she, "for the Saviour's sake, and for the souls of your dead, and for your health."

He had pity on her, and gave her a shilling, and she went away. He had only one shilling then, but he went on, trusting that he might meet with some good fortune that would enable him to do his errand. Soon afterwards he met a child crying with cold and hunger.

"For the Saviour's sake," said the child, "give me something to eat."

There was an inn close by, and Shiana went into it and bought a loaf of bread and brought it to the child. When the child received the bread his appearance changed. He grew tall, and a strange