# XXII explained — The Demi-Gods

> Chapter companion for The Demi-Gods by James Stephens.

## What happens

Billy the Music recounts how he hid his gold under a dog kennel and was robbed by two mysterious men, one of whom Patsy Mac Cann recognizes as the same pair who wronged him and Mary.

## Themes in this chapter

### Storytelling and Wisdom

Billy the Music's tale of hidden gold and robbery illustrates how stories convey moral lessons and shared experiences.

### Love and Conflict

The encounter with the thieves stirs up past grievances and conflict between Patsy and the strangers.

## Character check-ins

### Billy the Music

Tells the story of his hidden gold and the robbery by two men.

### Patsy Mac Cann

Recognizes the description of the two thieves and reacts angrily.

### Mary Mac Cann

Coldly remarks that the two men are 'a pair of dirty dogs.'

## Key lines

> Bit by bit I got fonder of the money. The more I got of it the more I wanted.

Gradually, I became more attached to the money; my desire for it grew with each increase.

_Billy describes his growing greed for the gold he hoarded._

> There came a thump on the barn door. The dog made a noise away down in the heel of his throat and loped across; he stuck his nose against the crack at the bottom and began to sniff and scratch.

A loud knock came at the barn door, and the dog growled deep in his throat before trotting over to sniff and scratch at the crack beneath it.

_Billy sets the scene of the unexpected arrival of the two men._

> He took the beast on the jump, caught him by the chaps, and slung him with a heave of his arm. I don't know where he slung him to; I never saw the dog alive after that, and I did think it was that jerk killed him.

He caught the dog mid-leap by the jaws and flung him with a powerful arm; I never saw the dog alive again and believe that throw killed him.

_Billy describes how one of the men swiftly dispatched his dog._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_demi_gods_se/chapters/xxii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_demi_gods_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_demi_gods_se/chapters