IN the land of Erin there dwelt long ago a widow who had an only son. He was a clever boy,so she saved up enough money to send him to school, and, as soon as he was old enough, toapprentice him to any trade that he would choose. But when the time came, he said hewould not be bound to any trade, and that he meant to be a thief.Now his mother was very sorrowful when she heard of this, but she knew quite well that ifshe tried to stop his having his own way he would only grow more determined to get it. Soall the answer she made was that the end of thieves was hanging at the bridge of Dublin,and then she left him alone, hoping that when he was older he might become moresensible.One day she was going to church to hear a sermon from a great preacher, and she beggedthe Shifty Lad, as the neighbours called him from the tricks he played, to come with her. Buthe only laughed and declared that he did not like sermons, adding:'However, I will promise you this, that the first trade you hear named after you come outfrom church shall be my trade for the rest of my life.'