II: The Couple Without Childher explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Family and Loyalty

  The Caseys' desperate longing for a child and their plan to adopt secretly underscore the central theme of family and the pain of childlessness.

• Community and Gossip

  The neighbors whisper about the Caseys' lack of children as a punishment for a secret crime, and later prepare a bonfire to celebrate the anticipated adoption, showing the community's involvement and gossip.

• Superstition and Religion

  The suggestion that the Good People (fairies) may have taken the child, and the King's disguise as a baby, blend superstition with religious elements like christening and penance.

Characters to notice

• Barney Casey

  The husband of the Couple Without Childher; he and his wife Judy desperately want a child and plan to adopt one secretly.

• Judy Casey

  Barney's wife; she travels to Mayo to find a child to adopt, but returns heartbroken when the child dies.

• King Brian Connors

  The King of the Fairies, disguised as a baby; he is stolen by Peggy Collins but escapes after biting her.

• Maureen McGibney

  Travels with Darby and the King; she buys the King a bottle of spirits and later leaves him in the cart while she and Darby go into a pub.

• Darby O'Gill

  Travels with Maureen and the King; he stops at Tom Grogan's public-house with Maureen, leaving the King in the cart.

• Peggy Collins

  A thieving beggar-woman who steals the King from the cart, hoping to use his singing to make money; she drops him after he bites her.

Key passages

• “Some foolish people whuspered that this lack of family was a punishment for an ould saycret crime. But that saying was nonsense, for an honester couple the sun didn’t shine on.”

  Foolish people whispered that the couple's childlessness was punishment for a secret crime, but they were actually an honest couple.

  Highlights the community's tendency to gossip and the couple's innocence.

• “The couple took to going through the fields to avoid passing the house, for the sight of the childher gave them the heartache.”

  The couple began taking field paths to avoid passing Tom Mulligan's house, because seeing his children caused them pain.

  Illustrates the emotional toll of childlessness on the Caseys.

• “Snatching his caubeen, he fled from the coming disgrace and eggsposure out into the fields, where he wandhered aimless till after dawn, stamping his feet at times and wagging his head, or shaking his fist at the stars.”

  Barney grabbed his hat and ran into the fields to escape the shame and exposure of the failed adoption, wandering aimlessly until dawn, sometimes stomping his feet or shaking his fist at the stars.

  Shows Barney's despair and anger after Judy returns without the child.

• “Here I am, his Majesty, Brian Connors, King of all the Good People in Ireland, the Master of the Night Time, and having been King for more than five thousand years, with more power after sunset than the Emperor of Greeze or the Grand Turkey of barbayrious parts—here am I, disguised as a baby, wrapped in a woman’s shawl, and depending for my safety on two simple counthry people—”

  The King laments that he, the powerful ruler of the fairies for over five thousand years, is now disguised as a baby and reliant on two simple country people for safety.

  Reveals the King's frustration and the comic irony of his situation.

• “If I had that child, I could go from fair to fair and from pathron to pathron, and his singing’d fill my apron with silver.”

  Peggy thought that if she had the singing child, she could take him to fairs and patrons and make a lot of money.

  Shows Peggy's opportunistic and greedy nature.