"It is in circumstances such as these that dangerous alliances are made," wrote Stephens, "and, for the first time in history, the elemental beings invoked bourgeois assistance."
The Philosopher is then whisked away by his wife, the Thin Woman of Inis Magrath (who herself belongs to the most powerful Shee of Ireland).
The Philosopher and the Thin Woman of Inis Magrath encounter notable characters on their separate journeys, in his case Angus Óg, and in hers the Three Infinites.
A later edition, published by the Macmillan Company in 1922 was issued with fanciful drawings by American artist Wilfred Jones (1888–1968).
Dave Langford reviewed The Crock of Gold for White Dwarf #84, and stated that "Bag this for your shelf of fantasy classics: it may go out of print for further decades.