Bits of Blarney Read online

  LEGEND OF THE ROCK CLOSE.

  About a thousand years ago, or so--but, of course, _after_ this lake wasformed, to fulfil the old fairy's prophecy, that the giant would come tohis death by water--there was a man who owned all the fields in the RockClose. He was a farmer--a plain, honest man. Not long after he hadpurchased the place, he noticed that, though this very field we are nowsitting in had the same cultivation as the others, it never gave him anyreturn. He had no idea of having a meadow look like a lawn in front of agentleman's country-house, and lost no time in speaking about it to hisherdsman, a knowledgeable man, who said it might be worth while to watchthe place, for, although he often saw the blades of grass a foot high atnight, all was as closely shaved as a bowling-green in the morning. Hismaster, who was one of the old stock of the Mac Carthies, thought therewas reason in what he said, and desired him to be on the watch, and tryto find out the real facts of the matter.

  The herdsman did his bidding. The next morning he told Mac Carthy thathe had hid himself behind an old gateway (you may see the ruins of itthere to the left),--that, about midnight, he had seen the waters of thelake very much disturbed,--that six cows came up out of the lake, andset to, eating all the grass off the field, until, by daybreak, they hadmade it as smooth as the palm of my hand,--and that, when the daydawned, the cows walked back into the lake, and went down to the bottom,as much at their ease as if they were on dry land.

  This was strange news for Mac Carthy, and set him quite at his wits'ends. The herdsman was a little man, with the heart of a lion, and heoffered to watch again on that evening, to seize one of the cows, andeither put it into the pound, or go down into the lake with it, and makea regular complaint of the trespass. Aye, and he did it, too. At dusk hewent again, hid himself, as before, and waited to see what would happen.

  The six cows came up out of the lake, as before, and nibbled off thegrass, until the field was quite smooth. They could not get into anyother field, because they were surrounded by high, quickset hedges, andI have noticed that cows are not very fond of taking flying-leaps.

  Just at dawn, as the last cow was passing by him, on her return to thelake, the herdsman made a dart at her tail, and took a fast hold of it.The cow walked on, as if nothing had happened, turned her head, winkedone of her large eyes at him in a knowing manner, and the herdsmanfollowed, still holding the tail.

  Down dashed the beast into the waters--but the herdsman still kept hisgrasp. Down they went--deep, deep, to the very bottom of the lake. Sureenough, there was the giant's castle, that had been drowned centuriesbefore. A little boy was in the court-yard, playing with a golden ball.All round the yard were piles of armor--spears and helmets, swords andshields,--all ornamented with gold. Into the court-yard dashed the cows,and with them went the bold herdsman.

  Out came a lady, richly dressed up in velvets and jewels, and her eyesas bright as the sunbeams that dance on the wall on the morning ofEaster Sunday.[2] She carried a golden milk-pail in her hand. Loud andshrill was her cry when she saw the herdsman.

  [2] There is a popular belief in Ireland that the sunbeams dance on the wall on Easter Sunday morning. In my youth I have often got up at early dawn to witness the phenomenon.

  I should have told you that, as they were going down, the cow whisperedto him, "I want to speak a word with you, in confidence."--"Honorbright," said the herdsman.--"I think," said the cow, "that I'd like tograze on that meadow of your master's, by day as well as by night, forthe grass is mighty sweet, and I don't think it agrees with my digestionto be driven up and down the lake as I am. If I will you go bail thatthe master will never put me into any other field but that?"--Theherdsman answered, "I'll promise you, by the holy poker, and that is asgood as if I was to swear by the blessed mud."--"Then my mind is atease," says the cow. "For the life of you, don't let go my tail,whatever you may hear and see."

  When the young lady shrieked with surprise at seeing a herdsman in thatplace, out rushed a whole regiment of soldiers, with their cheeks as redas the kitchen-fire five minutes before the dinner is done, and thelooks of them as fierce as if they were in the heat of battle--a littlefiercer, may-be.--"Oh, that villain!" says the lady, pointing to theherdsman.--"Come here, and be killed," shouted the dragoons. But theherdsman knew better. "Send your master to me," says he, as bold asbrass. "I always like to do business with principals."

  They wondered, as well they might, at the fellow's impudence, but theythought it best to call out their master. He came, with a golden crownupon his head, and a purple velvet cloak on his shoulders, and abeautiful pair of Hessian boots on his feet.--"I demand justice," saidthe herdsman, "for the trespass that your cows have been committing onMac Carthy's field; and I seize this cow until the damage be ascertainedand made good."

  He was firm as a rock, and neither coaxing nor threatening could makehim yield as much as a pin's point. He stood upon his right, and theycould not get him off it. The cow had been seized in the very act oftrespass, and all they dared do was to tempt the herdsman to surrenderher. He knew better. At last the master of them said, "We mustcompromise this little matter. Leave the cow here, make out your billfor damage, and if I don't pay it to you either in sterling money, ornotes of Delacour's bank at Mallow, or Joe Pike's in Cork, you can haveyour remedy at law, and summon me, on a process, before the AssistantBarrister and the bench of Magistrates at the next QuarterSessions."--But the herdsman knew better than that, and said he'd preferleaving matters as they were. "A cow in the hand"--says he. Then themaster of them said, "Take that golden ball that the child has, andleave us the cow."--"Hand it over to me," says the herdsman.--"Come forit," said they, in the hope that he'd leave the cow.--"I've a touch ofthe rheumatism in my knee," says he, "and 'tis ill-convenient to movethe limb."--With that, they handed him the ball, and, as soon as he sawthat it really was gold, he put it into his breeches pocket, and said itwas not half enough.

  Then they began to whisper among themselves, and he could hear themproposing to get out a bloodhound--one of the breed that the Spaniardshad to hunt down the Indians in America--and he thought it full time tomake himself scarce. So, he whispered to the cow:--"My little cow,"said he, "I'd like to go home." The cow took the hint, like a sensibleanimal as she was, and stole backward through half the lake before theymissed her. "If we get safely back on dry land," says she, "neither younor any one else must swear in my presence, for the spell is upon me,and then I shall be obliged to return to the lake."

  Just then the hound was slipped, and he cut through the water like adolphin. But the cow had the start of him, by a good bit. Just as sheset her foot on land, the dog caught hold of the herdsman, and his bitetore away part of the skirt of his coat. Indeed, it was noticed for somedays that the herdsman declined sitting down, just as if he had beennewly made a Freemason, so I won't say that the dog did not bite morethan the garment.

  Mac Carthy had been cooling his heels on the bank of the lake all thewhile that the herdsman was away, and glad enough he was to see him comeback, in company with the little cow. The herdsman told him all thathappened, and handed him the golden ball, which, people say, is in theJeffreys' family to this day. The hound runs round the lake, frommidnight to sunrise, on every first of July, and is to run, on that day,until his silver shoes are worn out,--whenever that happens, Ireland isto be a great nation, but not until then.

  The field was not visited any more by the cattle from the lake, fortheir master, below there, thought that though gratis grazing waspleasant enough, it was not quite so pleasant to have the cows impoundedfor trespass. From that time, never another field in all Munster gavesuch produce; sow it, or sow it not, there was always a barn-full ofgrain out of it. About half an acre of it was kept under grass, and onthat the cow from the lake had constant feeding.

  In due season, the cow had young ones--the same breed that we now callKerry cows--those cattle, small in size, but good in substance, thatfeed upon very little, yield a great deal of milk, and always fetch thebest of prices.

&n
bsp; Mac Carthy was in a fair way of making a little fortune out of that cowof his, she gave such a power of milk, but that, one day as a nag of hiswas leaping over a hedge into the pasturage where the cow was, MacCarthy burst out with a rattling oath. The moment the words left hislips, the cow cocked her ears, winked her eye knowingly at him, gave hertail a toss in the air, and made one spring down into the lake. Thewaters closed over her, and that was the last that mortal eye ever sawof her.

  From that time forth the field was again visited by the cattle from thelake, and that's the reason why it is as smooth as you see it now. It issupposed that so it will continue until somebody has the bold heart togo down again and make another seizure for trespass.

  Mr. Jeffreys, hearing a great deal of the treasures which are said to beat the bottom of the lake, laid out a power of money in trying to drainit. But it filled faster than the men could empty it. They might as wellthink of emptying the Atlantic with a slop-basin.

  * * * * *

  Having thanked Mr. Tim Cronin, Philomath, for his legends, I took theliberty of asking if he believed them? "Well," said he, "that samequestion is a poser. If I am pressed on the point, I must admit that Ido not believe them _entirely_; but, when I meet curious gentlemen, I amproud to tell them these stories--particularly when they invite me tospend the afternoon with them at the little inn at the foot of the hillbeyond there."

  The hint was taken--as far as enabling him, as he said, to partake ofhis own hospitality, for my own time was limited, as I had to return todine in Cork. Thus, I was unable to judge whether Mr. Cronin was asconversable after feeding-time as before it. He died some two years ago,I have been told, and it will be difficult to meet with a Cicerone sowell qualified to describe and illustrate Blarney Castle and itsdependencies.