Ruby&Ruch

‘Every action has a reaction’ thus said some chap a while ago, or as O’Shaunessy put it to me the other night in the bar ‘you smack me in the chops I’ll take my fist to you’re ‘ed’.

Wise words from the both but I like my sayings earthy so it’s O’Shaunessy for me every time.
It was only the other day when the true meaning and consequence of such a thing came to me and that after a long day at the yard, but I could have been in the field or about any other buiseness the situation might have been the same.

Along comes a Masters, jaunty cap and well used jacket and says to me ‘what’ll you take for one of the dogs?’ Well as it happens we’ve recently been blessed with a litter from our Meg, the retriever, a very fine animal if ever you saw one and by Mullins champion dog no less.
‘They’re spoken for the lot of ’em’ I says, he comes up coy, ‘surely I can persuade you with some notes of the queens head’, a handsome package from that jacket appears but the litters for family and Mullins so there’s no debate to be had and I tells him. On hearing the news he cuts up nasty, and this is the thing:
‘And if I reported you for that piece of work the other day?’ Says he
‘And if I reported to the widow where her prize duck ended? Says I
‘And what about that salmon at the pub?’ comes back at me
‘There’d be a question over the bacon standard’ I fire back
We’re red in the face now and the bloods a stirred:
‘Let’s talk of yer brothers habits’ says the weasel
‘We’ll talk of you’re Uncle first and you’re nephew the organist’ I’d hit the nerve and the fists were out.
And that’s why I’m hear with this bruising around the eyes and the cracked nose and Masters is doing trade with Flint the dentist with the bandage around the ear.
It’s a funny thing that action and reaction, and that’s what I was saying to O’Shannessy, how a pup ends up with a trip to the dentist or a saw face, ‘there must be a better way’ I said
‘Laissez le mot en colère répondre seulement par un baise’ says he as the puts down the pint.
‘Tricky’ I said looking ascance at the fire in the grate.