When You're Irish It's the Smell That Counts!

Once there were six young fellows visiting a small Irish town.  One of the boys suggested they get something to eat, so they went into a hotel where the boy ordered a meal for them all.  Each fellow wanted to pay his own share.  The pub's owner put a pound of meat in front of each young man, but  one of the boys told the woman he didn't want any meat and to take it away.  "I won't," says she.  "It was ordered and you can eat it or leave it."

The young man ate a small bit of bread and took a cup of soup, but didn't eat any meat.  After the meal, each fellow went to pay his share, but this boy wanted to pay only for the bread and soup he ate.  As they were about to leave, the woman snatched off his hat at the doorway.  He asked her to give it back, but it was no use.  They started to argue, but she remained firm.

One of Ireland's wisest citizens, Daniel O'Connell, happened to be walking down the street just at that moment.  He heard the arguing and stopped to see what was happening. 

"Five fellows and me-self came into this pub to get a bite to eat," the young fellow began explaining.  "One of us ordered a pound of meat for each.  When this woman put the meat in front of me, 'I won't have any of it,' says I.  The woman says to eat it or leave it.  I didn't taste any of the meat, so I won't be paying 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.  With that, he took off his own hat, reached into his pocket, took out some silver, and threw it into the hat.

"Good woman," says he, "place your nose over this money and take your time a-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."  And that ended the matter. The fellow got his hat and the woman went back into her pub to think things over.

retold from a story provided by Hutman Productions