The Talking Cat

There was a farmer driving home to Timahoe from the fair in Portlaoighise. When he came to the cross-roads at Money, his cart was violently tilted up, and he looked back to see that a black cat had jumped in over the tail-board.

As the horse could not draw the cart, with the shafts up in the air, the farmer said to the cat: "Either get out, please, or come here beside me." The cat moved up and sat beside the farmer upon the far side of the slat. As they came to the next cross-roads the cat said to the farmer "Tell Booman that Pretty-man is dead" and thereupon jumped out of the cart and disappeared. The farmer went home, and while he was having a meal he told his experience to his wife. When he came to repeat what the cat had said, their own puisin, which was sitting at the hearth, rose up and gave three loud cries. She rushed out of the house and was never seen again.