Behind The Hill (The Adventures Of Seumas Beg)
By James Stephens
Behind the hill I met a man in green
Who asked me if my mother had gone out?
I said she had.He asked me had I seen
His castle where the people sing and shout
From dawn to dark, and told me that he had
A crock of gold inside a hollow tree,
And I could have it., I wanted money bad
To buy a sword with, and I thought that he
Would keep his solemn word; so, off we went.
He said he had a pound hid in the crock,
And owned the castle too, and paid no rent
To any one, and that you had to knock
Five hundred times.I asked, "Who reckoned up?"
And he said, "You insulting little pup!"