Oh dear !!
Local story told around here about the annual matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna
An elderly bachelor farmer farming one of the rough pieces of land on the Burren used to drive into Lisdoon on his donkey and cart whenever he ran out of provisions - he'd usually buy what he neded, load up the flatback cart and have a few pints, before driving home
One day, forgetting the Matchmaking Festival was on, he hitched up the cart and drove in, a little confused at firt at all the strangers
When he remembered, he stocked up and loaded the cart, had his usual pints and set off home
As he drove through town he saw a young woman standing at the side of the road hoping to be 'taken on, so he stopped, made a deal with her, sat her on the top of the provisions and drove out of town
A mile out of town, as he turned off the main road onto the rough 'green track' up the steep hill leading home the wind began to get up, it clouded over and it began to spatter with rain
The cart was rather heavily loaded and, what with the extra weight of the woman, the donkey began to struggle - after a few hundred yards, it stumbled
"That's one" said the farmer, and drove on
A short distance later the same thing happened and the poor animal stumbled again
"That's two" said the farmer again
Puzzled, the young woman said nothing
A mile further the donkey stumbled for the third time
The farmer reached for an ash-plant on the pleasure board beside him, got down, walked to the front and struck the beast a mighty blow between the eyes, killing it stone dead
In horror, the girl jumps down
"What did you do that for" she screams, the poor beat was overloaded and couldn't help slipping, besides, it's getting dark and bucketing with rain and we're still nowhere near any signs of life......"
"That's one" says the farmer.
(also found in the Appalachians)
Jim