XXVI THE MAKER OF BROGUES

There was a young lad travelling the road to a fair, and he passed convenient to a field had a sand pit in the middle of it. What did he see, sitting up in that place with his legs dangling¹ over the edge of the pit, only a little wee man making brogues. The lad took one lep into the field and he walked up to the cobbler.

“Good-morning, mister!” says he. “Might I make so bold as to ask what work you are doing this hour of the morning dew, and what makes you fancy the edge of a pit for a seat?”

“’Tis making brogues I am,” says the leprachaun, “and they for the Good People’s wear.” [204]

“I’m thinking you’re watching a treasure,” says the lad.

“I’m not,” says the leprachaun. “But I know where there’s plenty hid.”

“You be to discover it for me,” says the lad.

“Let you wait till this one pair of brogues is made,” says the fairy.

So the lad agreed and he sat down to watch him at work.

“Begob,” says he, “I never seen any person could hammer in nails such a rate.”

“It’s a slow worker I’m counted in these parts,” says the leprachaun. “Let you look down into the pit at the man is cobbling below. I warrant it’s three nails he’s driving for each one of mine.”

The lad looked over the edge.

“There is no man in it at all!” says he.

With that the leprachaun let a laugh.

“There is not,” says he.

“There’s a sore chastisement² waiting on you for deceiving me,” answers the other.

But when he stood on his feet and looked round wasn’t the leprachaun gone.

“I’m the fool of the whole wide world,” says the lad, and he travelled away to the fair.

The End

1 dangling   

悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
• The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。

2 chastisement   

n.惩罚

参考例句：

• You cannot but know that we live in a period of chastisement and ruin. 你们必须认识到我们生活在一个灾难深重、面临毁灭的时代。 来自辞典例句
• I think the chastisement to him is too critical. 我认为对他的惩罚太严厉了。 来自互联网