True story!! Honest!
Dickie Rodgers was always very fit in his younger days and was up at the scrake of dawn walking his greyhounds. Believe it or not there are a few others constantly about at that time – insomniacs, milkmen and people like me, just on the way home.
The cemetery paths, away from the noise and hustle are a favourite route. Anyway there must have been a burial scheduled for later in the morning for there was a grave opened. As Dickie was walking along minding his own business Jemmy O’Hanlon called his attention from a way off.
Approaching, Dickie noticed Jemmy staring disconsolately into the depths of the grave. There about nine feet down a little rabbit was cowering and shivering in fright.
‘Aw! Look at that poor thing,’ wails Jemmy. ‘You couldn’t lave it like that, could you?’
‘And what else would you do?’ asks Dickie.
‘Well, I could lower you in, you lift it out and I’ll pull you out again.’
‘Luk at the state of ye’, laughs Dickie. ‘Ye couldn’t pull a pint!’
Fair enough, Dickie was a big, strong man and the other couldn’t possibly be described thus.
‘Tell you what,’ says Dickie. ‘I’ll tie two of these dog leads together and lower you in instead.’
‘Well, can’t hang around here all day,’ says Dickie. ‘Need to finish walking the dogs and get off home for breakfast.‘
It was several hours later before the grave-digger Eddie Maguire happened along. He had considerably less compassion for Jemmy, rummaging and wrecking his handiwork than Jemmy had earlier for the poor rabbit.
He did however eventually haul the distracted man back to the surface!