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The
Smell of Money
traditional
irish story
There
were six young fellows visiting a town one day. One of
them suggested that they go and eat some food. They had
some drinks before that. The went into an hotel, and one
of them ordered a meal for them all. Each was to pay his
own share. A pound of meat was placed in front of
each of them. One of the fellows told the woman to take
away his own meat, as he wasn’t going to eat it at all. “I won’t,” she said. “It was ordered and you can eat it
or leave it.”
He ate a small bit of bread and took a cup of soup or tea,
whichever it was. Tea wasn’t very plentiful at that
time. After the meal, each of the m went to pay his share,
but this fellow wanted to pay only fro the read and the soup or
tea. As they were about to leave, the woman snatched this
fellow’s hat at the doorway. He asked her to give it
back to him, but it was no use. They started to argue
about it, but she remained firm.
Daniel O’Connell was walking along the street when he heard
the argument and saw the young fellow bareheaded. He stopped and
asked what was the trouble. “This is the trouble,”
said the fellow. “Five others and myself came to this woman to
get a meal. One of us ordered a pound of meat for each.
When she put the meat in front of me, I said I wouldn’t have
any and wouldn’t eat it. She told me to eat it or leave
it. I didn’t taste the meat at all; so I didn’t want
to pay for it.”
“If this fellow didn’t eat the meat,” said
O’Connell, “tis strange that he should have to pay for
it. Give him back his hat.” “He didn’t have to eat
it,” said the woman. “The smell of my meat filled his
belly.”
“You may be right in that,” said O’Connell. “I have
always herd that all a woman needs to do to get an excuse is to
glance over her shoulder.”
O’Connell took off his own hat, put his hand into his
trousers’ pocket, and threw a fistful of silver into the
hat.
“Come over here now,” said he to the woman. “Place
you nose over this money and take your time smelling it.
Fill your belly well with it.”
She was taken aback by that. “Does that satisfy you?”
asked O’Connell. She was covered with shame and
made no reply. “Give him his hat
quickly, said O’ Connell. “You have got as good a bargain
as you gave.” That ended the matter. The fellow
got his hat and went off.-
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