Collecta7iea. 229
Lismore standing on a pier where she met three men on the road. When they were coming towards her, one said to the other, — "Z^/a linn anam ! [God help us] we'll be kilt on the spot ! That's the woman as is called Petticoat-loose," says he. " Pon my word, my three clutharacdns ! " says Petti, " I'll give Dia linn anam when I get down to ye ! " So down she jumped off the pier. Now there were two tall men and a very small man among the three of them, and said the tall men to the small man, — "Och, we'll save ye ! " So she jumped down to them then, and, instead of saving the small man, the two tall men ran for their lives. The small man jumped then at Petticoat-loose, and caught hold of the chain that was around her waist, and drew on the chain and tightened it as hard as he could. Then he took a black-handled knife and stabbed her between the shoulders. Says Petticoat-loose to him then, — " Tarraing agjts sdcghadh aris " [Pull, and stab again]. "Well by gar ! I wont ! " says the small man, " so I'll whip ye off to the publichouse." Now the two tall men were in the publichouse before him, and the small man told the tall men to go for the clergy, or he'd let go Petticoat-loose on them. So then the priest came to the publichouse, and the minute the priest came he pulled the black-handled knife from between her shoulders, and now she had to go through an examination with the priest. Now this is her confession : — The first thing the priest asked her was what damned her? First, she said, she'd been putting water in the milk and selling it. And he said that that hadn't done it. Second, she said she had been keeping in the servants from mass on Sunday, and he said that hadn't done it. Thirdly, she said she kilt a child without it being baptized, — " And that's what had done it." The priest then began to read over her, and, according as he was reading, she was melting ; and she finished by vanishing in a cloud of fire and smoke. And at present she is in the Red Sea making siigdns [ropes] of the sand until L\in a la Brath [the Day of Judgement].
21. The Fate of Petticoat-loose (another Version).
There was a man as was dying, and the young man went for to fetch the priest with his horse and trap, and he met Petticoat-loose on the way to the priest's house. She left him pass all right, and
