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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:13:29 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:13:29 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/24493-h.zip b/24493-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..bbd926b --- /dev/null +++ b/24493-h.zip diff --git a/24493-h/24493-h.htm b/24493-h/24493-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62f6656 --- /dev/null +++ b/24493-h/24493-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4195 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said, by Padraic Colum. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i10 {display: block; margin-left: 10em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said, by Padraic Colum + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said + +Author: Padraic Colum + +Illustrator: Dugald Stewart Walker + +Release Date: February 2, 2008 [EBook #24493] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY WHO KNEW *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Diane Monico, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive.) + + + + + + +</pre> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1"></a></span></p> + + + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image001.png" width="600" height="582" alt="The Boy Who Knew +What The Birds Said" title="The Boy Who Knew +What The Birds Said" /> +<span class="caption">The Boy Who Knew<br /> +What The Birds Said</span> +</p> +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2"></a></span></p> +<p class="center">THE MACMILLAN COMPANY<br /> +<small>NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS</small><br /> +<small>ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO</small></p> + +<p class="center">MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED<br /> +<small>LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA</small><br /> +<small>MELBOURNE</small></p> + +<p class="center">THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, <span class="smcap">Ltd</span>.<br /> +<small>TORONTO</small></p> +<hr style="width: 45%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3"></a></span></p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 475px;"> +<img src="images/image002.jpg" width="475" height="600" alt="Round and round the Castle they went and the Giant with +his strength was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes." title="Round and round the Castle they went and the Giant with +his strength was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes." /> +<span class="caption">Round and round the Castle they went and the Giant with +his strength was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes.</span> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4"></a></span></p> +<h1>The Boy Who Knew<br /> +What The Birds Said</h1> + +<h2>By Padraic Colum</h2> + +<p class="center"><i>Illustrated by</i></p> +<h3><i>Dugald Stewart Walker</i></h3> + + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/image003.png" width="300" height="314" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p class="center">The Macmillan Company, Publishers<br /> +New York Mcmxx +</p> + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5"></a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;"> +<img src="images/image004.png" width="450" height="413" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> +<p class="center"><small><span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1918</small><br /> +<span class="smcap">By</span> THE MACMILLAN COMPANY<br /> +<small>Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1918.</small><br /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6"></a></span></p> +<h4>For The Boy In The Brocken</h4> + + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7"></a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;"> +<img src="images/image007.png" width="450" height="309" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<h2>Contents</h2> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="toc"> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>How he came to know what the birds said</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_13">13</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The Stone of Victory.</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span style="margin-left: 1em;">And how Feet-in-the-Ashes, the Swineherd's Son, came to find it</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The King of the Birds</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_51">51</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch of the Elders</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The Hen-wife's Son and the Princess Bright Brow</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The Giant and the Birds</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_113">113</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The Sea-Maiden who became a Sea-Swan</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>What the Peacock and the Crow Told Each Other</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The Treasure of King Labraid Lorc</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_163">163</a></td></tr> +</table></div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8"></a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/image008.png" width="300" height="212" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9"></a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 370px;"> +<img src="images/image009.png" width="370" height="350" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<h2>List of Full Page Illustrations</h2> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="loi"> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='right'><i><a href="#Page_3">Frontispiece</a></i></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Round and Round the Castle they went, and the Giant +with his strength was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>"No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," +said the Eagle</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_61">61</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>But just as the Witch was dragging her to the +stone a robin began to sing</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>The Red Champion said, "Good is the Champion that +the King of this Land has sent against me."</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>All flew from the mountain except one bird and +he was the greatest amongst them all</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_117">117</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>I put it to my lips, I drank it when he took a +step towards me</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_141">141</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>O most beauteous of all the birds, do you know of +any arms by which a hero can slay a dragon?</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_155">155</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>"Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands"</td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_173">173</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11"></a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/image011.png" width="500" height="269" alt="The Boy Who Knew +What The Birds Said" title="The Boy Who Knew +What The Birds Said" /> +<span class="caption">The Boy Who Knew<br /> +What The Birds Said</span> +</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12"></a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 442px;"> +<img src="images/image012.jpg" width="442" height="600" alt="" title="" /> +</p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image013.png" width="600" height="517" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + + + + +<h2><a name="How_He_Came_to_Know" id="How_He_Came_to_Know"></a>How He Came to Know<br /> +What the Birds Said</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 171px;"> +<img src="images/image013l.png" width="171" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>There is one thing that all the +Birds are afraid of, and that is +the thing that will happen when the +Bird That Follows the Cuckoo flies +into the Cuckoo's mouth.</p> + +<p>And what will happen then, asks my kind foster-child.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p> + +<p>When the Bird that Follows the Cuckoo flies +into the Cuckoo's mouth the World will come to an +end.</p> + +<p>All the Birds know that, but not all the People +know it.</p> + +<p>Well, one day the Cuckoo was sitting on a bush +and her Mouth was open. The Bird That Follows +the Cuckoo flew straight at it. And into it he must +have flown only for the Boy....</p> + +<p>The Boy was in the tree and he flung his cap at +the Cuckoo and he covered the Cuckoo and the +Cuckoo's open mouth.</p> + +<p>The Bird That Follows the Cuckoo flew into the +Crow's mouth instead, and the Crow gave that +bird a squeeze, I can tell you. The Cuckoo pushed +off the Boy's cap with her wings and flew into the +forest.</p> + +<p>All the Birds of the King's Garden were there +at the time. There were—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">The Crow, the Woodpecker,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Wren and the Eagle,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Blackbird and Swallow,</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a><br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Jackdaw and Starling,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And the wonderful Peacock;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Lapwing and Peewit,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The bold Yellowhammer,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The bad Willy-wagtail,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Raven so awful,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And the Cock with his Hens;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Stone-checker, Hedge-sparrow,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And Lint-white and Lark,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The Tom-tit and Linnet,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And brisk little Sparrow,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">The King-fisher too,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And my own little Goldfinch.<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>All the Birds in the King's Garden were overjoyed +that the Bird that Follows the Cuckoo did +not get into the Cuckoo's Mouth.</p> + +<p>"What shall we do for the Boy who prevented +the World from coming to an End?" asked the +good-natured Corncrake. She was there too, +but I forgot to mention her.</p> + +<p>"Nothing," said the Willy-wagtail. "The Boy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +who would throw a cap would throw a stone. Do +nothing at all for him."</p> + +<p>"I'll sing for him," said the Goldfinch.</p> + +<p>"I'll teach him what the Birds say," said the +Crow.</p> + +<p>"If he knew the Language of the Birds he would +be like King Solomon," said the Raven.</p> + +<p>"Let us make him like King Solomon," said +the Goldfinch.</p> + +<p>"Yes, yes, yes," said all the Birds in the King's +Garden.</p> + +<p>The Boy had not gone far when the Crow flew +after him and lighted on his shoulder. The Crow +spoke to him in the Boy's own language. The +Boy was surprised. The Crow flew to a standing +stone and went on speaking plain words to +him.</p> + +<p>"O," said the Boy, "I didn't know you could +speak."</p> + +<p>"Why shouldn't I know how to speak," said +the Crow, "haven't I, for a hundred years and +more, been watching men and listening to their +words? Why shouldn't I be able to speak?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And you can speak well, ma'am," said the +Boy, not forgetting his manners.</p> + +<p>"You know one language, but I know many +languages," said the Crow, "for I know what +People say, and I know what all the Birds +say."</p> + +<p>The old Crow sat there looking so wise and so +friendly that the Boy began to talk to her at his +ease. And after a while the Boy said, "Ma'am, +do you think I could ever learn what the Birds +say?"</p> + +<p>"You would, if you had me to teach you," +said the Crow.</p> + +<p>"And will you teach me, ma'am?" said the Boy.</p> + +<p>"I will," said the Crow.</p> + +<p>Then every day after that the Crow would sit +upon the Standing Stone and the Boy would stand +beside it. When the Crow had eaten the boiled +potato that the Boy always brought she would +tell him about the languages of the different Birds. +The two were teaching and learning from day to +day, and indeed you might say that the Boy went +to school to the Crow. He learnt the language<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +of this Bird and that Bird, and as he learnt their +languages, many's and many's the good story he +heard them tell each other.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 527px;"> +<img src="images/image018.jpg" width="527" height="450" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 437px;"> +<img src="images/image019.jpg" width="437" height="600" alt="The Stone of Victory" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="The_Stone_of_Victory" id="The_Stone_of_Victory"></a>The Stone of Victory</h2> + +<h4>AND HOW FEET-IN-THE-ASHES, +THE SWINEHERD'S SON, CAME +TO FIND IT</h4> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 158px;"> +<img src="images/image021.png" width="158" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"If we went there, if we +went there, maybe we'd +find it," said the Cock-grouse +to the Hen-grouse as they went +together, clucking through the +heather.</p> + +<p>"And if we found it, if we +found it, what good would the +Stone of Victory do us?" said +the Hen-grouse to the Cock-grouse, +answering him back.</p> + +<p>"And what good did the +Stone of Victory do to the +youth who was called Feet-in-the-Ashes, +and who was +only the Swineherd's Son?" +said the Cock-grouse to the +Hen-grouse.</p> + +<p>"Tell me, tell me, and then I shall know," said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +the Hen-grouse to the Cock-grouse, answering him +back. They went together, clucking through the +heather and the Boy who knew what the Birds +said followed them.</p> + +<p>He lay upon a rock and the Cock-grouse and +the Hen-grouse discoursed below him, the Cock-grouse +always lifting his voice above the hen's. +The Boy heard what they said and he remembered +every word of it. And, by the tongue in my mouth, +here is the story he heard:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"Cluck-ee, Cluck-ee, cluck-ee, cloo, cloo, cloo." +The King of Ireland stood outside the gate of his +Castle and his powerful captains and his strong-armed +guards were all around him. And one of +his captains went to the mound before him and +he gave a shout to the East and a shout to the +West, and a shout to the North and a shout to +the South. When the King asked him why he +did it the Captain said "I want the four quarters +of the World to know that the King of Ireland +stands here with his powerful Captains and his +strong armed guards that no one dare come from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +the East or West, the North or the South and lay +the weight of a finger upon him." And when he +said this the other captains flashed their swords +and the guards clashed their shields and the King +of Ireland said, "Well and faithfully am I guarded +indeed and luckier am I than any other King on +the earth for no one can come from the East or +the West, the North or the South and lay the +weight of their finger upon me."</p> + +<p>But no sooner did he say that than they saw +a Giant coming across the hill and towards the +place where they were standing. And when the +Giant came to them he lifted up his hand and he +doubled his hand into a fist and he struck the +King of Ireland full in the mouth and he knocked +out three of his teeth. He picked the King's teeth +up, put them in his pouch, and without one word +walked past them and went down to the sea.</p> + +<p>"Who will avenge the insult put upon me?" +said the King of Ireland, "and which of my captains +will go and win back for me the three best +teeth I had?" But not one of his captains made +a step after the Giant.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> +<p>"I know now," said the King, "How well you +serve and how well you guard me. Well, if none +of you will help me and if none of you will avenge +me, I'll find those who will. And now I'll make +a proclamation and I'll solemnly declare that whoever +avenges the insult offered to me, and, in addition +brings back to me the three that were the +best teeth in my head, even though he be a servant +or the son of a servant, I'll give him my daughter +in marriage and a quarter of my kingdom, and, +more than that," said he, "I'll make him full +captain over all my guards."</p> + +<p>The proclamation was sent all over the Castle +and in the end it came to the ears of the Swineherd's +Son who was called Feet-in-the-Ashes. +And when he heard it he rubbed the ashes out of +his hair and he said to his grandmother—"If there +is anything in the world I want it is the King's +daughter in marriage and a quarter of the Kingdom. +I'll want provision for my journey," said he, +"so, grandmother, bake a cake for me." "I'll do +better than that for you, honey, if you are going +to win back the King's teeth and marry the King's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +daughter," said his grandmother. "I have a few +things of my own that no one knows anything +about, and I'll give them to you with your cake. +Here," said she, "is my crutch. Follow the Giant's +tracks until you come to the sea, throw the crutch +into the sea and it will become a boat, step into +the boat and in it you can sail over to the Green +Island that the Giant rules. And here's this pot +of balsam. No matter how deep or deadly the +sword-cut or the spear-thrust wound is, if you +rub this balsam over it, it will be cured. Here's +your cake too. Leave good-luck behind you and +take good-luck with you, and be off now on your +journey."</p></div> + +<p>"And why was the youth called Feet-in-the-Ashes?" +said the Hen-grouse to the Cock-grouse.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>He was called Feet-in-the-Ashes because he +had sat in the chimney-corner from the time +he could stand upon two legs. And everybody +who called him Feet-in-the-Ashes thought he +was too lazy to do anything else. Well, he left +good-luck behind him and he took good-luck<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +with him and he started off on his journey with +the cake, the crutch and the cure. He followed +the Giant's tracks until they came down to the +sea. Into the sea he flung his grandmother's +crutch. It became a boat with masts and sails. +He jumped into the boat, and the things that +had to be done in a boat were done by him—</p></div> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">He hoisted the sails—the red sail, the black sail and the speckled sail,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">He gave her prow to the sea and her stern to the land,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The blue sea was flashing,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The green sea was lashing,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">But on they went with a breeze that he himself would have chosen,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And the little creatures of the sea sat up on their tails to watch his going.<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>and so he went until he came near the Green +Island where Shamble-shanks the Giant who had +carried off the three teeth of the King of Ireland +had his Castle and his stronghold.</p> + +<p>He fastened his boat where a boat should be +fastened and he went through the Island until<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +he came to a high grey Castle. No one was about +it and he went through it, gate, court and hall. +He found a chamber where a fire burned on the +hearth-stone. He went to the fire gladly. He +looked around the chamber and he saw three beds. +"There's room to rest myself here, at all events," +said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>Night came on and he left the fire and got into +a bed. He pulled one of the soft skins over him. +Just as he was going to turn on his side to sleep +three youths came into the chamber. Feet-in-the-Ashes +sat up on the bed to look at +them.</p> + +<p>When they saw him they began to moan and +groan and when he looked them over he saw they +were all covered with wounds—with spear-thrusts +and with sword-cuts. The sight of him in the bed, +more than their wounds, made them moan and +groan, and when he asked them why this was so +the first of the three youths said:—</p> + +<p>"We came here, the three of us, to fight the +Giant Shamble-shanks and to take from this Island +the Stone of Victory. We came to this Castle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +yesterday and we made three beds in this chamber +so that after the combat we might rest ourselves +and be healed so that we might be able to +fight the Giant again to-morrow or the day after, +for we know that we cannot win victory over +him until many combats. Now we come back +from our first fight and we find you in one of the +beds we had made. We are not able to put you +out of it. One of us must stay out of bed and the +one that stays out will die to-night. Then we +shall be only two against the Giant and he will +kill us when we come to combat again." And +when the first one had said all this the three youths +began to moan and groan again.</p> + +<p>Feet-in-the-Ashes got out of bed. "You can +have your rest, the three of you," said he. "And +as for me I can sit by the fire with my feet in the +ashes as often as I did before." The three youths +got into the three beds and when they were in them +Feet-in-the-Ashes took the pot of balsam that his +grandmother had given him and rubbed some of +it on each one of them. In a while their pain and +their weariness left them and their wounds closed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +up. Then the three youths sat up in their beds and +they told Feet-in-the-Ashes their story.</p></div> + +<p class="figright" style="width: 228px;"> +<img src="images/image029.png" width="228" height="200" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"Cluck-ee, cluck-ee, +cluck-ee, cluck, cluck," +said the Hen-grouse, "and +what was the story they +told?"</p> + +<p>"Cluck, cluck," said the +Cock-grouse, "wait until +you hear, cluck, cluck."</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Said the first of these youths. "On this island +there is a moor, and on that moor there is a stone, +and that stone is not known from other stones, +but it is the Stone of Victory. The Giant Shamble-shanks +has not been able to find it himself, but +he fights with all who come here to find it. To-day +we went to the moor. As soon as we got there +the Giant came out of the Grey Castle and fought +with us. We fought and we fought, but he +wounded us so sorely that we were like to die of +our wounds. We came back to rest here. Thanks +to your balsam we are cured of our wounds. We'll<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +go to fight the Giant to-morrow, and with the +surprise he'll get at seeing us before him so soon +we may be able to overcome him."</p> + +<p>"And along with the surprise, there's another +thing that will help you," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, +"and that is myself. I have to fight the same Giant +Shamble-shanks and I may as well fight him in +company as alone."</p> + +<p>"Your help will be welcome if you have not come +here to win the Stone of Victory."</p> + +<p>"Not for the Stone of Victory I have come, +but to win back the three teeth that were knocked +out of the King of Ireland's head and to avenge +the insult that was offered to him."</p> + +<p>"Then we'll be glad of your help, good comrade." +The three youths got out of their beds +and they sat with Feet-in-the-Ashes round the fire +and the four spent a third of the night in pleasant +story-telling, and slumber nor weariness did +come near them at all.</p></div> + +<p>"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse.</p> + +<p>"Say no more," said the Cock-grouse, "for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +now I'm coming to what's wonderful in my +story—"</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The four youths were seated round the fire +when a little man came into the Chamber. He +carried a harp in his hands. He bowed low to +each of the four of them. "I am MacDraoi, +the Giant's Harper," he said, "and I have come +to play music for you." "Not one tune do we +want to hear from you," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. +"Whether you want it or not, one you will hear," +said the Harper, "and that tune is the Slumber +Tune. I shall play it for you now. And if the +whole world was before me when I play it, and if +every one in it had the pains of deep wounds, the +playing on my harp would make each and every +one of them fall into a slumber." "That tune +we must not hear," said the first of the three +youths, "for if we fall into a slumber the Giant +will see to it that we shall never awaken."</p> + +<p>MacDraoi, the Giant's Harper put his harp to +his chest and he began to play. Slumber came on +the eyelids of the four who were at the fire. Three<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +sprang up, but one stayed on his bench dead-sound-fast +asleep. One yawned and fell down on the +floor. One of the two that remained went towards +the Harper, but on his way he fell across a +bed and he remained on it. Then, out of the four, +only one, Feet-in-the-Ashes, was left awake.</p> + +<p>The Harper played on. Feet-in-the-Ashes put +his fingers in his mouth and commenced to gnaw +them. He gnawed the first two fingers down to +their joints. But still his mouth kept open in a +yawn and still the slumber kept heavy on his eyelids. +He gnawed his third and his little finger. +Then he put his right hand in his mouth and he +bit at his thumb and he bit so sharply that his +senses nearly all came back to him. With a kick +he knocked the harp out of the Harper's hands. +He caught MacDraoi then and turned him head +below heels and left him hanging by his feet from +a beam across the chamber. Then he went straight +through the hall and out of the Castle.</p> + +<p>A wet breeze was blowing and whatever sleep +was on his eye it blew away. He walked on with +the dark clouds of the night going behind him and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +the bright light of the day growing before him. +"I'll turn back," said he, "when I hear a cock +crowing, and whatever I find beside me then I'll take +with me to remind myself of where I have been."</p> + +<p>He found himself on a moor and he walked on +until he was far on it. A cock crew. "Time +to turn back," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. He looked +round to see what he might bring with him and he +saw on the ground a round stone.</p></div> + +<p>"A round stone?" said the Hen-grouse.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the Cock-grouse, "a round black +stone. He took it up, that round black stone, and +he went back to the Castle, hungry for his breakfast."</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>In the Castle Chamber the three youths were +still slumbering, one on the bench, one on the +floor and one in a bed and MacDraoi the Harper +was still hanging by his feet from the beam across +the Chamber. "Lift me down from this, good +lad," said the Giant's Harper.</p> + +<p>"I will," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "when my +three companions awaken."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> + +<p>"They won't awaken," said MacDraoi the +Harper.</p> + +<p>"Then you can hang there," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>"They won't awaken," said MacDraoi, "until +I cause them to awaken, and I shall cause them +to awaken if you lift me down from this."</p> + +<p>"Will you promise by your head," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>"By my head I promise," said the Giant's +Harper.</p> + +<p>Then Feet-in-the-Ashes lifted the Harper down +from the rafters and set him upon his legs. MacDraoi +took up the harp and he pulled the strings +back-ways. The notes he drew out were so piercing +that first one and then another and then a third of +the three youths wakened up. Then, when they +were on their feet MacDraoi, the Giant's Harper, +slipped out of the house and went away. What +happened to the Harper after that no one knows.</p></div> + +<p>"Cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "and what +did they do after that?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The next thing they had to do," said the Cock-grouse, +drawing himself up, "was to fight. Yes, +my lady, to fight." The Hen-grouse drooped her +head and said no more, and the Cock-grouse went +on valiantly—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>Swords they drew out—the three youths who +were with Feet-in-the-Ashes. They sharpened +these swords. They marched off towards the moor +with the swords in their hands. Feet-in-the-Ashes +had no sword. All he had in his hand was a holly-stick.</p> + +<p>When they came in sight of the Grey Castle +they saw the Giant come rushing out of the gate. +He was clad all in iron and he had a sword in one +hand and a spear in the other. The four youths +spread themselves out so that they might be able +to close round the Giant. But for all his bigness +the Giant was quick enough. He struck one of +them with his spear and brought him down on his +knees. He struck the other with his sword and +brought him down on his side. He struck the +other with his iron-covered hand and brought +him down on his back. And all that was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +left now was Feet-in-the-Ashes with his holly-stick.</p> + +<p>What could a youth with a holly-stick in his +hand do against a Giant that had a spear and a +sword in his hands and was besides that all covered +with iron? Feet-in-the-Ashes turned and ran. +He ran towards the Castle and went round it. +And when he was at the east side the Giant was +at the North and when he was at the south the +Giant was at the East. Round and round the +Castle they went and the Giant with his strength +and his quickness was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>Feet-in-the-Ashes wanted something to fling +at him. He took the stone out of his pocket—the +round black stone. He held it in his hand. +He made three circles in the air with it. He flung +the stone. It struck the Giant on the breast and +the iron rang as the stone struck it. Down fell the +Giant. Feet-in-the-Ashes ran off to where his +companions lay. Many times he looked back but +he did not see the Giant following him. The +three youths were lying in their wounds and in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +their pain. Feet-in-the Ashes took out his pot of +balsam and rubbed them all over. Their wounds +healed. First one stood up and then the second +stood up and then the third stood up and the +three were whole and well. "Where is the Giant?" +each of them asked.</p> + +<p>"Lying where he fell," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>"And who threw him down?" said the first +of the youths.</p> + +<p>"I threw him down with a cast of a stone," +said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>"Let us go and see," said the second of the +youths. They went towards the west side of the +Grey Castle like men following a bear who might +turn on them. The Giant was lying still. "He +is dead," said one, "He is dead indeed," said another. +"He is dead forever," said a third. "He +is dead by the cast of my stone," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>They went up to where the Giant was and +looked all over him. "There is the stone that +overthrew him," said one of the youths, "that +round black stone. Where did you get it?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p> + +<p>"On the moor," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>"On the moor," said the others looking at him.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "Picked it up +this morning on the moor just as the cock crew."</p> + +<p>One of the three youths took the round black +stone in his hand. "I'll bring the stone with +me," said he. "We'll go into the Castle now and +see what our finding there will be."</p> + +<p>They went into the Castle. The three youths +told Feet-in-the-Ashes they would help him to +find what he had come to seek—the three teeth +out of the head of the King of Ireland. They +searched and they searched all over the Castle. +At last one of them opened an iron press and there +on a shelf was a silver cup and in the cup were three +teeth. Feet-in-the-Ashes knew they were what +he had come for. He left the cup beside him.</p> + +<p>They took provisions from the Giant's store, +put them on the table and began to eat. But +first one and then another and then the third of +the three youths made an excuse and left the +table. Feet-in-the-Ashes went on with his breakfast. +Then he left the Castle to look for the three<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +youths that had been his companions. He did +not find them. He went down to the sea-shore. +He saw his boat and the sails were raised on it. +In the boat were the three youths and they were +making ready to put out to sea. Feet-in-the-Ashes +shouted to them. Then one of the youths +came to the side of the deck and spoke back +to him.</p> + +<p>"You found the Stone of Victory without +knowing it," said he, "and you let us take it in +our hands. Now we cannot give it back to you +for our lives depend on our keeping it and bringing +it away. And," said he, "we fear to stay on +the land with you because you have such luck that +you could take the Stone from us. The boat we +came in is gone. We take your boat and we think +that you have such luck that you will find another +way of getting off the island. Remember +that what you came for was not the Stone of +Victory but the King's teeth, and we helped to +find them for you."</p> + +<p>They had hoisted the sails and now a wind came +and the boat that was from his grandmother's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +crutch was blown out of the harbour and Feet-in-the-Ashes +was left without any companion on +the Island.</p></div> + +<p>"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, +"he found the Stone of Victory, but what good +were his findings to +him when he didn't +know what he had +found and he let it be +taken from him?"</p> + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 200px;"> +<img src="images/image040.png" width="200" height="114" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"But if he hadn't to find it he couldn't have +slain the Giant and taken the cup out of the iron +cupboard—that much good the Stone of Victory +did him," said the Cock-grouse.</p> + +<p>"I'm sorry to think that that's all he got from +the Stone of Victory," said the Hen-grouse.</p> + +<p>"Well, that's all he got from it, and be quiet +now till I tell you the rest of the story," said the +Cock-grouse.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>He went into the courtyard of the Grey Castle +and he found there a great eagle that was chained<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +to a great rock. The eagle came towards him as +far as the chain would let him. "Feed me," +said the eagle.</p> + +<p>"Will you carry me to Ireland's ground if I +feed you?" said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>"If you feed me every time I open my mouth, +I will," said the eagle.</p> + +<p>"That I'll try to do, good eagle," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>He went through courtyard and pen-fold but +not a sheep nor a pig nor a bullock could he find. +It seemed as if he would not be able to find meat +for the eagle after all. He went down to the sea-shore +and he came upon a pool filled with thin +bony fish called skates. He took a basket of +these and put it on his back. He came back to +the courtyard and he unlocked the chain that +held the eagle.</p> + +<p>"Feed me," said the eagle, and he opened +his mouth.</p> + +<p>"Close your eyes and I'll fill you mouth," said +Feet-in-the-Ashes.</p> + +<p>The eagle closed his eyes. Feet-in-the-Ashes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> +flung a score of skates into his mouth. "Hard +meat, hard meat," said the eagle, but he gulped +them down. Feet-in-the-Ashes, holding the +cup in his hands and carrying the basket of +skates on his back, put himself between the +wings of the eagle. The eagle flew up and over +the Grey Castle and faced for the plain of the +sea.</p> + +<p>They travelled from the morning light until +the full noontide. The eagle opened his mouth +again. Feet-in-the-Ashes put nothing into it. +The eagle finding nothing in his mouth dropped +down to the sea.</p> + +<p>"Close you eyes," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "and +I'll fill your mouth." The eagle closed his eyes +and Feet-in-the-Ashes put another score of skates +into his mouth. The eagle gulped them all down. +"Whenever I open my mouth you will have to +feed me," he said. Feet-in-the-Ashes did not +like to hear this, for a score more of skates were +all that was left.</p> + +<p>The eagle rose up again and on and on he flew +until the night was coming over the water. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +opened his mouth again. Feet-in-the-Ashes put +in five more skates. The eagle kept his mouth +open and said "Feed me."</p> + +<p>There was nothing to be done then but to put +in the rest of the skates. Feet-in-the-Ashes flung +them all in, and the eagle rose up and flew and +they travelled while there was darkness on the +water, and when the sun rose again Feet-in-the-Ashes +saw they were flying over the land of Ireland. +The eagle opened his mouth. Feet-in-the-Ashes +had nothing to put into it. "Fly on, +good eagle," said he, "and leave me down at the +King's Castle." "Feed me," said the eagle. "I +will give you what you never had before—a whole +bullock—when we come to the King's Castle." +"Cows far off have long horns," said the eagle +mocking him. With that he flung Feet-in-the-Ashes +off his back.</p> + +<p>Sore would his fall have been if it had been on +any other place but a soft bog. On the softest +of soft bogs he fell. He made a hole in the ground, +but no bone in his body was broken and he still +held the cup in his hands. He rose up covered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +with the mud of the bog, and he started off for +the King's Castle.</p></div> + +<p>"Cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "and did +he not go to see his grandmother at all?"</p> + +<p class="figright" style="width: 217px;"> +<img src="images/image044.jpg" width="217" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"If he did it's not in the story," said the Cock-grouse. +"That very day, as I would have you +know, the King was standing outside the gate +of his Castle with his powerful captains and his +strong-armed guards around him. 'A +year it is to-day,' said the King, 'since +the Giant came and struck me in the +mouth, knocking out and taking +away three of my teeth, +and since that day I +have had neither health +nor prosperity. And +you know,' said he, +'that my daughter +and a quarter of my +Kingdom is to go to the +one who will avenge +the insult and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +bring back my three teeth.' 'Such and such a +thing prevented me from going,' said one of his +Captains, 'but now that so and so is done, I can +go and avenge the insult offered to you.' 'So and +so kept me from going,' said another of the Captains, +'but now that such and such a thing is done +I can go to-morrow and bring you back your three +teeth.' 'I am tired of hearing you all talk,' said +the King, 'and it's my belief that my teeth will +be lost and my daughter unwedded till the day of +doom.'"</p> + +<p>It was then that Feet-in-the-Ashes appeared +before them, "Good health to you, King," said +he.</p> + +<p>"Good health to you, good man," said the +King, "and what, may I ask, have you come +here for?"</p> + +<p>He was covered with the feathers of the eagle +and the mud of the bog, and, as you may be sure, +the King and the captains and the guards looked +sourly at him.</p> + +<p>"I have come first of all, King," said he, "to +give you advice."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And what is your advice?" asked the King.</p> + +<p>"My advice to you is that you send away all +these you have around you—your captains and +your guards—and that you turn them into dog-boys +or horse-boys or anything else in which +they would give useful service, for as they are +here, they can neither serve nor guard you."</p> + +<p>"All that may be true," said the King, "but +what right have you to say it?"</p> + +<p>Feet-in-the-Ashes said nothing but he held the +cup up to the King and the King saw three teeth +in it and he took them out and placed them in his +mouth and the teeth went into their places and +there firmly they stayed.</p> + +<p>Then Feet-in-the-Ashes told how he had gone +to the Green Island and how he had avenged +the insult offered to the king and how he had +got what he had gone to search for. Then he demanded +the King's daughter in marriage and a +quarter of the Kingdom, and both were made over +to him on the spot. As for the powerful captains +and the strong-armed guards, some of them were +made horse-boys and some were made dog-boys<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +and Feet-in-the-Ashes was made Captain over the +new guards. When he came to rule a quarter of +the Kingdom he was given a horse and made a +duke and he was called by a better name than +Feet-in-the-Ashes. But what that name was I +don't remember now.</p></div> + +<p>"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "and +did he go to visit the grandmother at all?"</p> + +<p>"If he did," said the Cock-grouse, "that's +another story, and if it was ever told I don't +remember it. Pray go to the right, my lady, for +I'm hungry for the sweet buds of the heather."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 289px;"> +<img src="images/image047.jpg" width="289" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;"> +<img src="images/image049.jpg" width="455" height="600" alt="The King of the Birds" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="The_King_of_the_Birds" id="The_King_of_the_Birds"></a>The King of the Birds</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 161px;"> +<img src="images/image051.jpg" width="161" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>The thirteen little wrens sat +on the Apple-yard wall in +the King's Garden and their +mother was there to teach them +to fly. One called them the +little wrens, but really each one +was as big as their mother. +She had a tail, however, that +was most cunningly cocked and +they had no tails, and the consequence +was that when they +made their little flights they +always went sideways. Moreover, +their beaks were still yellow +and wide and open and +this is always a sign of the +young bird.</p> + +<p>"All I ask of you," said the +mother, "is that when you go into the World you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +remember that you are the Children of the King of +the Birds."</p> + +<p>"Now why does our Mother call us the Children +of the King of the Birds?" said one little wren to +the other. "I think we're really very small. And +I think our Mother is very small. And there's our +Father behind that ivy-leaf and he's very small too."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image052.jpg" width="600" height="385" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"And wherever you go, be sure to conduct +yourselves like the Children of the King of the +Birds," said the Mother.</p> + +<p>"It's because we were reared in such a fine nest,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +said another little wren. "No other birds in the +world had ever a finer nest than we have had. +That's the reason we're called the Children of the +King of the Birds."</p> + +<p>"Men call the Wren the King of the Birds," +said the Father Wren, as he flew up on a tree, +"and surely men ought to know who is the King +of the Birds."</p> + +<p>"Why do men call the Wren the King of the +Birds?" said the little wrens.</p> + +<p>"I will tell you," said the Mother. "As we fly +from the wall to the tree, and from the tree back +to the wall, I will tell you why men honor the wren +as the King of the Birds."</p> + +<p>She spent a whole day telling the little wrens +the story and the Boy Who Knew What the Birds +Said was there, and he heard the whole of it.—</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>The King of the Hither-side of the Mountain +conquered the two villages of Half-a-Loaf and +Windy-Gap, and the very day he conquered +he ordered the two Headmen to come before him.</p> + +<p>"You two Headmen are to see that your villages,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +Half-a-Loaf and Windy-Gap, send me my rightful +tribute," said the King to them.</p> + +<p>"There isn't much we can send...." said the +Headman of Half-a-Loaf.</p> + +<p>"A string of salmon," said the Headman of +Windy-Gap.</p> + +<p>"A basket of plover's eggs," said the Headman +of Half-a-Loaf.</p> + +<p>"No," said the King, "the tribute that each +of your villages must send me is the King of the +Birds."</p> + +<p>The two Headmen went back to their villages, +and that very day each told at the council what +tribute the King had ordered them to send. "The +King of the Birds," said the people of Half-a-Loaf, +"that's the Eagle surely." "The King of the +Birds," said the people of Windy-Gap. "What +Bird might that be? We'll have to give thought +to this."</p> + +<p>The people of Windy-Gap thought about it and +thought about it, but the people of Half-a-Loaf +declared there was no doubt at all about it—the +Eagle was the King of the Birds. And while the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +people of Windy-Gap were thinking and pondering +the people of Half-a-Loaf were sending their +young men off to catch an eagle.</p> + +<p>But an eagle is a hard fowl to catch, and the +people of Half-a-Loaf found they had to send all +of their young men out and to send them out +every day. And the young men climbed high hills +and stony ditches, and they searched the east +and they hunted the west; they went out at sunrise +and they came back at sunset, but never an +eagle did they bring with them.</p> + +<p>"It may be that the Eagle is the King of the +Birds," said the people of Windy-Gap, "but we +had better consider it."</p> + +<p>They thought about it from sunrise to sunset; +they thought about it while they plowed their +fields and sowed them, while they spun their cloth +and made their coats, while they mended their +nets and mended their shoes, while they thatched +their roofs and planted their apple-trees.</p> + +<p>And in Half-a-Loaf there was few left to plow +the fields and sow them, to spin cloth and to make +coats, to mend nets and to mend shoes, to thatch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +roofs and to plant apple-trees—there was few left +to do these things for all the young men were out +on the mountain hunting for an eagle.</p> + +<p>"The people of Windy-Gap will be ruined," +said the people of Half-a-Loaf, "they have done +nothing yet to catch the Eagle. When the King +gets no tribute from them he'll come down and +sell them and their village. Call the young men +back that have gone into the fields to work and +send them up the mountain again."</p> + +<p>At last the people of Half-a-Loaf caught their +Eagle—a great golden Eagle he was. They built +for him a shed and they fed him on what lambs +they had that year.</p> + +<p>"We're safe anyway," said the people of Half-a-Loaf, +"but the unfortunate folk in Windy-Gap +have lost their chance. They'll not have time to +catch an eagle now."</p> + +<p>The time was coming near when the two +villages would have to send their tribute to the +King.</p> + +<p>"We have our Eagle," said the people of Half-a-Loaf, +"But O, Bad Fortune! we have hardly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +a crop growing. This will be a hard year for us—we +haven't lambs to grow into sheep even."</p> + +<p>"We have our crops," said the people of Windy-Gap, +"but, Bad Cess to it! What are we to do +about paying our tribute to the King?"</p> + +<p>And still they couldn't decide whether it was +the Eagle or the Cuckoo or the Woodpecker that +was King of the Birds. They were still considering +it when the King's Messenger came to bid +them come with their tribute to the King's Castle.</p> + +<p>What were the people of Windy-Gap to do? +They searched round and about but no bird at all +could they find. And then as he was being marched +off the Headman put his hand under the thatch +of his house and took out a Wren that was sheltering +there. He put the Wren under his hat and +went off with the King's Messenger.</p> + +<p>And there, before him on the way to the King's +Castle was the Headman of Half-a-Loaf. The +riders of the village were with him and they bore +their golden Eagle most triumphantly.</p> + +<p>"Give to my Falconer the King of the Birds," +said the King.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Headman of Half-a-Loaf presented the +Eagle.</p> + +<p>"It is well," said the King, "and where have +you," said he to the Headman of Windy-Gap, +"bestowed the King of the Birds?"</p> + +<p>The Headman put his hand under his hat +and handed over the Wren to the King's Falconer.</p> + +<p>"Tush," said the King, "Why do you call this +the King of the Birds?"</p> + +<p>The Headman of Windy-Gap was going to say +"Because his family is great," but he said instead +"Because he flies the highest, my lord."</p> + +<p>"If it be truth it's unknown to me," said the +King, "but it shall be tried out."</p> + +<p>Then said he to the Royal Falconer, "Let the +Eagle and the Wren soar together. And when the +Eagle outsoars the Wren it shall be proved that +the Headman of Windy-Gap is a catiff, and his +village and everyone in it will be sold to the Saracens. +But if it so happens that the Wren outsoars +the Eagle, the tribute sent from the village of +Windy-Gap must be accepted."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Eagle and the Wren rose from the same +perch and soared up together. Up and up the +Eagle went. "So far my father went, but I shall +go farther," said the Eagle. Higher and higher +he rose. "So far my grandfather went but I shall +go farther." Farther and farther he soared. "So +far went my great-grandfather, and no eagle again +will fly so high." His wings were stiff and tired. +"No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," +said the Eagle.</p> + +<p>He went to close his wings so that he might rest +them as he went down. But as he did the Wren +came from under his wings.</p> + +<p>Up went the Wren, down went the Eagle. Up +and up went the Wren. He had been resting while +the Eagle had been flying, and now he was able +to soar past the point the Eagle had reached at +his dead-best.</p> + +<p>The Eagle flew down and lighted on the Falconer's +perch. "Has he flown high, Falconer?" +asked the King. "No bird has flown so high," +said the Falconer. "By the rime on his wings he +has gone into the line of frost."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The Eagle is King of the Birds and no one can +deny it," said the King. "The village of Windy-Gap +has not sent me my tribute."</p> + +<p>"Mercy," said the Headman of Windy-Gap.</p> + +<p>"The village and all in it shall be sold to the +Saracens," said the King.</p> + +<p>Just then the Wren came down and lighted on +the perch beside the Eagle. "Where did the Wren +fly to?" said the King. "By my glove," said the +Falconer "he soared past the line of frost, and +went into the line of snow, for what's on his feathers +is a drop of snow."</p> + +<p>"The Wren is King of the Birds," said the +Headman of Windy-Gap.</p> + +<p>"Yes, King of the Birds," said the King, "and, +therefore, my lawful tribute."</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 398px;"> +<img src="images/image061.jpg" width="398" height="600" alt=""No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," +said the Eagle." title=""No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," +said the Eagle." /> +<span class="caption">"No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," +said the Eagle.</span> +</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> +<p>And so, for ever after the villages sent to the +King, not an Eagle, but a Wren as tribute. And +in no village ever after were the lands unplowed +and the fields unsown, the cloth unspun and the +coats not made, the roofs unthatched and the +apple-trees unplanted. And in every village in +the hollow and on the height the people shouted +for the Wren—"The Wren, the Wren, the King +of all Birds."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 451px;"> +<img src="images/image063.jpg" width="451" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 454px;"> +<img src="images/image065.jpg" width="454" height="600" alt="Bloom-of-Youth and the +Witch of the Elders" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="Bloom-of-Youth_and_the_Witch" id="Bloom-of-Youth_and_the_Witch"></a>Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch +of the Elders</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 190px;"> +<img src="images/image067.png" width="190" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>Bloom-of-youth was +a young, young girl. +But, young as she was, she +would have to be married, +her step-mother said. Then +married she was while she was +still little enough to walk +through the doorway of her +step-mother's hut without +stooping her head.</p> + +<p>Her husband was a hunter +and he took her to live in a +hut at the edge of a wood. +He was out hunting the +whole of the day. Now what +did Bloom-of-Youth do while +she had the house to herself? +Little enough indeed. She +swept the floor and she washed the dishes and she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +laid them back on their shelf. Then she went to +the well for pails of water. When she went out she +stayed long, for first she would look into the well +at her own image and then she would make a +wreath of flowers and put it on her head and look +at herself again. After that, maybe, she would +delay to pick berries and eat them. Then she +would go without hurrying along the path, singing +to herself.—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i10">'Said when he saw<br /></span> +<span class="i10">Me all in blue,<br /></span> +<span class="i10">"Who is the maid<br /></span> +<span class="i10">The sky must woo?"<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i10">'Said when he saw<br /></span> +<span class="i10">Me all in green,<br /></span> +<span class="i10">"Who is the maid<br /></span> +<span class="i10">The grass calls queen?"'<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>When she would have got back to the hut the fire +on the hearth would have gone out and she would +have to light it again and then sweep the floor +clear of the ashes that had blown upon it. After +that she would have little time to do anything<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +else except prepare a meal against the time when +her husband would be back from his hunting.</p> + +<p>One morning her husband left his coat down +on the bench. "My coat is torn; sew it for me," +he said. Bloom-of-Youth said she would do that. +But she did no more to the coat than take it up +and leave it down again on the bench.</p> + +<p>The next day her husband said "My vest is +torn too; have it and the coat sewn for me." +He left the vest beside the coat and went out to +his hunting.</p> + +<p>Bloom-of-Youth did nothing to the coat and +nothing to the vest, and every day for a week her +husband went out without coat or vest upon him.</p> + +<p>One day he put on his torn coat and his torn vest +and went out to his hunting. When he came home +that evening he had a bundle of wool with him.</p> + +<p>"Your step-mother," said he, "sends you this +bundle of wool and she bids you spin it that +there may be cloth for new clothes for me." "I +will spin it," said Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>But the next day when her husband went away +she did what she had always done before. She<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +went to the well and she looked for long at her +image; she put a wreath of flowers on her head +and she looked at her image again; she picked +berries and ate them; she went along the path +without hurrying, singing to herself.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">'Said when he saw</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Me all in blue</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Who is the maid</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The sky must woo?"</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">'Said when he saw</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Me all in green</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Who is the maid</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The grass calls queen?"'</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>She had to light the fire again when she came in +and sweep away the ashes that had gathered on +the floor and after she had done all that it was +time to prepare the meal for the evening. But +before her husband came home she took the spinning +wheel out of the corner and put it near the +light of the doorway.</p> + +<p>"I see," said her husband, "that you are going +to spin the wool for my clothes."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I am when to-morrow comes," said Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>But the next day she did as she done every day +and no wool was spun. The day after she put wool +on the wheel and gave it a few turns. In a week +from that evening she had one ball of thread +spun.</p> + +<p>"Your step-mother bids me ask you how much +of the wool have you spun?" said her husband +to her one evening. Bloom-of-Youth was so +much afraid that her husband would send her to +her step-mother through the dark, dark wood, +that she said "I have spun many balls."</p> + +<p>"Your step-mother bade me count the balls +you have spun," said her husband.</p> + +<p>"I will go up to the loft and throw them down +to you and then you will throw them back to me +and we will count them that way," said Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>She went up to the loft and she flung down the +ball she had spun.</p> + +<p>"One," said her husband, and he threw it back +to her.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> + +<p>She flung him the ball again.</p> + +<p>"Two," said her husband, and he flung it back +to her. Then he said "three," and then "four," +and then "five," and so on until he had counted +twelve. "You have done well," said he, "and +now before the week is out take the twelve balls +to your step-mother's house and she will weave +the thread into cloth for clothes for me."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 545px;"> +<img src="images/image072.png" width="545" height="400" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>Bloom-of-Youth was greatly frightened. To +her step-mother's house she would have to go<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> +with a dozen balls of thread in a few days. The +next day she hurried back from the well and she +sat at her wheel before the door spinning and +spinning. But, do her best, she could not get a +good thread spun in the long length of the day.</p> + +<p>And while she was spinning and spinning and +getting her thread knotted and broken a black +and crooked woman came and stood before the +door. "You're spinning hard I see," said she to +Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>Bloom-of-Youth gave her no answer but put her +head against the wheel and cried and cried.</p> + +<p>"And what would you say," said the black and +crooked woman, "if I took the bundle of wool +from you now and brought it back to you to-morrow +spun into a dozen balls of thread?"</p> + +<p>"It is not what I would say; it is what I should +give you," said Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>"Give me!" said the black and crooked woman. +"What could you give me?" But as she said it +she gave Bloom-of-Youth a baleful look from under +her leafy eyebrows. "No, no, you need give me +nothing for spinning the wool for you. All that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> +I'll ask from you is that you tell me my name +within a week from this day."</p> + +<p>"It will be easy to find out her name within +a week," said Bloom-of-Youth to herself. She +took the bundle of wool out of the basket and +gave it to her. The black and crooked woman +put the wool under her arm and then she lifted +up her stick and shook it at Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>"And if you don't find out my name within a +week you will have to give me your heart's blood—a +drop of heart's blood for every ball of wool I +spin for you." The hag went away then. Bloom-of-Youth +was greatly frightened, but after a +while she said to herself "I need not be afraid, +for in a week I'll surely find out the name of the +black and crooked woman who can't live far from +this."</p> + +<p>The next day the hag came to the door and left +twelve balls of wool on the bench outside the +house. "In a week, in a week," said she, "you'll +have my name or I'll have twelve drops of your +heart's blood to make the leaves of my Elder Tree +fresh and fine."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> + +<p>Bloom-of-Youth went with the twelve balls of +wool to her step-mother's house, and every person +she met on the way she asked if he or she knew the +name of the black and crooked woman. But no +one could tell her the hag's real name. All they +could tell was that she was the Witch of the Elders +and that she lived beside the Big Stones that were +at the other side of the wood.</p> + +<p>Bloom-of-Youth was afraid: her face lost its +color and her eyes grew wide and her heart would +beat from one side of her body to the other. And +every day the Witch of the Elders would come +to the door and say "Have you my name yet, +Bloom-of-Youth, have you my name yet? Two +days gone, five to come on; three days gone, +four to come on; four days gone, three to come +on; five days gone, two to come on." Six days +went by and on the seventh she would have to go +to the Big Stones at the other side of the wood +and let the Witch of the Elders take twelve drops +of her heart's blood.</p> + +<p>The night before the week's end her husband, +when he sat down by the fire said "I saw something<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +and I heard something very strange when +I was at the other side of the wood this evening." +"What was it you saw?" said Bloom-of-Youth. +"Lights were all round the Big Stones +and there was a noise of spinning inside the ring +they make. That's what I saw." "And what +was it you heard?" said Bloom-of-Youth. "Someone +singing to the wheels," said her husband. +"And this is what I heard sung.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Spin, wheel, spin; sing, wheel, sing;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Every stone in my yard, spin, spin, spin;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The thread is hers, the wool is mine;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Twelve drops from her heart will make my leaves shine!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">How little she knows, the foolish thing,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">That my name is Bolg and Curr and Carr,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">That my name is Lurr and Lappie.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>"O sing that song again," said Bloom-of-Youth, +"Sing that song again."</p> + +<p>Her husband sang it again, and Bloom-of-Youth +went to bed, singing to herself.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">My name is Bolg and Curr and Carr,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">My name is Lurr and Lappie.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>The next day as soon as her husband had gone +to his hunting Bloom-of-Youth went through the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +wood and towards the Big Stones that were at +the other side of it. And as she went through +the wood she sang.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Spin, wheel, spin; sing, wheel, sing;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Every branch on the tree, spin, spin, spin;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The wool is hers, the thread is fine;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">For loss of my heart's blood I'll never dwine;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her name is Bolg and Curr and Carr,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her name is Lurr and Lappie.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>She went singing until she was through the wood +and near the Big Stones. She went within the +circle. There, besides a flat stone that was on the +ground, she saw the black and crooked old woman.</p> + +<p>"You have come to me, Bloom-of-Youth," +said she. "Do you see the hollow that is in this +stone? It is into this hollow that the drops of +your heart's blood will have to run."</p> + +<p>"The drops of my heart's blood may remain +my own."</p> + +<p>"No, no, they won't remain your own any longer +than when it is plain you can't tell my name."</p> + +<p>"Is it Bolg?" said Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>"Bolg is one of my names," screamed the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +Witch of the Elders, "but one of my names won't +let you go free."</p> + +<p>"Is it Curr?"</p> + +<p>"Curr is another of my names, but two of my +names won't let you go free."</p> + +<p>"Is it Carr?"</p> + +<p>"Carr is another of my names, but three of my +names will not let you go free."</p> + +<p>"I know your other names too," said Bloom-of-Youth.</p> + +<p>"Say them, say them," screamed the Witch +of the Elders.</p> + +<p>But when she tried to think of them Bloom-of-Youth +found that the last two names had gone +out of her mind. Not for all the drops that were +in her heart could she remember them.</p> + +<p>"No, no, you can't say them," said the Witch +of the Elders. "And now bend your breast over +the hollow in the stone. I'll let out twelve drops +of your heart's blood with my pointed rod. Bend +your breast over the hollow."</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 410px;"> +<img src="images/image079.jpg" width="410" height="600" alt="But just as the Witch was dragging her to the stone a robin +began to sing." title="But just as the Witch was dragging her to the stone a robin +began to sing." /> +<span class="caption">But just as the Witch was dragging her to the stone a robin +began to sing.</span> +</p> + +<p>But just as the Witch was dragging her to the +stone a robin began to sing on a branch outside<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +the Stones. It was the same tune as Bloom-of-Youth +had sung her song to as she went through +the wood. Now all the words in her song came +back to her.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Spin, wheel, spin; sing, wheel, sing;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Every branch on the tree, spin, spin, spin;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The wool is hers, the thread is mine;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">For loss of my heart's blood I'll never dwine!</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her name is Bolg and Curr and Carr,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her name is Lurr and Lappie.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>She said the last two names and as she did the +Witch of the Elders screamed and ran behind the +stones. Bloom-of-Youth saw no more of her.</p> + +<p>That evening her husband brought home the +web of cloth that her step-mother had woven. +The next day Bloom-of-Youth began to make +clothes for him out of it. Never again did she +make delays at the well but she came straight home +with her pails of water. The fire was always clear +upon the hearth and she had never to light it +the second time and then sweep away the ashes +that had gathered on the floor. She made good +clothes for her husband out of the web of cloth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +her step-mother had woven. And every evening +she spun on her wheel and there was never a time +afterwards when she had not a dozen balls of +thread in the house.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The wool is hers and the thread is mine;</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">For loss of my heart's blood I never will dwine,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And I throw my ball over to you.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>It was the Woodpecker that told this story to +the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 479px;"> +<img src="images/image082.jpg" width="479" height="400" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 445px;"> +<img src="images/image083.jpg" width="445" height="600" alt="The Hen-wife's Son and the +Princess Bright Brow" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="The_Hen-wifes_Son_and_the" id="The_Hen-wifes_Son_and_the"></a>The Hen-wife's Son and the +Princess Bright Brow</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 172px;"> +<img src="images/image085.jpg" width="172" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>Everyone in and around +the King's Castle despised +Mell, the Hen-wife's Son, said +the Stonechecker, the bird that +built within the stones of the +Tower. And it was not because +there was anything mean +about the lad himself: it was +because his mother, the Hen-wife, +had the lowest office +about the King's Castle.</p> + +<p>This is what a Hen-wife did: +She had to mind the fowl and +keep count of them, she had to +gather the eggs and put them +into a basket and send them +to the King's Steward every +day. And for doing this she +had as wages the right to go to the back-door of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +the Steward's house and get from the under-servants +two meals a day for herself and Mell, her son.</p> + +<p>And everybody, as I said, despised this son of +hers—horse-boys and dog-boys and the grooms +around the Castle. But of course no one despised +Mell more than did the King's daughter, +Princess Bright Brow.</p> + +<p>She used to go into a wood and whisper along +the branch of a tree. And one day the Hen-wife's +son whom she despised so much made answer to +her. He was lying along the branch of the tree +watching his mother's goat that grazed on the +grass below. Now this is what Princess Bright +Brow said to the tree and this is what she used +to say to it every day.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Oak-tree, oak-tree, above the rest,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Which of the heroes loves me best?</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Mell was lying along the Branch as I have said, +and he made answer back to her.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Princess, Princess, he's at your call,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And the Hen-wife's son loves you best of all!</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>The King's daughter looked up and she saw the +Hen-wife's son on the branch, and she went into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +a great rage. She gave orders to the grooms +that the Hen-wife's son was to be whipped every +time he looked at her. Many's the time after that +Mell got the lash. But he loved Bright Brow so +much that he could not forbear looking at her.</p> + + +<h3>II</h3> + +<p>Now, one very early morning Mell took his +mother's goat out to graze on the green. And as +he went along he saw on the grass a beautiful +mantle. He took it up and he thought to himself +"How well it would look upon Princess Bright +Brow!" And he thought again "if she would +take this beautiful green mantle from me maybe +she would let me look upon her when she is wearing +it."</p> + +<p>He put the mantle across his shoulders and sat +down and thought and thought. And while +he was thinking he felt the mantle being pulled +from behind. He turned round and he saw a +woman standing there. She had brighter colors +in her dress and she wore more ornaments than +any one he had ever seen in the King's Castle.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +He knew by such signs that she was a Fairy +Woman out of the Green Rath.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 448px;"> +<img src="images/image088.jpg" width="448" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"Mell," said she, "Mell, the Hen-wife's son,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +give to me the mantle that the King of the Fairy +Riders let fall from his shoulders last night."</p> + +<p>"If it is his, and if you have come to bring it +to him, why you must have it," said Mell, and he +took the mantle off his shoulders and handed +it to her.</p> + +<p>"The King would wish that I should recompense +you," said the Fairy Woman. She took +a jewel that was on the collar of the mantle and +gave it to Mell. "If you take this jewel in your +hand," said she, "and wish to be in this place or +that place you will be there in an instant, and +anyone you take by the hand you can bring with +you." And when Mell took the jewel from her, +the Fairy Woman, carrying the green mantle, +went into the green rath.</p> + +<p>Then Mell took his goat by the horns and +turned towards his hut. And there, outside the +gate of the Castle he saw the King's daughter, +Princess Bright Brow. She was watching the +falconer training the young hawks and the grooms +and the riders of the Castle were behind her. +When she saw Mell with his hands on the goat's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +horns she grew high in rage and she turned to the +grooms to give an order that he be beaten with +the whips they held.</p> + +<p>But Mell ran to her and he caught her hand +and holding the jewel he said "I wish that I was +in the Island of the Shadow of the Stars and that +this young girl was with me." The hawk flew +at him and the hound sprang at him and the whips +struck at him and while he was still expecting the +feel of teeth and claws and lash he was away +and was in another country altogether. There +was neither hawk nor hound nor hut nor castle +nor groom nor falconer. Two beings only were +there and they were Mell the Hen-wife's son and +the King's daughter, Princess Bright Brow.</p> + +<p>"In what country are we?" said Princess Bright +Brow.</p> + +<p>"Unless we are in the Island of the Shadow +of the Stars I don't know where we are," said +Mell, the Hen-wife's Son.</p> + +<p>"You are the Hen-wife's son and you have +brought me here by enchantment," said Bright +Brow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<p>She wanted to go from him, but where was she +to go to? All the country was strange to her. +And so, if she made two steps away from him she +soon made two steps back to him. And the end +of this part of the story is that Bright Brow became +friendly to the Hen-wife's Son.</p> + +<p>He gathered fruits off trees and he snared birds +and he took the fish out of rivers and he found +sheltered places to sleep in. And often the Princess +Bright Brow was good and kind to him. And +Mell the Hen-wife's son was now as happy as +anyone in the world. "Since we are so friendly +to each other now," said Bright Brow to him one +day, "will you not tell me how you were able to +come here and bring me with you?"</p> + +<p>"It was because of the jewel I wear at my +breast," said Mell. And then he told how he had +found the green mantle on the ground and how +the Fairy Woman gave him the jewel and what +power the jewel had.</p> + +<p>If Mell was content to be on the Island, Bright +Brow was not. And so one evening when he was +asleep she lifted up the mantle and took the jewel<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +that was on his breast. Then holding it in her +hand she said "I wish I was back in my father's +Castle." In an instant she was back there. Now +all her maids were around her and all of them were +crying "Where have you been, King's daughter, +where have you been?" And Bright Brow told +them that the King of the Fairy Riders had taken +her away to show her all the great heroes of the +world so that when the time came for her to choose +a husband she could make her choice of the best +amongst them.</p> + +<p>As for Mell, the Hen-wife's son: when he wakened +up and found that Bright Brow had gone +and that the jewel was gone there was no one in +the world more sad and lonely than he was. He +thought that she might come back to him, but +the moon came and the sun came and Bright Brow +came not. He longed to be a bird that he might +fly after her to her father's Castle.</p> + +<p>He stayed on the Island of the Shadow of the +Stars for a long time for, now that the jewel was +gone from him, there was no way of getting from +the Island. Then a King who had built a high<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +tower went to the top of it one day and saw the +Island of the Shadow of the Stars. He sent out +his long ships and his leathern-jerkined men to it. +They found Mell and they brought him to the +King. Then Mell became one of the King's men +and he went into battle and he learnt the use of +all arms.</p> + + +<h3>III</h3> + +<p>The Hen-wife's son went through the Eastern +and the Western Worlds and he came back to +where his mother's hut was. He rode round the +walls of the King's Castle. Everything that he +thought was magnificent before seemed small to +him now. The trees that grew within the walls +seemed not much bigger than the bushes the old +women put clothes to dry on.</p> + +<p>Sitting on his black horse he looked across the +wall that he once thought was so high and he saw +the Hen-wife's hut. His mother came out to feed +the hens and to count them and to gather up the +eggs and put them in a basket. "She's alive and +I'll see her again," said Mell. He rode round the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +wall to the King's Garden to try to get sight of +the Princess Bright Brow. He saw no sight of +her. He rode on and he came to the gate at the +other side and he saw outside the Cook-house the +horse-boys and dog-boys and grooms that he used +to know.</p> + +<p>He saw them and he knew them, but they did +not know him. He was surprised to see that they +had not learnt to straighten up their shoulders +nor to walk as if there was a fine thought in their +heads. They were all around the Cook-house, +and a great noise of rattling was coming from +within it.</p> + +<p>"What noise is that in the Cook-house?" Mell +asked a groom.</p> + +<p>"The Cook's son is going out to fight," said +the groom, "and he is striking the pot-lids with +the ladles to let everyone in the Cook-house know +how fierce he is."</p> + +<p>"And who is the Cook's son going to fight?" +asked Mell the Hen-wife's son.</p> + +<p>"He is going to fight a great Champion that +has come up from the sea in a boat that moves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +itself. This Champion demands that the King +pay tribute to him. And the King has offered +his daughter and half his kingdom to the youth +who will go down to the sea-shore and defeat this +Champion. And to-day the Cook's son is going +out to make trial."</p> + +<p>And while the groom was saying all this the +Cook's son came out of the Cook-house. His big +face was all gray. His knees were knocking each +other. The breastplate of iron he had on was +slipping to one side and the big sword he had put +in his belt was trailing on the ground.</p> + +<p>"I would like to see what sort of a fight this +Champion will make," said Mell, the Hen-wife's +son. He followed the Cook's son to the sea-shore. +But the Cook's son, when he had come to the shore, +looked round and found a little cave in the face +of the rock and climbed into it.</p> + +<p>Then a boat that moved of itself came in from +the sea, and a Champion all in red sprang out of +it. And when he had touched the shingles he +struck his sword on his shield and he shouted "If +the King of this Land has a Champion equal to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +the fray let him forth against me. And if the +King of the Land has no such Champion, let him +pay me tribute from his Kingdom."</p> + +<p>Mell looked to the cave where the Cook's son +had hidden himself and all he saw there was a +bush being pulled towards the opening to hide it.</p> + +<p>Then Mell the Hen-wife's son drew his sword +and went down the beach towards the Red Champion. +They fought for half the day. At the end +of that time the Red Champion said "Good is +the champion that the King of this Land has +sent against me. I did not know he had such a +good champion."</p> + +<p>They fought all over the strand making the +places that were stony, wet, and the places that +were wet, stony, and then, when the sun was going +down, the Red Champion was not able to do anything +more than guard himself from the strokes +of Mell's sword while he drew towards his boat.</p> + +<p>"You will have the honors of the fight to-day," +said he to Mell.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 406px;"> +<img src="images/image097.jpg" width="406" height="600" alt="The Red Champion said, "Good is the Champion that the +King of this Land has sent against me."" title="The Red Champion said, "Good is the Champion that the +King of this Land has sent against me."" /> +<span class="caption">The Red Champion said, "Good is the Champion that the +King of this Land has sent against me."</span> +</p> + +<p>"I shall have the honors and something else +beside," said Mell. Then he struck at the red<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +plume that was on his enemy's cap. He cut it +off as the Red Champion sprang into the boat +that moved of itself. As the sun was sinking the +Champion in the boat went over the sea.</p> + +<p>Now the Cook's son had been watching the +whole fight from the cave. When he saw the Red +Champion going off in his boat he came running +down to the shore. The Hen wife's son was lying +with his hands and his face in the water trying to +cool himself after the combat and the red plume +that he had struck off the Champion's cap was +lying near him. The Cook's son took up the plume.</p> + +<p>"Let me keep this as a remembrance of your +fight, brave warrior," said he to the Hen-wife's +son.</p> + +<p>"You may keep it," said Mell. Then with the +red plume in his hands the Cook's son ran back +towards the Castle.</p> + + +<h3>IV</h3> + +<p>Mell the Hen-wife's son put on his best garments +and he went to the Castle that evening and he +was received by the King as a champion from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> +foreign parts. And the King invited him to supper +for three nights.</p> + +<p>Princess Bright Brow was at the supper and +Mell watched and watched her. He saw that she +was pale and that she kept sighing. And of the +damsel who came to sit beside him at the table +Mell asked "Why is the King's daughter so sad +and troubled-looking?"</p> + +<p>"She has reason for being sad and troubled," +said the damsel who was called Sea Swan, "for +she thinks she may have to marry one whom she +thinks little of."</p> + +<p>"Why should that be?" said Mell.</p> + +<p>"Because her father has promised to give her +and half his Kingdom to the one who will defeat +the Red Champion who has come from across the +sea and who demands that the King give him +tribute from the land. And the only one who has +gone forth against the Champion is the Cook's +son—a gray-faced fellow that only a kitchen-maid +would marry. And if it happens that the Cook's +son overcomes the Red Champion, well then +Princess Bright Brow will have to marry him."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> + +<p>And later on Sea Swan said to Mell "The King's +daughter is so troubled that she would go away +to the Island of the Shadow of the Stars if she +had the jewel that would bring her there. She +had it once, but a Fairy Woman came out of the +green rath and made Bright Brow give it to her."</p> + +<p>When the feast was at its height the King stood +up and bade the Cook's son come near the High +Chair and tell how he had fought with the Red +Champion that day. And the Cook's son came +up holding the red plume in his hand. He told a +story of how he had fought with the Red Champion +all the day and how he had beaten him to his boat +and how he had made him take his boat out to +sea, and how, as the Champion had sprung into +the boat, he had struck at him and had cut the +red plume from his cap. "And I shall go down the +sea-shore to-morrow," said the Cook's son very +bravely, "and if the Red Champion dares come +back I shall take off his head instead of his plume." +Then he left the red plume beside the King's +daughter and her father made Bright Brow hold +up her forehead for the Cook's son to kiss. And<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +all in the supper-room clapped their hands for the +Cook's son.</p> + +<p>The next day Mell the Hen-wife's son stood +outside the Cook-house and he heard a tremendous +rattling within. "That is the Cook's son preparing +to go out to battle," said one of the grooms. +"He is striking the ladles upon the pot-lids to +show how fierce he is." Just as that was being +said the Cook's son walked out of the Cook-house. +He looked around him very haughtily. Then he +walked away with his big sword trailing behind +him and his breast-plate all to one side. Mell the +Hen-wife's son followed him.</p> + +<p>When he came to the sea-shore he stood for a +while looking out to sea with his knees knocking +together. Then he went where he had gone the +day before. He climbed into a cave in the face of +the cliff and he drew the bush to the entrance of +it so that it was quite hidden.</p> + +<p>Mell the Hen-wife's son looked out to sea and +he saw the boat that moved of itself come towards +the shore. The Red Champion was in it. He +sprang out on the strand, struck his sword on his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +shield and made proclamation: Unless the King +of the Land sent a champion who could overthrow +him he would make him pay tribute for +his Kingdom.</p> + +<p>Then down to meet him came Mell the Hen-wife's +son, his sword in his hand. He and the Red +Champion saluted each other and then they +fought together trampling over the beach, making +the soft places hard and the hard places soft +with the dint of their trampling. "A good champion, +by my faith you are," said the Red Champion +to Mell, when three-quarters of the day had +been spent in fighting. And after that the Red +Champion tried only to guard himself from the +thrusts and the strokes of Mell's sword. He drew +away from Mell and towards his boat. He put +his two feet in it and pushed away. "You have +the honors of the day's fight, champion," said he. +"I shall have something beside the honors," +said Mell and he struck at the Red Champion's +belt. Down on the shingles fell the silver-studded +belt and the Red Champion pushed off in his boat.</p> + +<p>When the Cook's son saw from his cave that the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +Red Champion had gone he came down to the +water's edge where Mell was lying with his face +and hands in the water to cool himself after the +combat. The silver-studded belt was lying beside +Mell. The Cook's son took it up without +saying a word and he went off towards the Castle.</p> + +<p>That night Mell the Hen-wife's son sat by himself +in the supper room of the King's Castle. He +watched and watched the face of the Princess +Bright Brow. She looked more pale and troubled +than on the night before. And after the harpers +had played the King called upon the Cook's +son to come up to the High Chair and tell how he +had battled with the Red Champion. He came +up with the silver-studded belt in his hand and +he told a story of how he had beaten the Red +Champion back into the sea. And when the story +was told the King bade Bright Brow go over to +him and kiss the Cook's son on his heavy gray +cheek.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> + + +<h3>V</h3> + +<p>The next day when he stood before the Cook-house, +Mell the Hen-wife's son heard a greater +rattling than before. The Cook's son struck +the pot-lids with the ladles more fiercely than +before and he cried out in a high voice "This +is the last time that I shall ever stand amongst +the pots and the pans, the lids and the ladles, for +I go to fight the Red Champion for the last time, +and after this I will sit beside the King's Chair +and the King's daughter, Princess Bright Brow, +will sit upon my knee."</p> + +<p>He marched down to the sea-shore, his long +sword trailing behind him. He walked through +the street with his head high, but when he drew +near the sea-shore his gait became less grand. His +knees began to knock together. He looked out +to the sea and when he saw the boat that moved +of itself coming towards the shore he clambered +into the cave and he drew the bushes round to +cover up the entrance.</p> + +<p>The boat that moved of itself came to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +strand. The Red Champion sprang out on the +shingles. He made his proclamation. Then up +to him came Mell the Hen-wife's son. "I will +strive with you," said he, "as I strove with you +yesterday and the day before. And how shall we +fight? Shall it be with swords or by wrestling?" +"By wrestling let it be to-day," said the Red +Champion.</p> + +<p>They laid hands on each other and began to +wrestle. And in their bout of wrestling they made +holes in the ground and they made hillocks on the +ground, and when the day was about to close +Mell overthrew the Red Champion. He left him +stark on the ground. Then he took the cord he had +round his waist and he bound the Red Champion—hands +and feet, waist and chest he bound him.</p> + +<p>The Cook's son came up to them then. "As +you took the red plume and as you took the silver-studded +belt, take the Champion too," said Mell. +Then the Cook's son took the Red Champion, +all bound as he was, and putting him across his +shoulders went staggering up the beach and towards +the King's Castle.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p> + + +<h3>VI</h3> + +<p>Mell the Hen-wife's son sat in the supper-room +of the Castle again that night. The King's +daughter, Princess Bright Brow, was there and +she was as white as white rose-leaves and tears +were falling down her cheeks. And when the +wine had been drunk out of the cups the King +stood up and called upon the Cook's son to come +up to the High Chair and tell all how he had +overthrown and had bound the Red Champion +who would have put a tribute upon the Kingdom. +The Cook's son came up to the High Chair +and he told them a story that was wonderful +indeed. And when the story was told the King +said "Loose the Red Champion whom you bound, +and when he has knelt here and prayed to us for +forgiveness the King's daughter will take your +hands and will marry you." "Look," said the +damsel Sea Swan to Mell the Hen Wife's son, +"how the Princess Bright Brow is pulling the hairs +from her head in her grief."</p> + +<p>The Red Champion was brought in bound and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +the Cook's son began to try to unbind him. But +not one knot could he loosen. He tried and he +tried and he broke his nails trying. "This is +strange indeed," said the King, "for it used to be +said that whoever bound one could loosen one."</p> + +<p>He tried again and he tried again and not one +cord could he loosen from another. Then the +King's daughter Princess Bright Brow looked up. +"How strange it would be," said she, "if it was not +the Cook's son who bound the Red Champion."</p> + +<p>Then up the Hall came Mell the Hen-wife's son. +He stood over the Red Champion and he pulled +a cord here and he pulled a cord there and in a +minute he was unbound. All in the hall began to +murmur "Surely the one who unloosed him bound +him," said many people.</p> + +<p>"He is the one who bound me," said the Red +Champion, pointing out Mell the Hen-wife's son, +"and besides it was he who cut the red plume off +my cap and who took the silver-studded belt +from me."</p> + +<p>"Speak up and deny what he says," said the +King to the Cook's son.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> + +<p>But when the Cook's son tried to speak he +stuttered and stammered and his knees began to +knock together and his hands went shaking. And +when the company looked at him there was not +one there who believed he had fought the Red +Champion. And when the Cook's son looked +round and saw there was not one there who believed +in him he gathered the supper-things of the +table like an attendant and went out of the room.</p> + +<p>"And now," said the King to Mell, the Hen-wife's +son, "since there is no doubt but it was you +who conquered the champion to you I give my +daughter's hand. Take her now for your wife +and take half of my kingdom with her."</p> + +<p>Then Bright Brow lifted her face to him and +she put her hands in his hands.</p> + +<p>"Mell," said she, "Mell the Hen-wife's son, I +knew for long that you would come to me like +this. Forgive me and love me," said she, "and +I will love you from this night."</p> + +<p>And so Mell the Hen-wife's son and the King's +daughter, Princess Bright Brow, came together +again. He married her and came to rule over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> +half her father's kingdom. They lived happy +ever afterwards, of course. And Mell brought +his mother out of the hut beside the poultry-coop +and he took her to live in the Castle. And +in the end his mother married the Steward who +had become a widower and she became the most +respected dame in and about the King's Castle. +And as for the Cook's son he is still in the Cook-house +amongst the pots and the pans, the lids and +the ladles.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 498px;"> +<img src="images/image110.jpg" width="498" height="400" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 460px;"> +<img src="images/image111.jpg" width="460" height="600" alt="The Giant and the Birds" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="The_Giant_and_the_Birds" id="The_Giant_and_the_Birds"></a>The Giant and the Birds</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 157px;"> +<img src="images/image113.jpg" width="157" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>The Cock scraped and the +Hens scraped and when the +Hens went away the Cock +scraped by himself. He called +the Hens back, and they all +scraped deeper and deeper. +Then something was shown; it +was bright and round, and the +Cock and the three Hens scraped +until the whole of it was to be +seen. It was a great ring of brass.</p> + +<p>"Tell us how you knew the +bright thing was there, Hero-son +of my heart?" said the Little +Slate-colored Hen that was +the Cock's mother.</p> + +<p>"Do, do," said the Feather-legged +Hen.</p> + +<p>"Tell us, Top of Wisdom," said the Blue Hen.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You all know," said the Cock, "that the earth +rocks underneath the place where I crow in the +morning."</p> + +<p>"We know, O Unvanquishable," said the three +Hens.</p> + +<p>"The earth never rocked here," said the Cock, +"hence I knew that something powerful was +under the ground at this place. It was the ring +of brass. Now it will be found and brought into +the house. And when I stand here and crow in +the morning the earth will rock as it does in every +other place in the world."</p> + +<p>"It will, it will," said the Feather-legged Hen.</p> + +<p>"It must, O Top of Valor," said the Blue Hen.</p> + +<p>"And you will tell us how the ring of brass +came to be there, Hero-son of my heart," said the +Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's +mother.</p> + +<p>"In the course of the evening I may do so," +said the Cock condescendingly.</p> + +<p>When they were beside the sunny wall, the Hens +on the ground scattering dust over their feathers +and their lord standing on one leg with his comb<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> +hanging over one eye the Cock said "No Cock of +our breed ever told this story before. They would +not frighten the hens with it. However, since +you have persuaded me I will tell you the tale. +My grandfather told it to my father who told it +to me. It is the story of the Big Man who came to +this place and who wore the ring of brass that we +uncovered to-day."</p> + +<p>He did not put it over his head as you might +think from the size of the ring. No. He wore it +on his arm. Never was a bigger man seen by anyone +living. The whole countryside stood outside +their houses to see him come over the hills. When +he came to where the stones are he stooped down +to take a drink and he drank the well dry. The +people came out of the house to meet him, and he +spoke to them, and out of what he said to them +they drew his story.</p> + +<p>As I am to a Bantam, the Big Man was to +the other men of the country. And if they were +surprised at his bigness, he was astonished at +their smallness. For he came from a time when +all were as big as he. A hundred and a hundred<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +years before he had hunted with his companions, +and he was then called, not Big Man, but Little +Fawn.</p> + +<p>And one day—a hundred and a hundred years +ago it was—he had gone to chase a deer. The deer +fled into a cave. He followed with his hounds and +his sword, his trumpet and his missile-ball. He +went astray and fell asleep in the Cave. And when +he wakened up, his hounds were heaps of dust +beside him. He went into the world, and he found +that his companions were dead for a hundred and +a hundred years and that the men of the earth +had become smaller and smaller. In the Cave +he left his sword and his trumpet and his missile-ball.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 407px;"> +<img src="images/image117.jpg" width="407" height="600" alt="All flew from the mountain except one bird and he was the +greatest amongst them all." title="All flew from the mountain except one bird and he was the +greatest amongst them all." /> +<span class="caption">All flew from the mountain except one bird and he was the +greatest amongst them all.</span> +</p> + +<p>The Cock put his two feet on the ground and +shook his red comb from over his left to over his +right eye. Then said he, Everyone in the house +was friendly to Little Fawn except one person—Murrish +the Cook-woman. From the first day<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +he came there were disputes between them. "Big +men have big appetites," said she to him the day +he came, "and so to-night I will give you two +eggs for your supper." But when she handed him +the eggs Little Fawn said "It was not the eggs +of the hedge-sparrow we were wont to eat in my +time." "Eggs of the hedge-sparrow!" said Murrish, +"I have handed you the biggest eggs laid +by the best hens in the country." "In my time +there were bigger eggs in the nest of the hedge-sparrow," +said Little Fawn.</p> + +<p>The next day she gave him a barley-cake for +his breakfast. He ate it and then sent the boy—Ardan +was his name—to ask what else she was +going to give him.</p> + +<p>"Give him!" said Murrish the Cook-woman, +"I have given him a whole barley cake, and that +is enough for two men's breakfasts."</p> + +<p>"Tell her," said Little Fawn, "that I often saw +an ivy-leaf that was as big as her barley cake."</p> + +<p>"Tell him," said Murrish the Cook-woman, +"that I am not here to listen to old mens' romances."</p> + +<p>Now when he heard that his words were taken +as old men's romances Little Fawn was an angry<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +man. He was hungry, for the food he got did not +stay his appetite, but what Murrish said in doubt +of his word gave him more hurt than his hunger +did. For in his day and amongst his companions +a lie was never told and nothing a man said was +ever doubted.</p> + +<p>The next day he sent back the dish for more +butter.</p> + +<p>"Tell him," said Murrish the cook-woman, +"that I put a whole pat of butter on his dish—enough +to do two men for two days."</p> + +<p>"Tell her," said Little Fawn, "that often I saw +a rowan berry that was bigger as her pat of butter."</p> + +<p>"The child just out of the cradle would not believe +that story," said Murrish the cook-woman.</p> + +<p>She sent him a quarter of mutton for his +dinner. Little Fawn told Ardan to ask Murrish +for more, as the dinner she gave him left him +hungry still.</p> + +<p>"Did he not get a whole quarter of mutton for +his dinner?" said Murrish.</p> + +<p>"A whole quarter of mutton, did she say?" +said Little Fawn. "Often I saw a quarter of a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> +blackbird that was bigger than her quarter of +mutton."</p> + +<p>"A quarter of a blackbird bigger than my +quarter of mutton! Tell him that if he never lied +before, he lies now," said Murrish.</p> + +<p>"Does she say that?" said Little Fawn. "Then +I swear I shall never rest in the house nor be easy +in my mind until I bring her an ivy leaf that is as +big as her barley loaf, and a rowan berry that is as +big as her pat of butter, and if I bring these," said +he, "it may not be needful for me to get her the +blackbird that is as big in one quarter as the +quarter of mutton that she gave me for my dinner."</p> + +<p>There and then he went from the house and +Ardan the boy went with him. They went east +and they went west, they went towards the north +and towards the south, but no ivy leaf did they +find that was as big as a barley loaf, and no rowan +berry did they see that was as big as a pat of +butter. Little Fawn was troubled and downcast. +They came back to the house, and Murrish +the Cook-woman was pleased when she heard +from Ardan that they found no ivy leaf and saw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +no rowan berry that was as big as her barley loaf +or her pat of butter. "There is only one thing +I can do now," said Little Fawn, "and that is to +bring her the blackbird that is as big in one quarter +as the quarter of mutton she gave me for my +dinner. And that," said he to Ardan, "will take +time and trouble and the meeting of danger to +bring about."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"Time and trouble," said the Feather-legged +Hen, "time and trouble!"</p> + +<p>"Why did he say time and trouble, O Top of +Wisdom?" said the Blue Hen.</p> + +<p>"Hush now," said the Little Slate-colored Hen +that was the Cock's mother. "Hush now, and let +the Hero-son of my heart tell what's best in the +story...."</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"Little Fawn was an old man, white-haired and +feeble when he came to the house," said the Cock, +and now he was nearly blind. His mind would +not be at rest, he told Ardan, until he brought +to Murrish and showed her a blackbird that was as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +big in one quarter as the quarter of mutton she +gave him for his dinner. "But before I can take +that blackbird," said he, "I must have a hound. +There is a hound in the yard, but I have tried +her and found she is weak and fearful. She will +have puppies, and one of her puppies, maybe, will +do." And he told Ardan to tell him when the +puppies came to the hound that was in the yard.</p> + +<p>Then one day Ardan came and told him that +there was a litter of puppies with the hound. +"That is well," said Little Fawn, "and in a while +we will try if one has the strength and courage +enough to help us to take the blackbird."</p> + +<p>He told Ardan what to do. He was to take +the skin that had been stripped off a dead horse +and he was to nail this skin upon a door in the +yard. Then he was to do a curious thing. He was +to take up each puppy and fling it against the +door.</p> + +<p>Ardan did all this and Little Fawn stood by +and heard the puppies yowling as they fell on +the ground. They scampered away. Then he +heard nothing except Ardan's laugh.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Why are you laughing, my boy?" said Little +Fawn.</p> + +<p>"I laugh to see what the last puppy is doing," +said Ardan.</p> + +<p>"And what is he doing?" said Little Fawn.</p> + +<p>"He has not fallen to the ground like the others. +He has caught hold of the horseskin with his teeth +and he is holding on to it."</p> + +<p>"That puppy will do," said Little Fawn. "He +has strength and courage. Take him and rear +him away from the others, and when he comes to +his full strength you and I will take him to hunt +the blackbird that is as big in one quarter as the +quarter of mutton Murrish the Cook-woman gave +me for my dinner. We must make our word good +this time, good lad." Ardan took away the puppy +(Conbeg they called him) from the others and +reared him up. Little Fawn tested his strength +and courage in many ways. At length he was +satisfied. One day he put a leash on Conbeg and +he told the boy to come with him. Little Fawn +and Ardan and Conbeg the young hound went +away from the house.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p> + +<p>"'Tis the best part of the story," said the +Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's +mother.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"It is, it is," said the Feather-legged Hen.</p> + +<p>"And how well he tells it, the Top of Wisdom," +said the Blue Hen.</p> + +<p>"I tell it as my father told me and as his father +told him," said the Cock changing legs. "The +first place they went was into the Cave where the +Big Man had lain for a hundred and a hundred +years. They found there the heap of dust that +was his two hounds, and they found too the missile-ball +of brass and the trumpet and the great sword. +They left the Cave and they turned south, and +they went on and on till they came to the mountain +that is called Slieve-na-Mon. The boy and the +man and the hound rested themselves for a while +on the level on the top of the mountain.</p> + +<p>Then Little Fawn told Ardan to take the +trumpet and put it to his mouth. He blew on the +trumpet. O louder than ever I crowed was the +noise he made on that trumpet. The trees that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +were growing on the mountain top shook at the +sound.</p> + +<p>"Blow again," said Little Fawn.</p> + +<p>And Ardan blew again and he blew louder.</p> + +<p>"Now look into the sky," said Little Fawn, +"and tell me what you see coming towards us."</p> + +<p>Ardan looked for a long time, and at last he +saw what he thought was a cloud coming towards +the mountain-top. And then he saw that the +cloud was a flock of birds. They came to the +mountain-top and lighted on the ground—Peewits, +Blackbirds, Starlings, Finches, Linnets—and each +was bigger than any bird he had ever seen. The +birds were hardly afraid of the hound, but Conbeg +went amongst them and drove them away.</p> + +<p>And then another cloud was seen coming +across the sky, and this cloud came to be a flock +of birds too, and they came to the mountain-top +and lighted on the ground—Linnets, Finches, Starlings, +Blackbirds, Peewits—and each bird was bigger +than the birds in the first flock. "Loose the hound +on them," said Little Fawn. Ardan unslipped +Conbeg and the hound went amongst the birds.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> +But they were not afraid and they attacked the +hound, and only his strength and courage was so +great they would have driven him off the mountain-top.</p> + +<p>They rose up and they flew away, and as they +did another flock of birds came towards the mountain-top. +They lighted on the ground—Peewits, +Blackbirds, Starlings, Finches, Linnets—tremendous +birds. Ardan loosed Conbeg on them. Then +with beaks open and claws outstretched they flew +at Ardan and Little Fawn. Little Fawn took his +great sword in hand and he attacked them with +such strength that the great birds flew off.</p> + +<p>All flew from the mountain except one bird. +He was a Blackbird and the greatest amongst +them all. When Ardan told Little Fawn that this +bird was left alone on a rock the Big Man told +him to unloose Conbeg.</p> + +<p>The hound dashed at the Blackbird but the +blackbird flew at him and attacked him with beak +and claws. With a sweep of his wing he threw +Conbeg on the ground. Then he rose up in the +air and flew towards Ardan and Little Fawn.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You will escape him," said Ardan, "but me he +will kill as he has killed Conbeg." "Put the missile-ball +into my hand and guide my aim," said +Little Fawn. Ardan put the missile-ball of brass +into the Big Man's hand and guided his aim. +Little Fawn threw the missile-ball and the Blackbird +fell down on the ground. But the bird was +not killed.</p> + +<p>"A frightening tale, a frightening tale," said the +Blue Hen.</p> + +<p>"So it is, so it is," said the Feather-legged Hen.</p> + +<p>"But you have done well to tell the Hens the +story, Hero-son of my heart," said the Little +Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's mother.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>"More has to be told," said the Cock, "and it +is needful that it should be told now. Murrish +the Cook-woman was in the kitchen. In dashed +Conbeg the hound, his eyes blazing with the fierceness +of the chase. Murrish was so frightened that +she ran to the door. And coming to the door she +saw Little Fawn with a net on his shoulder. He +came into the house and he put the net on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> +floor, and he showed Murrish what was in the net—a +tremendous bird—a Blackbird that was as +big in one quarter as the quarter of mutton she +had on the table. And when the net was laid +down on the ground the Blackbird flew up and he +carried the middle of the roof away with him as +he flew through it and he tumbled beams and +rafters down upon Murrish. My grandfather +saw the Blackbird flying towards the mountain +that is called Slieve-na-Mon, and my grandfather +told my father who told me." "You spoke the +truth when you said that you saw a blackbird as +big in one quarter as the quarter of mutton I gave +you for your dinner," said Murrish the cook-woman +to Little Fawn. "And I believe you when +you say you saw an ivy leaf as big as my barley +loaf and a rowan berry as big as my pat of butter." +"I would only show you," said Little Fawn "that +the men I lived amongst had truth on their lips +as they had strength in their hands and courage +in their hearts."</p> + +<p>And from that day Little Fawn and Murrish +the Cook-woman lived in peace and good fellowship,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +and Ardan and Conbeg grew up together +and became famous, one and the other. They +lived happy for long, but as the books say.—</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The end of every ship is drowning,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The end of every kiln is burning,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The end of every feast is wasting,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The end of every laugh is sighing.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>And if they were here once, they are here no more.</p> + +<p>"And if they are not, we are," said the Slate-colored +Hen that was the Cock's mother. "We're +here," said she, "and the earth, I promise you, +will shake under your feet to-morrow, no matter +where you crow, Hero-son of my heart."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image130.png" width="600" height="360" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 445px;"> +<img src="images/image131.jpg" width="445" height="600" alt="The Sea-Maiden who became +a Sea-Swan" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="The_Sea-Maiden_who_became_a" id="The_Sea-Maiden_who_became_a"></a>The Sea-Maiden who became a +Sea-Swan</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 154px;"> +<img src="images/image133.jpg" width="154" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>The Sea-Swan told the story +to the pigeons of the rock, +and the Boy Who Knew What the +Birds said heard every word of +it. I was once a Sea-Maiden, she +said, and my name was Eevil, +and I was known through all the +Kingdoms that are Under-Wave +for my beautiful hair—my long, +beautiful, green hair. Something +was in me that made me want to +dance, and I used to rise up +through the water, and dance on +the shore of the island that is +called Hathony.</p> + +<p>Mananaun, as you, creatures, +know, is Lord of the Sea, and +what he commands in the Kingdoms-Under-Wave +has to be. Now Mananaun<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +made a promise to a King of an Earth-Kingdom, +and the promise was that he would give this King +whatever he asked for. The King died according +to the ways of men, and his son, whose name was +Branduv, came to rule him.</p> + +<p>Branduv called Mananaun out of the sea, and +he asked that he renew the promise he had made +to his father. The Lord of the Sea did not want +a promise to lapse because of the death of a man, +and he renewed it to the man's son. Then Mananaun +told him he would take him and show him +the Kingdoms of the Sea and whatever he saw +that he desired there would be given to him. He +took him in his boat of glass "The Ocean Sweeper" +to visit the Kingdoms of the Sea.</p> + +<p>They came to Moy Mell, the Plain of Pleasure, +and there Mananaun gave Branduv a branch of +everlasting blossoms; they came to another Kingdom +and there Mananaun gave him a sword that +was the best wrought in the world; they came to +a third Kingdom and there Mananaun gave him +a pair of hounds that could run down the silver-antlered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +stag. But as yet Branduv the King had +asked no gift from Mananaun.</p> + +<p>They came to Mananaun's own Kingdom, +Silver-Cloud Plain, and there Branduv was left +alone while Mananaun drank the Ale of the Ever-Living +Ones. The King saw from the shores of +Silver-Cloud Plain "The Ocean Sweeper," and +he directed that the boat bring him to the island. +And the boat travelled as the one in it wished.</p> + +<p>Only one thing had ever made me fearful of +dancing on the shore of the Island of Hathony—that +was the presence there of a pair of Ravens. +These Ravens had once been Sea-maidens, but they +had desired men for husbands, and they had gone +to them. The men forsook them, and they had +become first Witches and afterwards Ravens. Ever +since their change they wished harm to the Maidens +of the Sea. I had been frightened of them, +but now I had seen them flapping about so often +that I was no longer or I was only a little, afraid.</p> + +<p>I came up through the sea and I danced upon +the shore of the island, and the play of the waves +was in my dance, and my long soft green hair<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +fell over my foam-white, foam soft body. I +danced on, O my listeners, and as no one had ever +seen me looked upon, I thought no one looked +upon me now.</p> + +<p>But this King of the earthly Kingdom saw me. +He saw me as I danced by the waves, and I was +the fairest thing he had ever looked upon. At +first he was all wonder and no robber's thoughts +were in his mind. But the Ravens came to him. +One perched on one shoulder and one perched on +the other, and one said "If you carry Eevil off you +will have the fairest wife in all the world," and the +other said "If you leave her here you will never +look on anything as fair again."</p> + +<p>The Ravens flapped before him to guide him to a +place in the dark rocks where he might hide and +to which I might come. He followed where they +led. But I saw his shadow on a rock. I drew +back and the sea took me and drew me into its +depths. "The sea has taken her," said Branduv +to the Ravens.</p> + +<p>"Mananaun is Lord of the Sea," said one of the +Ravens.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And Mananaun has promised you a gift, and +he cannot refuse what you will ask," said the +other Raven.</p> + +<p>Then the Ravens flapped away and Mananaun +came to where the +King was standing. +"You have asked me +for a gift," said Mananaun, +"think now +of what you desire +before I take you +back to your own +island." Then said +Branduv, "What I +ask is that you bestow +upon me the Sea-maiden +who was dancing here, Eevil."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 227px;"> +<img src="images/image137.jpg" width="227" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>Mananaun in anger lifted his spear. But then +he remembered he was bound by a promise to +Branduv. He lowered the spear he had raised. "I +will give you any other gift you ask," said he, "even +my own boat 'The Ocean Sweeper.'"</p> + +<p>"I hold you to your promise," said Branduv,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +"and I declare to you that I shall take no other +gift unless it be the maiden who was here dancing +by the sea."</p> + +<p>"It must be then that I give her you," said Mananaun, +and his face was dark.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 411px;"> +<img src="images/image138.png" width="411" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>Down he went to the Kingdom-Under-Wave +and he came to the black mansion where lived the +Seven Spinning Women of the Sea. He spoke +as speaks a King who has a hard thing to do. +"A law has to be broken," said he. "What law, +Lord?" said the Spinning Women. "The law +that saves our Maidens from taking part in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +stormy lives of men." "We would rather that +anything else but this should happen, Lord," +said the Seven Spinning Women. "This thing +must happen," said Mananaun, "and the Maiden +Eevil must go to Branduv the King." "She must +be prepared for this," said the Seven Spinning +Women.</p> + +<p>They came to me and they told me that the +man whose shadow I had seen on the rock now +claimed me for his wife and that Mananaun would +not gainsay him. When I heard this, O my listeners, +the life nearly left me.</p> + +<p>This comfort the Seven Spinning Women gave +me: I was to stay on his island so that I might +become used to the earthly kingdom, but that I +was not to see Branduv until the green had left +my hair and the brown that the sun makes had +come into my cheeks. So I came to Branduv's +island. I lived by the sea-shore and the women of +the island attended me.</p> + +<p>How different was this earthly land from the +Kingdom-Under-Wave. With us there was but +the one mild season, the one mild light. Here<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +there was glaring day and terrible darkness, +bitter winds and hot beams of the sun. With +us there were songs and tales, but the songs were +about love or about the beautiful things we had +seen. Here the tales and songs were about battles +and forays and slaying with the sword. What they +told of their loves was terrible, so much violence +and unfaithfulness was in them.</p> + +<p>The soft green tints were going out of my hair +and the sun was putting brownness in my cheeks. +Soon my hair would be wheaten-colored like the +hair of the women of the islands and my cheeks +would be brown like theirs. And then the day +would come when I should have to be with the +man whom I looked upon as my enemy.</p> + +<p>I used to stay by the shore and speak with the +birds that came in from the sea, for I knew their +language. Never again could I go back to the +Kingdom-Under-Wave. Green shade after green +shade left my hair, brown tint after brown tint +came into my cheeks, and what could I do but +envy the birds that could make their flight from +the islands of men. And when the green had +nearly gone altogether from my hair I thought of a +desperate thing I might do.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 405px;"> +<img src="images/image141.jpg" width="405" height="600" alt="I put it to my lips, I drank it when he took a step towards me." title="I put it to my lips, I drank it when he took a step towards me." /> +<span class="caption">I put it to my lips, I drank it when he took a step towards me.</span> +</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span></p> +<p>I sent a message to my sisters, and I sent it by +many birds, so that if they did not get it by one +they might get it by another. And I asked in my +message that they send me a draft from the Well +under the Sea, and that they send it in the cup that +the Seven Spinning Women guarded. It would +be terrible for any of my sisters to come to Branduv's +island with the draft and the cup, but I +begged that they would do it for me.</p> + +<p>The days went by and the green color was now +only a shade in my hair, and brownness was on +my cheeks, and the women said "Before this old +moon is gone our King will come here to wed +you."</p> + +<p>Then one day I found on the shore the cup that +my sisters had brought and the draft from the +Secret Well was in it. I took the cup in my hands +and I brought it where I lived. "Come to us," +said the women, "so that we may undo your hair +and tell the King when he may come to wed you." +They loosened my hair and then they said "there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> +is no shade of green here at all. Bid the King +come as early as he likes to-morrow."</p> + +<p>I lay that night with the cup beside me. When +I rose I knew that day I should drink from the +cup my sisters had sent me—drink the draft that +would change me into what I wished to be—a bird +of the sea.</p> + +<p>And while I sat with the cup beside me and my +hair spread out, Branduv, the King of the Island, +came to the door of the house. It may have been +that I was becoming used to the sight of people of +the earthly kingdoms, for, as I looked upon him +he did not seem terrible to me. He looked noble, +I thought, and eager to befriend me and love me. +But the cup was in my hands when he came to the +door. I put it to my lips when he entered the house. +I drank it when he took a step towards me. And +thereupon I became what I had wished to be—a +Sea-Swan.</p> + +<p>O my listeners! Maybe it would have been well +for me if I had wed that King, and be now as the +women of the islands. For now as I fly over the +sea the King's look comes before me, and I think<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +that he was eager to befriend me and eager to love +me. So I am not content when I am flying over +the sea. And I am lonely when I am on these +islands, for I am now a Swan, and what has a +Swan to do with the lives of men?</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Such was the story that the Sea-Swan told the +pigeons of the rock, and the Boy who knew what +the Birds said heard it all, and remembered every +word of it.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/image145.png" width="600" height="387" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 474px;"> +<img src="images/image147.jpg" width="474" height="600" alt="What the Peacock and the +Crow Told Each Other" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="What_The_Peacock_and_the_Crow_Told" id="What_The_Peacock_and_the_Crow_Told"></a>What The Peacock and the Crow Told +Each Other<br /> +When the Crow Came to Steal the Peacock's Feathers</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 201px;"> +<img src="images/image149.jpg" width="201" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Said the Lapwing "Crow,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I never have seen</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Such a one as you,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Such a one as you</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">For stealing eggs."</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Said the Crow "Caw, caw,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I never have seen</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Such a one myself,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">And I am, I am sure</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Longer in the world."</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Then the Crow flew away +and the Lapwing went on +complaining.</p> + +<p>The Crow flew away and +he came to where the Peacock +was walking in the +King's Garden. He asked the +Peacock did he ever listen to stories.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p> + +<p>"No," said the Peacock as he mounted the +steps of the terrace. "No. Certainly not. I do +not demean myself by listening to any of the +stories they tell down below there." He spread +out his tail, and, that he might view his own magnificence, +he turned his blue, shining neck.</p> + +<p>Hoodie the grey-headed Crow with the bright +sharp eyes hopped after him.</p> + +<p>"Jewels! Kings! Magicians! Palaces! Dragons! +What do geese, grouse and farmyard fowl know +of such things? And yet they presume to tell +stories! Tell stories that have nothing in them +of Jewels, Kings, Magicians, Palaces, or Dragons!"</p> + +<p>"Nothing at all about such things," said Hoodie +the Crow, as he plucked a feather out of the Peacock's +tail.</p> + +<p>"Yet they will not listen to me," said Purpurpurati +the Peacock. "They affect even to scorn +my voice! They pretend that it is less resonant +than the cock in the farmyard and less musical +than the bird's that sings at night."</p> + +<p>"They'd say anything," said Hoodie the Crow, +keeping behind the Peacock's tail.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> + +<p>Purpurpurati the Peacock mounted higher on +the terrace. "I shall walk before the statue of +the beautiful Queen yonder," he said, "and I shall +tell you a story. The reason that I shall tell you +is that the Queen always listens to me. But I +would have her think that it is to you that I am +telling the story."</p> + +<p>"I'll listen to you," said Hoodie the Crow and he +plucked another feather out of the Peacock's tail.</p> + +<p>"When the Queen has been pleased with the +sight of my tail, I shall begin," said Purpurpurati, +and he spread out his tail. Hoodie the Crow +plucked out three feathers.</p> + +<p>"How pleased she looks," said he.</p> + +<p>"Yes, she is always pleased by my appearance," +the Peacock said, and he turned round and +walked the other way.</p> + +<p>"Did I ever tell you," said Hoodie, hiding the +feathers behind a bush. "Did I ever tell you +how the Pigeon went to the Crow to learn the art +of nest-making?"</p> + +<p>"I do not know about such things," said Purpurpurati +the Peacock.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'll tell you and then you'll know," said Hoodie +the Crow.</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 164px;"> +<img src="images/image152.png" width="164" height="200" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>The Crow is the Master-builder among the Birds and +so it was to the Crow that the +Pigeon went to learn the art of +nest-making. "We begin with +the sticks," said the Crow. "I +know," said the Pigeon. "First +we take one stick and lay it +lengthwise." "I know," said the +Pigeon. "Then we put a stick +across it," said the Crow. "I +know," said the Pigeon. "And +then we put another stick lower down," said the Crow. +"I know," said the Pigeon. "Then we put another +stick lengthwise." "I know," said the Pigeon. "Musha," +said the Crow, "If you know so much, why do +you come here at all? Away with +you! Fly home now and build +the nest yourself." The Pigeon +flew home, but of course he was +not able to build his nest, for he +knew nothing about the laying +of sticks and the bringing of +straws, and he was too young +and foolish to learn when he got the chance. And that +is why the Pigeon to this day cannot build a nest.</p></div> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 176px;"> +<img src="images/image153.png" width="176" height="200" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p> +<p>"Why do you tell such foolish stories?" said +Purpurpurati the Peacock when Hoodie had +finished.</p> + +<p>"We have no other stories in our family," said +Hoodie the Crow. "We don't know about Jewels +and Magicians and Palaces and Kings and Dragons."</p> + +<p>"The Magician," said Purpurpurati the Peacock, +"The Magician lived in a Palace of red +marble that was all surrounded by a forest of +black, black trees. I lived there too and I ate +golden grains out of pails of silver. That was long +ago and it was in far India.</p> + +<p>"The Magician had precious stones of every kind +and he would have me walk beside him to the +Cavern where he kept his precious stones, and as +he handled them over he would tell me of the +virtues that each stone possessed. And one day +the Magician looking upon me said 'This Peacock +I will slay, for the beauty of his neck makes dull +my turquoises and the crest on his head is more +shapely than my Persian jewel-work.'"</p> + +<p>"Dear me, dear me!" said Hoodie the Crow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> + +<p>Hearing him say this, said the Peacock "I flew +into the branches of a dark, dark tree. And as +I rested there the fair lady who walked about the +Garden—White-as-a-Pearl she was called and she +was the Magician's daughter—walked under the +dark, dark trees, and I saw that she was weeping.</p> + +<p>"I knew why she wept. She wept for the young +man whom her father had imprisoned in a tower. +This young man was the son of a King, and the +Magician was his father's brother. And if the +young man died the Magician would become King +in his brother's Kingdom. But the lady White-as-a-Pearl +did not want the young man to die.</p> + +<p>"A little snow-white dove flew down from the +tower and spoke in words to White-as-a-Pearl +and asked her what word she had to send to the +young man.</p> + +<p>"'You must tell him terrible news, my little +snow white dove,' said White-as-a-Pearl. 'My +father will have him go forth to fight with a dragon. +And this is a terrible dragon. Every young man +who has gone forth against him has been slain.'</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 399px;"> +<img src="images/image155.jpg" width="399" height="600" alt="O most beauteous of all the birds, do you know of any arms +by which a hero can slay a dragon?" title="O most beauteous of all the birds, do you know of any arms +by which a hero can slay a dragon?" /> +<span class="caption">O most beauteous of all the birds, do you know of any arms +by which a hero can slay a dragon?</span> +</p><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<p>"The little snow white dove flew back to the +tower and the Princess White-as-a-Pearl stood +under the dark, dark trees and wept again. And +when she saw me on my branch she said 'O most +beauteous of all the birds, do you know of any +arms by which a hero can slay a terrible dragon?'</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 262px;"> +<img src="images/image157.png" width="262" height="100" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"Then I came down off my branch and I walked +beside the Princess, and as I walked beside her +I told her the wonderful secrets I knew."</p> + +<p>"And what were the secrets," said Hoodie the +Crow plucking a last feather from the peacock's +tail. "What were the secrets anyway?"</p> + +<p>"Can I tell them to a Crow?" said Purpurpurati +the Peacock. "But I will tell them. I told her the +secrets I had learnt from the Magician when he +spoke of the virtues of his precious stones—a ruby +in a man's helmet would make a dragon's eyes go +blind. A turquoise on his arm would make a +dragon's blood turn to water. A sapphire on his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> +spear would make a dragon's heart burst within +him.</p> + +<p>"So the Princess White-as-a-Pearl went to her +father's cavern and took the precious stones I +spoke of and gave them to the King's son. And +he went forth the next day and when he came to +him the dragon's eyes were blinded, and his blood +turned to water and his heart burst within him. +And the King's son cut off his head and brought it +into the Palace. Then the Magician fled amongst +the dark, dark trees and I was given the red +marble palace to live in."</p> + +<p>"I lived in Lapland," said Hoodie the Crow. +"And who do you think I knew there?"</p> + +<p>"No one of any dignity," said Purpurpurati +the Peacock.</p> + +<p>"I knew your White-as-a-Pearl. She had become +an old ugly witch-woman."</p> + +<p>"Base crow!" said Purpurpurati and he walked +up the steps and went away.</p> + +<p>Then Hoodie the Crow dressed himself in the +feathers he had stolen from the Peacock and +went away and walked across the field admiring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +himself. But a Fox that had promised to bring a +Peacock to his Mother-in-law saw Hoodie the +Crow and stole up beside him and caught him in +his mouth and carried him away. And that was +the end of Hoodie who was such a clever crow. +"This Peacock is very tough," said the Fox's +Mother-in-law as she ate Hoodie. "What would +your Ladyship have?" said Rory the Fox. "Peacock +is always tough."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 435px;"> +<img src="images/image159.png" width="435" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;"> +<img src="images/image161.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt="The Treasure of King Labraid +Lorc" title="" /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p> +<h2><a name="The_Treasure_of_King_Labraid" id="The_Treasure_of_King_Labraid"></a>The Treasure of King Labraid +Lorc</h2> + + +<p class="figleft" style="width: 159px;"> +<img src="images/image163.jpg" width="159" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>Kingfisher-all-Blue +used to sit on the branch +that went furthest across the +stream with his head bent down +and looking as if he were trying +to think his head off. Only in +the most lonesome places, far +from where the hens cackled +and the geese gabbled and the +cocks crew, would the Boy Who +Knew What the Birds Said find +him. And when he did find him +Kingfisher-all-Blue would not +open his beak to say one word—no, +not even when the Boy +would say "Where did you get +your beautiful color?" and +"Why is your beak so big, +little Kingfisher-all-Blue?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p> + +<p>Now one day when he had left behind him the +hens that cackled, the geese that gabbled and the +cocks that crew, and had left behind him too the +old raven that built in the lone tree he came where +Kingfisher-all-Blue sat upon the slenderest branch +that went farthest across the stream. And when +Kingfisher-all-Blue saw him he lifted up his head +and he fixed his eye upon him and he cried out the +one word "Follow." Then he went flying down +the stream as if he were not a bird at all but a +streak of blue fire.</p> + +<p>Kingfisher-all-Blue went flying along the stream +and the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said was +able to follow him. They went on until the stream +they followed came out on the sand of the sea-shore. +Then Kingfisher-all-Blue seated himself +on a branch that was just above where the grains +of sand and the blades of grass mixed with each +other and he fixed his eye on a mound of sand and +clay. And when the Boy Who Knew What the +Birds Said came beside him Kingfisher-all-Blue +said the one word "Find."</p> + +<p>Then the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> +began to take the sand and clay from the mound. +He worked all day at it and Kingfisher-all-Blue +sat on the branch above and watched him. And +at evening, when all the sand and clay had been +taken away by him the Boy Who Knew What +the Birds Said came upon a stone that was as big +and as round as the wheel of a cart.</p> + +<p>And when he had brushed away the grains of +sand that was on the round stone he saw a writing. +The writing was in <span class="smcap">Ogham</span>, but at that time even +boys could read <span class="smcap">Ogham</span>. And the Ogham writing +said <span class="smcap">You Have Luck To Have Seen This Side Of +The Stone But You Will Have More Luck +When You See the Other Side</span>.</p> + +<p>When he read that he looked up to where the +bird sat, but Kingfisher-all-Blue only said "I am +done with you now," and then he flew back along +the stream like a streak of blue fire.</p> + +<p>The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said stayed +near the stone until the dark was coming on. Then +he thought he would go home and in the morning +he would speak to Pracaun the Crow and ask her +about the stone that Kingfisher-all-Blue had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +brought him to and what good luck there was at +the other side of it.</p> + +<p>Pracaun the Crow came to the standing stone in +the morning and ate the boiled potato that the Boy +Who Knew What the Birds Said brought her, and +then the Boy spoke to her about the stone that +Kingfisher-all-Blue had brought him to, and he asked +what good luck there was at the other side of it.</p> + +<p>"Kingfisher-all-Blue has brought you to good +luck that none of the rest of us could have shown +you," said Pracaun the Crow. "Under that round +stone is the treasure of King Labraid Lorc."</p> + +<p>"Who was King Labraid Lorc and what was +his treasure?" said the Boy Who Knew What the +Birds Said.</p> + +<p>"I will tell you first about King Labraid Lorc," +said Pracaun the Crow. "He was King of this part +of the country and of two lovely Islands that are +now sunken deep in the sea. Mananaun Mac Lir +who is Lord of the Sea was his friend and Labraid +Lorc would have been a happy King only for—well, +I'll tell you in a while what troubles he had.</p> + +<p>"No one knew where the King had come from.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> +He was not born King of this part of the country +nor of the lovely Islands that are now deep sunken +under the sea. Mananaun who is Lord of the Sea +had given him the Islands, or rather he had given +him the two keys that had brought the Islands up +from the bottom of the sea. Two silver keys they +were, O lad. And when they were brought together +they struck each other and rang like bells. And +"Labraid Lorc is King, King of the two Fair Islands" +is what they chimed out. As long as he held +the keys the Islands would remain above the water. +But if he put the keys away the Islands would +sink back into the sea.</p> + +<p>"Once in every month the King had a man killed. +This is how it was. He would have a man to shave +his beard and to trim his hair. This man never +came alive out of the King's Castle. As soon as +the poor barber left the King's chamber and passed +down the hall soldiers would fall upon him and kill +him with their swords. Every time when the +King's beard was shaved and his hair was trimmed +a man was killed—twelve men in a year, a hundred +and forty-four men in twelve years!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now a warning came to a woman that her son +would be called upon to be the next barber to the +King. She was a widow and the young man was +her only son. She was wild with grief when she +thought that he would be killed by the soldiers' +swords as soon as he had shaved the King's beard +and trimmed the King's hair.</p> + +<p>"She went everywhere the King rode. She threw +herself before him and asked for the life of her son. +And at last the King promised that no harm would +befall her son's life if he swore he would tell no +person what he saw when he shaved the King's +beard and trimmed the King's hair. After that he +would be always the King's barber.</p> + +<p>"The widow's son came before the King and he +swore he would tell no person what he saw when +he shaved his beard and trimmed his hair. Then +he went into the King's Chamber. And when he +came out from it the King's soldiers did not fall +upon him and kill him with their swords. The +widow's son went home out of the Castle.</p> + +<p>"His mother cried over him with joy at seeing +him back. The next day he went to work at his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> +trade and his mother watched him and was contented +in her mind. But the day after her son +only worked by fits and starts, and the day after +that he did no work at all but sat over the fire +looking into the burning coals.</p> + +<p>"And after that the widow's son became sick and +lay on his bed and no one could tell what was the +matter with him. He became more and more ill +and at last his mother thought that he had only +escaped the soldiers' swords to come home and +die in his house. And when she thought of that +she said to herself that she would go see the Druid +who lived at the back of the hill and beg him to +come to see her son and strive to cure him. The +Druid came and he looked into the eyes of the +young man and he said 'He has a secret upon his +mind, and if he does not tell it he will die.'</p> + +<p>"Then his mother told the Druid that he had +sworn not to tell any person what he saw when he +shaved the King's beard and trimmed the King's +hair, and that what he saw was his secret. Said +the Druid 'If he wants to live he will have to +speak out his secret. But it need not be to any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> +person. Let him go to the meeting of two roads, +turn with the sun and tell his secret to the first +tree on his right hand. And when he feels he has +told his secret your son will get the better of his +sickness.'</p> + +<p class="figright" style="width: 214px;"> +<img src="images/image170.jpg" width="214" height="400" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<p>"When this was told to the young man he got up +off his bed and he walked +to where two roads met. +He turned as the sun turns +and he whispered into the +branches of the first tree +on his right hand. And +the secret that he whispered +was 'King Labraid +Lorc has the ears of a +horse.' Then he turned +from the tree and he went +home. He slept, and in the +morning when he woke he +was well and he went to +his work and he was happy and cheerful.</p> + +<p>"But the tree that he whispered his secret to was +a willow, and, as you know, out of the branches<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +of the willow the harp is made. As the widow's +son went away a Harper seeking wood to make a +new harp came that way. He saw the willow and +he knew that its branches were just right for the +making of his harp. He cut them and he bent +them and he formed a harp from them. And +when the harp was firmly fixed the Harper came +with it to the King's Castle.</p> + +<p>"The King gave a feast so that the first music +that came from the harp should be honored. He +made the Harper sit near his own High Chair. +Then, when the feast was at its height he called +upon the Harper to stand up and strike the first +music from the new harp.</p> + +<p>"'The first music from the new harp shall be +praise of the King,' said the Harper when he stood +up. He drew his fingers across the strings and all +listened for the first music that would come. But +the harp that was made out of the willow branches +that the widow's son had whispered to murmured +'Labraid Lorc has the ears of a horse, Labraid +Lorc has the ears of a horse.' The King started +up from his High Chair. The Harper threw down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> +the harp. Everyone was silent in the hall. Then +one voice was heard saying 'It is true. The King +Labraid Lorc has the ears of a horse.'</p> + +<p>"The King had the man who said it taken by his +soldiers and flung from the top of the Castle. No +one else spoke. But the next day when he rode +abroad the King heard the people behind the +hedges saying 'Labraid Lorc has the ears of a +horse.'</p> + +<p>"After that, whenever he came near them, people +went from him, and at last no one was left in his +Castle. And there was no one to take him over +to the fair Islands that Mananaun, Lord of the +Sea, had given him for a possession. And there was +no one to bring over the fruits that grew on the +islands nor the cattle and sheep that pastured there.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 397px;"> +<img src="images/image173.jpg" width="397" height="600" alt=""Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands."" title=""Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands."" /> +<span class="caption">"Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands."</span> +</p> + +<p>"Then the King went to Mananaun, Lord of the +Sea, and he offered him back the keys Mananaun +had given him—the silver keys that struck each +other when they were brought together and rang +like bells, chiming out 'Labraid Lorc is King, is King +of the two Fair Islands.' But no gift that Mananaun +gives is ever taken back and the keys were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> +still left with Labraid Lorc. Yet he thought he +would let the keys go out of his possession so that +the Fair Islands would sink back into the sea. +But that they might not stay at the bottom of the +sea for ever he took the keys and he put them in +a pit at the sea-shore and he covered the pit with +a round stone, and knowing that it would be only +a lucky person who would come to that stone, he +wrote in Ogham writing on it <span class="smcap">You Have Luck +To Have Seen This Side of the Stone But +You Will Have More Luck When You See +The Other Side</span>.</p> + +<p>"As he left the silver keys there the Fair Islands +began to sink in the water. So slow were they in +sinking that the cattle and sheep that pastured +on the islands were taken off in boats and the +people who lived in villages on the Islands came +away with all they owned. But at last the Islands +sank altogether out of sight. And after they went +down into the sea King Labraid Lorc was seen no +more.</p> + +<p>"'And you, O Boy, are the lucky one that the +King hid the silver keys for. When you take them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> +into your hands the Islands will begin to rise above +the water and when they are altogether risen and +are called the Fair Islands again you will be Lord +of them. And Kingfisher-all-Blue, the one we +thought had no care but for himself, brought you +to this good fortune.'"</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Day after day the Boy Who Knew What the +Birds Said went down to the sea-shore and worked +to lift up the round stone that was over the pit +in which King Labraid Lorc had put his silver +keys. And one day he was able to raise up the +stone. There lay the great keys, shining in their +silver brightness. He took them up, and when he +brought them near each other they struck together +and they rang like bells. "Mananaun" was the +the name they chimed out. And they chimed +again "Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands."</p> + +<p>Looking out to sea, the boy Ernan saw waters +rising up as though whales were spouting fountains. +And the next day, when he came to the sea-shore, +he saw that Islands had risen and that they were +already covered with green.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p> + +<p>No longer he listened to what the Birds said +but he watched the Islands every day and he saw +trees and grass come upon them. And when the +people came and said "Who can be Lord of these +Islands?" he held up the silver keys and brought +them together so that they struck each other and +rang like bells. "Ernan is Lord, Lord of the Fair +Islands" was what they chimed out. Each day +the Islands grew fairer in the sight of the people, +and Ernan was called, not "The Boy Who Knew +What the Birds Said," but "Ernan, Lord of the +Fair Islands."</p> + +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 483px;"> +<img src="images/image177.png" width="483" height="300" alt="" title="" /> +</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> +<p class="figcenter" style="width: 454px;"> +<img src="images/image178.jpg" width="454" height="500" alt="THE END" title="THE END" /> +</p> + +<p class="center"><small>Printed in the United States of America.</small></p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + +<h3>Transcriber's Notes</h3> + +<p>Minor punctuation and capitalization changes have been made for text +consistency. Some illustrations have been moved to avoid breaking up +paragraphs.</p> + +<p>Page <a href="#Page_125">125</a>: Blue Ben has been changed to Blue Hen.</p> + + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said, by +Padraic Colum + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY WHO KNEW *** + +***** This file should be named 24493-h.htm or 24493-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/4/9/24493/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Diane Monico, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. 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anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said + +Author: Padraic Colum + +Illustrator: Dugald Stewart Walker + +Release Date: February 2, 2008 [EBook #24493] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY WHO KNEW *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Diane Monico, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive.) + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + +The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said + + + + +THE MACMILLAN COMPANY + +NEW YORK :: BOSTON :: CHICAGO :: DALLAS +ATLANTA :: SAN FRANCISCO + +MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED + +LONDON :: BOMBAY :: CALCUTTA +MELBOURNE + +THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. + +TORONTO + +[Illustration: Round and round the Castle they went and the Giant with +his strength was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes.] + + + + +The Boy Who Knew +What The Birds Said + +By Padraic Colum + +_Illustrated by +Dugald Stewart Walker_ + +[Illustration] + +The Macmillan Company, Publishers +New York Mcmxx + + +[Illustration] + +COPYRIGHT, 1918 +BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY +Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1918. + + +For The Boy In The Brocken + + + + +[Illustration] + +Contents + + + PAGE + +How he came to know what the birds said 13 + +The Stone of Victory. + And how Feet-in-the-Ashes, the Swineherd's Son, came to find it 21 + +The King of the Birds 51 + +Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch of the Elders 67 + +The Hen-wife's Son and the Princess Bright Brow 85 + +The Giant and the Birds 113 + +The Sea-Maiden who became a Sea-Swan 133 + +What the Peacock and the Crow Told Each Other 149 + +The Treasure of King Labraid Lorc 163 + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + +List of Full Page Illustrations + + + _Frontispiece_ +Round and Round the Castle they went, and the Giant +with his strength was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes + PAGE +"No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," +said the Eagle 61 + +But just as the Witch was dragging her to the +stone a robin began to sing 79 + +The Red Champion said, "Good is the Champion that the +King of this Land has sent against me." 97 + +All flew from the mountain except one bird and +he was the greatest amongst them all 117 + +I put it to my lips, I drank it when he took a +step towards me 141 + +O most beauteous of all the birds, do you know of +any arms by which a hero can slay a dragon? 155 + +"Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands" 173 + + + + +[Illustration] + +The Boy Who Knew +What The Birds Said + + +[Illustration] + + + + +[Illustration] + +How He Came to Know What the Birds Said + + +[Illustration] + +There is one thing that all the Birds are afraid of, and that is the +thing that will happen when the Bird That Follows the Cuckoo flies +into the Cuckoo's mouth. + +And what will happen then, asks my kind foster-child. + +When the Bird that Follows the Cuckoo flies into the Cuckoo's mouth +the World will come to an end. + +All the Birds know that, but not all the People know it. + +Well, one day the Cuckoo was sitting on a bush and her Mouth was open. +The Bird That Follows the Cuckoo flew straight at it. And into it he +must have flown only for the Boy.... + +The Boy was in the tree and he flung his cap at the Cuckoo and he +covered the Cuckoo and the Cuckoo's open mouth. + +The Bird That Follows the Cuckoo flew into the Crow's mouth instead, +and the Crow gave that bird a squeeze, I can tell you. The Cuckoo +pushed off the Boy's cap with her wings and flew into the forest. + +All the Birds of the King's Garden were there at the time. There +were-- + + The Crow, the Woodpecker, + The Wren and the Eagle, + The Blackbird and Swallow, + The Jackdaw and Starling, + And the wonderful Peacock; + The Lapwing and Peewit, + The bold Yellowhammer, + The bad Willy-wagtail, + The Raven so awful, + And the Cock with his Hens; + Stone-checker, Hedge-sparrow, + And Lint-white and Lark, + The Tom-tit and Linnet, + And brisk little Sparrow, + The King-fisher too, + And my own little Goldfinch. + +All the Birds in the King's Garden were overjoyed that the Bird that +Follows the Cuckoo did not get into the Cuckoo's Mouth. + +"What shall we do for the Boy who prevented the World from coming to +an End?" asked the good-natured Corncrake. She was there too, but I +forgot to mention her. + +"Nothing," said the Willy-wagtail. "The Boy who would throw a cap +would throw a stone. Do nothing at all for him." + +"I'll sing for him," said the Goldfinch. + +"I'll teach him what the Birds say," said the Crow. + +"If he knew the Language of the Birds he would be like King Solomon," +said the Raven. + +"Let us make him like King Solomon," said the Goldfinch. + +"Yes, yes, yes," said all the Birds in the King's Garden. + +The Boy had not gone far when the Crow flew after him and lighted on +his shoulder. The Crow spoke to him in the Boy's own language. The Boy +was surprised. The Crow flew to a standing stone and went on speaking +plain words to him. + +"O," said the Boy, "I didn't know you could speak." + +"Why shouldn't I know how to speak," said the Crow, "haven't I, for a +hundred years and more, been watching men and listening to their +words? Why shouldn't I be able to speak?" + +"And you can speak well, ma'am," said the Boy, not forgetting his +manners. + +"You know one language, but I know many languages," said the Crow, +"for I know what People say, and I know what all the Birds say." + +The old Crow sat there looking so wise and so friendly that the Boy +began to talk to her at his ease. And after a while the Boy said, +"Ma'am, do you think I could ever learn what the Birds say?" + +"You would, if you had me to teach you," said the Crow. + +"And will you teach me, ma'am?" said the Boy. + +"I will," said the Crow. + +Then every day after that the Crow would sit upon the Standing Stone +and the Boy would stand beside it. When the Crow had eaten the boiled +potato that the Boy always brought she would tell him about the +languages of the different Birds. The two were teaching and learning +from day to day, and indeed you might say that the Boy went to school +to the Crow. He learnt the language of this Bird and that Bird, and +as he learnt their languages, many's and many's the good story he +heard them tell each other. + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: The Stone of Victory] + + + + +The Stone of Victory + +AND HOW FEET-IN-THE-ASHES, THE SWINEHERD'S SON, CAME TO FIND IT + + +[Illustration] + +"If we went there, if we went there, maybe we'd find it," said the +Cock-grouse to the Hen-grouse as they went together, clucking through +the heather. + +"And if we found it, if we found it, what good would the Stone of +Victory do us?" said the Hen-grouse to the Cock-grouse, answering him +back. + +"And what good did the Stone of Victory do to the youth who was called +Feet-in-the-Ashes, and who was only the Swineherd's Son?" said the +Cock-grouse to the Hen-grouse. + +"Tell me, tell me, and then I shall know," said the Hen-grouse to the +Cock-grouse, answering him back. They went together, clucking through +the heather and the Boy who knew what the Birds said followed them. + +He lay upon a rock and the Cock-grouse and the Hen-grouse discoursed +below him, the Cock-grouse always lifting his voice above the hen's. +The Boy heard what they said and he remembered every word of it. And, +by the tongue in my mouth, here is the story he heard:-- + + "Cluck-ee, Cluck-ee, cluck-ee, cloo, cloo, cloo." The King of + Ireland stood outside the gate of his Castle and his powerful + captains and his strong-armed guards were all around him. And + one of his captains went to the mound before him and he gave + a shout to the East and a shout to the West, and a shout to + the North and a shout to the South. When the King asked him + why he did it the Captain said "I want the four quarters of + the World to know that the King of Ireland stands here with + his powerful Captains and his strong armed guards that no one + dare come from the East or West, the North or the South and + lay the weight of a finger upon him." And when he said this + the other captains flashed their swords and the guards + clashed their shields and the King of Ireland said, "Well and + faithfully am I guarded indeed and luckier am I than any + other King on the earth for no one can come from the East or + the West, the North or the South and lay the weight of their + finger upon me." + + But no sooner did he say that than they saw a Giant coming + across the hill and towards the place where they were + standing. And when the Giant came to them he lifted up his + hand and he doubled his hand into a fist and he struck the + King of Ireland full in the mouth and he knocked out three of + his teeth. He picked the King's teeth up, put them in his + pouch, and without one word walked past them and went down to + the sea. + + "Who will avenge the insult put upon me?" said the King of + Ireland, "and which of my captains will go and win back for + me the three best teeth I had?" But not one of his captains + made a step after the Giant. + + "I know now," said the King, "How well you serve and how well + you guard me. Well, if none of you will help me and if none + of you will avenge me, I'll find those who will. And now I'll + make a proclamation and I'll solemnly declare that whoever + avenges the insult offered to me, and, in addition brings + back to me the three that were the best teeth in my head, + even though he be a servant or the son of a servant, I'll + give him my daughter in marriage and a quarter of my kingdom, + and, more than that," said he, "I'll make him full captain + over all my guards." + + The proclamation was sent all over the Castle and in the end + it came to the ears of the Swineherd's Son who was called + Feet-in-the-Ashes. And when he heard it he rubbed the ashes + out of his hair and he said to his grandmother--"If there is + anything in the world I want it is the King's daughter in + marriage and a quarter of the Kingdom. I'll want provision + for my journey," said he, "so, grandmother, bake a cake for + me." "I'll do better than that for you, honey, if you are + going to win back the King's teeth and marry the King's + daughter," said his grandmother. "I have a few things of my + own that no one knows anything about, and I'll give them to + you with your cake. Here," said she, "is my crutch. Follow + the Giant's tracks until you come to the sea, throw the + crutch into the sea and it will become a boat, step into the + boat and in it you can sail over to the Green Island that the + Giant rules. And here's this pot of balsam. No matter how + deep or deadly the sword-cut or the spear-thrust wound is, if + you rub this balsam over it, it will be cured. Here's your + cake too. Leave good-luck behind you and take good-luck with + you, and be off now on your journey." + +"And why was the youth called Feet-in-the-Ashes?" said the Hen-grouse +to the Cock-grouse. + + He was called Feet-in-the-Ashes because he had sat in the + chimney-corner from the time he could stand upon two legs. + And everybody who called him Feet-in-the-Ashes thought he was + too lazy to do anything else. Well, he left good-luck behind + him and he took good-luck with him and he started off on his + journey with the cake, the crutch and the cure. He followed + the Giant's tracks until they came down to the sea. Into the + sea he flung his grandmother's crutch. It became a boat with + masts and sails. He jumped into the boat, and the things that + had to be done in a boat were done by him-- + + He hoisted the sails--the red sail, the black sail and the + speckled sail, + He gave her prow to the sea and her stern to the land, + The blue sea was flashing, + The green sea was lashing, + But on they went with a breeze that he himself would have chosen, + And the little creatures of the sea sat up on their tails to + watch his going. + + and so he went until he came near the Green Island where + Shamble-shanks the Giant who had carried off the three teeth + of the King of Ireland had his Castle and his stronghold. + + He fastened his boat where a boat should be fastened and he + went through the Island until he came to a high grey Castle. + No one was about it and he went through it, gate, court and + hall. He found a chamber where a fire burned on the + hearth-stone. He went to the fire gladly. He looked around + the chamber and he saw three beds. "There's room to rest + myself here, at all events," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + Night came on and he left the fire and got into a bed. He + pulled one of the soft skins over him. Just as he was going + to turn on his side to sleep three youths came into the + chamber. Feet-in-the-Ashes sat up on the bed to look at them. + + When they saw him they began to moan and groan and when he + looked them over he saw they were all covered with + wounds--with spear-thrusts and with sword-cuts. The sight of + him in the bed, more than their wounds, made them moan and + groan, and when he asked them why this was so the first of + the three youths said:-- + + "We came here, the three of us, to fight the Giant + Shamble-shanks and to take from this Island the Stone of + Victory. We came to this Castle yesterday and we made three + beds in this chamber so that after the combat we might rest + ourselves and be healed so that we might be able to fight the + Giant again to-morrow or the day after, for we know that we + cannot win victory over him until many combats. Now we come + back from our first fight and we find you in one of the beds + we had made. We are not able to put you out of it. One of us + must stay out of bed and the one that stays out will die + to-night. Then we shall be only two against the Giant and he + will kill us when we come to combat again." And when the + first one had said all this the three youths began to moan + and groan again. + + Feet-in-the-Ashes got out of bed. "You can have your rest, + the three of you," said he. "And as for me I can sit by the + fire with my feet in the ashes as often as I did before." The + three youths got into the three beds and when they were in + them Feet-in-the-Ashes took the pot of balsam that his + grandmother had given him and rubbed some of it on each one + of them. In a while their pain and their weariness left them + and their wounds closed up. Then the three youths sat up in + their beds and they told Feet-in-the-Ashes their story. + +[Illustration] + +"Cluck-ee, cluck-ee, cluck-ee, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, +"and what was the story they told?" + +"Cluck, cluck," said the Cock-grouse, "wait until you hear, cluck, +cluck." + + Said the first of these youths, "On this island there is a + moor, and on that moor there is a stone, and that stone is + not known from other stones, but it is the Stone of Victory. + The Giant Shamble-shanks has not been able to find it + himself, but he fights with all who come here to find it. + To-day we went to the moor. As soon as we got there the Giant + came out of the Grey Castle and fought with us. We fought and + we fought, but he wounded us so sorely that we were like to + die of our wounds. We came back to rest here. Thanks to your + balsam we are cured of our wounds. We'll go to fight the + Giant to-morrow, and with the surprise he'll get at seeing us + before him so soon we may be able to overcome him." + + "And along with the surprise, there's another thing that will + help you," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "and that is myself. I + have to fight the same Giant Shamble-shanks and I may as well + fight him in company as alone." + + "Your help will be welcome if you have not come here to win + the Stone of Victory." + + "Not for the Stone of Victory I have come, but to win back + the three teeth that were knocked out of the King of + Ireland's head and to avenge the insult that was offered to + him." + + "Then we'll be glad of your help, good comrade." The three + youths got out of their beds and they sat with + Feet-in-the-Ashes round the fire and the four spent a third + of the night in pleasant story-telling, and slumber nor + weariness did come near them at all. + +"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse. + +"Say no more," said the Cock-grouse, "for now I'm coming to what's +wonderful in my story--" + + The four youths were seated round the fire when a little man + came into the Chamber. He carried a harp in his hands. He + bowed low to each of the four of them. "I am MacDraoi, the + Giant's Harper," he said, "and I have come to play music for + you." "Not one tune do we want to hear from you," said + Feet-in-the-Ashes. "Whether you want it or not, one you will + hear," said the Harper, "and that tune is the Slumber Tune. I + shall play it for you now. And if the whole world was before + me when I play it, and if every one in it had the pains of + deep wounds, the playing on my harp would make each and every + one of them fall into a slumber." "That tune we must not + hear," said the first of the three youths, "for if we fall + into a slumber the Giant will see to it that we shall never + awaken." + + MacDraoi, the Giant's Harper put his harp to his chest and he + began to play. Slumber came on the eyelids of the four who + were at the fire. Three sprang up, but one stayed on his + bench dead-sound-fast asleep. One yawned and fell down on the + floor. One of the two that remained went towards the Harper, + but on his way he fell across a bed and he remained on it. + Then, out of the four, only one, Feet-in-the-Ashes, was left + awake. + + The Harper played on. Feet-in-the-Ashes put his fingers in + his mouth and commenced to gnaw them. He gnawed the first two + fingers down to their joints. But still his mouth kept open + in a yawn and still the slumber kept heavy on his eyelids. He + gnawed his third and his little finger. Then he put his right + hand in his mouth and he bit at his thumb and he bit so + sharply that his senses nearly all came back to him. With a + kick he knocked the harp out of the Harper's hands. He caught + MacDraoi then and turned him head below heels and left him + hanging by his feet from a beam across the chamber. Then he + went straight through the hall and out of the Castle. + + A wet breeze was blowing and whatever sleep was on his eye it + blew away. He walked on with the dark clouds of the night + going behind him and the bright light of the day growing + before him. "I'll turn back," said he, "when I hear a cock + crowing, and whatever I find beside me then I'll take with me + to remind myself of where I have been." + + He found himself on a moor and he walked on until he was far + on it. A cock crew. "Time to turn back," said + Feet-in-the-Ashes. He looked round to see what he might bring + with him and he saw on the ground a round stone. + +"A round stone?" said the Hen-grouse. + +"Yes," said the Cock-grouse, "a round black stone. He took it up, that +round black stone, and he went back to the Castle, hungry for his +breakfast." + + In the Castle Chamber the three youths were still slumbering, + one on the bench, one on the floor and one in a bed and + MacDraoi the Harper was still hanging by his feet from the + beam across the Chamber. "Lift me down from this, good lad," + said the Giant's Harper. + + "I will," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "when my three companions + awaken." + + "They won't awaken," said MacDraoi the Harper. + + "Then you can hang there," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + "They won't awaken," said MacDraoi, "until I cause them to + awaken, and I shall cause them to awaken if you lift me down + from this." + + "Will you promise by your head," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + "By my head I promise," said the Giant's Harper. + + Then Feet-in-the-Ashes lifted the Harper down from the + rafters and set him upon his legs. MacDraoi took up the harp + and he pulled the strings back-ways. The notes he drew out + were so piercing that first one and then another and then a + third of the three youths wakened up. Then, when they were on + their feet MacDraoi, the Giant's Harper, slipped out of the + house and went away. What happened to the Harper after that + no one knows. + +"Cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "and what did they do after +that?" + +"The next thing they had to do," said the Cock-grouse, drawing himself +up, "was to fight. Yes, my lady, to fight." The Hen-grouse drooped her +head and said no more, and the Cock-grouse went on valiantly-- + + Swords they drew out--the three youths who were with + Feet-in-the-Ashes. They sharpened these swords. They marched + off towards the moor with the swords in their hands. + Feet-in-the-Ashes had no sword. All he had in his hand was a + holly-stick. + + When they came in sight of the Grey Castle they saw the Giant + come rushing out of the gate. He was clad all in iron and he + had a sword in one hand and a spear in the other. The four + youths spread themselves out so that they might be able to + close round the Giant. But for all his bigness the Giant was + quick enough. He struck one of them with his spear and + brought him down on his knees. He struck the other with his + sword and brought him down on his side. He struck the other + with his iron-covered hand and brought him down on his back. + And all that was left now was Feet-in-the-Ashes with his + holly-stick. + + What could a youth with a holly-stick in his hand do against + a Giant that had a spear and a sword in his hands and was + besides that all covered with iron? Feet-in-the-Ashes turned + and ran. He ran towards the Castle and went round it. And + when he was at the east side the Giant was at the North and + when he was at the south the Giant was at the East. Round and + round the Castle they went and the Giant with his strength + and his quickness was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + Feet-in-the-Ashes wanted something to fling at him. He took + the stone out of his pocket--the round black stone. He held + it in his hand. He made three circles in the air with it. He + flung the stone. It struck the Giant on the breast and the + iron rang as the stone struck it. Down fell the Giant. + Feet-in-the-Ashes ran off to where his companions lay. Many + times he looked back but he did not see the Giant following + him. The three youths were lying in their wounds and in + their pain. Feet-in-the Ashes took out his pot of balsam and + rubbed them all over. Their wounds healed. First one stood up + and then the second stood up and then the third stood up and + the three were whole and well. "Where is the Giant?" each of + them asked. + + "Lying where he fell," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + "And who threw him down?" said the first of the youths. + + "I threw him down with a cast of a stone," said + Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + "Let us go and see," said the second of the youths. They went + towards the west side of the Grey Castle like men following a + bear who might turn on them. The Giant was lying still. "He + is dead," said one, "He is dead indeed," said another. "He is + dead forever," said a third. "He is dead by the cast of my + stone," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + They went up to where the Giant was and looked all over him. + "There is the stone that overthrew him," said one of the + youths, "that round black stone. Where did you get it?" + + "On the moor," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + "On the moor," said the others looking at him. + + "Yes," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "Picked it up this morning on + the moor just as the cock crew." + + One of the three youths took the round black stone in his + hand. "I'll bring the stone with me," said he. "We'll go into + the Castle now and see what our finding there will be." + + They went into the Castle. The three youths told + Feet-in-the-Ashes they would help him to find what he had + come to seek--the three teeth out of the head of the King of + Ireland. They searched and they searched all over the Castle. + At last one of them opened an iron press and there on a shelf + was a silver cup and in the cup were three teeth. + Feet-in-the-Ashes knew they were what he had come for. He + left the cup beside him. + + They took provisions from the Giant's store, put them on the + table and began to eat. But first one and then another and + then the third of the three youths made an excuse and left + the table. Feet-in-the-Ashes went on with his breakfast. Then + he left the Castle to look for the three youths that had + been his companions. He did not find them. He went down to + the sea-shore. He saw his boat and the sails were raised on + it. In the boat were the three youths and they were making + ready to put out to sea. Feet-in-the-Ashes shouted to them. + Then one of the youths came to the side of the deck and spoke + back to him. + + "You found the Stone of Victory without knowing it," said he, + "and you let us take it in our hands. Now we cannot give it + back to you for our lives depend on our keeping it and + bringing it away. And," said he, "we fear to stay on the land + with you because you have such luck that you could take the + Stone from us. The boat we came in is gone. We take your boat + and we think that you have such luck that you will find + another way of getting off the island. Remember that what you + came for was not the Stone of Victory but the King's teeth, + and we helped to find them for you." + + They had hoisted the sails and now a wind came and the boat + that was from his grandmother's crutch was blown out of the + harbour and Feet-in-the-Ashes was left without any companion + on the Island. + +"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "he found the Stone of +Victory, but what good were his findings to him when he didn't know +what he had found and he let it be taken from him?" + +[Illustration] + +"But if he hadn't to find it he couldn't have slain the Giant and +taken the cup out of the iron cupboard--that much good the Stone of +Victory did him," said the Cock-grouse. + +"I'm sorry to think that that's all he got from the Stone of Victory," +said the Hen-grouse. + +"Well, that's all he got from it, and be quiet now till I tell you the +rest of the story," said the Cock-grouse. + + He went into the courtyard of the Grey Castle and he found + there a great eagle that was chained to a great rock. The + eagle came towards him as far as the chain would let him. + "Feed me," said the eagle. + + "Will you carry me to Ireland's ground if I feed you?" said + Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + "If you feed me every time I open my mouth, I will," said the + eagle. + + "That I'll try to do, good eagle," said Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + He went through courtyard and pen-fold but not a sheep nor a + pig nor a bullock could he find. It seemed as if he would not + be able to find meat for the eagle after all. He went down to + the sea-shore and he came upon a pool filled with thin bony + fish called skates. He took a basket of these and put it on + his back. He came back to the courtyard and he unlocked the + chain that held the eagle. + + "Feed me," said the eagle, and he opened his mouth. + + "Close your eyes and I'll fill you mouth," said + Feet-in-the-Ashes. + + The eagle closed his eyes. Feet-in-the-Ashes flung a score + of skates into his mouth. "Hard meat, hard meat," said the + eagle, but he gulped them down. Feet-in-the-Ashes, holding + the cup in his hands and carrying the basket of skates on his + back, put himself between the wings of the eagle. The eagle + flew up and over the Grey Castle and faced for the plain of + the sea. + + They travelled from the morning light until the full + noontide. The eagle opened his mouth again. Feet-in-the-Ashes + put nothing into it. The eagle finding nothing in his mouth + dropped down to the sea. + + "Close you eyes," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "and I'll fill your + mouth." The eagle closed his eyes and Feet-in-the-Ashes put + another score of skates into his mouth. The eagle gulped them + all down. "Whenever I open my mouth you will have to feed + me," he said. Feet-in-the-Ashes did not like to hear this, + for a score more of skates were all that was left. + + The eagle rose up again and on and on he flew until the night + was coming over the water. He opened his mouth again. + Feet-in-the-Ashes put in five more skates. The eagle kept his + mouth open and said "Feed me." + + There was nothing to be done then but to put in the rest of + the skates. Feet-in-the-Ashes flung them all in, and the + eagle rose up and flew and they travelled while there was + darkness on the water, and when the sun rose again + Feet-in-the-Ashes saw they were flying over the land of + Ireland. The eagle opened his mouth. Feet-in-the-Ashes had + nothing to put into it. "Fly on, good eagle," said he, "and + leave me down at the King's Castle." "Feed me," said the + eagle. "I will give you what you never had before--a whole + bullock--when we come to the King's Castle." "Cows far off + have long horns," said the eagle mocking him. With that he + flung Feet-in-the-Ashes off his back. + + Sore would his fall have been if it had been on any other + place but a soft bog. On the softest of soft bogs he fell. He + made a hole in the ground, but no bone in his body was broken + and he still held the cup in his hands. He rose up covered + with the mud of the bog, and he started off for the King's + Castle. + +"Cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "and did he not go to see his +grandmother at all?" + +[Illustration] + +"If he did it's not in the story," said the Cock-grouse. "That very +day, as I would have you know, the King was standing outside the gate +of his Castle with his powerful captains and his strong-armed guards +around him. 'A year it is to-day,' said the King, 'since the Giant +came and struck me in the mouth, knocking out and taking away three of +my teeth, and since that day I have had neither health nor prosperity. +And you know,' said he, 'that my daughter and a quarter of my Kingdom +is to go to the one who will avenge the insult and bring back my +three teeth.' 'Such and such a thing prevented me from going,' said +one of his Captains, 'but now that so and so is done, I can go and +avenge the insult offered to you.' 'So and so kept me from going,' +said another of the Captains, 'but now that such and such a thing is +done I can go to-morrow and bring you back your three teeth.' 'I am +tired of hearing you all talk,' said the King, 'and it's my belief +that my teeth will be lost and my daughter unwedded till the day of +doom.'" + + It was then that Feet-in-the-Ashes appeared before them, + "Good health to you, King," said he. + + "Good health to you, good man," said the King, "and what, may + I ask, have you come here for?" + + He was covered with the feathers of the eagle and the mud of + the bog, and, as you may be sure, the King and the captains + and the guards looked sourly at him. + + "I have come first of all, King," said he, "to give you + advice." + + "And what is your advice?" asked the King. + + "My advice to you is that you send away all these you have + around you--your captains and your guards--and that you turn + them into dog-boys or horse-boys or anything else in which + they would give useful service, for as they are here, they + can neither serve nor guard you." + + "All that may be true," said the King, "but what right have + you to say it?" + + Feet-in-the-Ashes said nothing but he held the cup up to the + King and the King saw three teeth in it and he took them out + and placed them in his mouth and the teeth went into their + places and there firmly they stayed. + + Then Feet-in-the-Ashes told how he had gone to the Green + Island and how he had avenged the insult offered to the king + and how he had got what he had gone to search for. Then he + demanded the King's daughter in marriage and a quarter of the + Kingdom, and both were made over to him on the spot. As for + the powerful captains and the strong-armed guards, some of + them were made horse-boys and some were made dog-boys and + Feet-in-the-Ashes was made Captain over the new guards. When + he came to rule a quarter of the Kingdom he was given a horse + and made a duke and he was called by a better name than + Feet-in-the-Ashes. But what that name was I don't remember + now. + +"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said the Hen-grouse, "and did he go to visit +the grandmother at all?" + +"If he did," said the Cock-grouse, "that's another story, and if it +was ever told I don't remember it. Pray go to the right, my lady, for +I'm hungry for the sweet buds of the heather." + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: The King of the Birds] + + + + +The King of the Birds + + +[Illustration] + +The thirteen little wrens sat on the Apple-yard wall in the King's +Garden and their mother was there to teach them to fly. One called +them the little wrens, but really each one was as big as their mother. +She had a tail, however, that was most cunningly cocked and they had +no tails, and the consequence was that when they made their little +flights they always went sideways. Moreover, their beaks were still +yellow and wide and open and this is always a sign of the young bird. + +"All I ask of you," said the mother, "is that when you go into the +World you remember that you are the Children of the King of the +Birds." + +"Now why does our Mother call us the Children of the King of the +Birds?" said one little wren to the other. "I think we're really very +small. And I think our Mother is very small. And there's our Father +behind that ivy-leaf and he's very small too." + +[Illustration] + +"And wherever you go, be sure to conduct yourselves like the Children +of the King of the Birds," said the Mother. + +"It's because we were reared in such a fine nest," said another +little wren. "No other birds in the world had ever a finer nest than +we have had. That's the reason we're called the Children of the King +of the Birds." + +"Men call the Wren the King of the Birds," said the Father Wren, as he +flew up on a tree, "and surely men ought to know who is the King of +the Birds." + +"Why do men call the Wren the King of the Birds?" said the little +wrens. + +"I will tell you," said the Mother. "As we fly from the wall to the +tree, and from the tree back to the wall, I will tell you why men +honor the wren as the King of the Birds." + +She spent a whole day telling the little wrens the story and the Boy +Who Knew What the Birds Said was there, and he heard the whole of +it.-- + + * * * * * + +The King of the Hither-side of the Mountain conquered the two villages +of Half-a-Loaf and Windy-Gap, and the very day he conquered he ordered +the two Headmen to come before him. + +"You two Headmen are to see that your villages, Half-a-Loaf and +Windy-Gap, send me my rightful tribute," said the King to them. + +"There isn't much we can send...." said the Headman of Half-a-Loaf. + +"A string of salmon," said the Headman of Windy-Gap. + +"A basket of plover's eggs," said the Headman of Half-a-Loaf. + +"No," said the King, "the tribute that each of your villages must send +me is the King of the Birds." + +The two Headmen went back to their villages, and that very day each +told at the council what tribute the King had ordered them to send. +"The King of the Birds," said the people of Half-a-Loaf, "that's the +Eagle surely." "The King of the Birds," said the people of Windy-Gap. +"What Bird might that be? We'll have to give thought to this." + +The people of Windy-Gap thought about it and thought about it, but the +people of Half-a-Loaf declared there was no doubt at all about it--the +Eagle was the King of the Birds. And while the people of Windy-Gap +were thinking and pondering the people of Half-a-Loaf were sending +their young men off to catch an eagle. + +But an eagle is a hard fowl to catch, and the people of Half-a-Loaf +found they had to send all of their young men out and to send them out +every day. And the young men climbed high hills and stony ditches, and +they searched the east and they hunted the west; they went out at +sunrise and they came back at sunset, but never an eagle did they +bring with them. + +"It may be that the Eagle is the King of the Birds," said the people +of Windy-Gap, "but we had better consider it." + +They thought about it from sunrise to sunset; they thought about it +while they plowed their fields and sowed them, while they spun their +cloth and made their coats, while they mended their nets and mended +their shoes, while they thatched their roofs and planted their +apple-trees. + +And in Half-a-Loaf there was few left to plow the fields and sow them, +to spin cloth and to make coats, to mend nets and to mend shoes, to +thatch roofs and to plant apple-trees--there was few left to do these +things for all the young men were out on the mountain hunting for an +eagle. + +"The people of Windy-Gap will be ruined," said the people of +Half-a-Loaf, "they have done nothing yet to catch the Eagle. When the +King gets no tribute from them he'll come down and sell them and their +village. Call the young men back that have gone into the fields to +work and send them up the mountain again." + +At last the people of Half-a-Loaf caught their Eagle--a great golden +Eagle he was. They built for him a shed and they fed him on what lambs +they had that year. + +"We're safe anyway," said the people of Half-a-Loaf, "but the +unfortunate folk in Windy-Gap have lost their chance. They'll not have +time to catch an eagle now." + +The time was coming near when the two villages would have to send +their tribute to the King. + +"We have our Eagle," said the people of Half-a-Loaf, "But O, Bad +Fortune! we have hardly a crop growing. This will be a hard year for +us--we haven't lambs to grow into sheep even." + +"We have our crops," said the people of Windy-Gap, "but, Bad Cess to +it! What are we to do about paying our tribute to the King?" + +And still they couldn't decide whether it was the Eagle or the Cuckoo +or the Woodpecker that was King of the Birds. They were still +considering it when the King's Messenger came to bid them come with +their tribute to the King's Castle. + +What were the people of Windy-Gap to do? They searched round and about +but no bird at all could they find. And then as he was being marched +off the Headman put his hand under the thatch of his house and took +out a Wren that was sheltering there. He put the Wren under his hat +and went off with the King's Messenger. + +And there, before him on the way to the King's Castle was the Headman +of Half-a-Loaf. The riders of the village were with him and they bore +their golden Eagle most triumphantly. + +"Give to my Falconer the King of the Birds," said the King. + +The Headman of Half-a-Loaf presented the Eagle. + +"It is well," said the King, "and where have you," said he to the +Headman of Windy-Gap, "bestowed the King of the Birds?" + +The Headman put his hand under his hat and handed over the Wren to the +King's Falconer. + +"Tush," said the King, "Why do you call this the King of the Birds?" + +The Headman of Windy-Gap was going to say "Because his family is +great," but he said instead "Because he flies the highest, my lord." + +"If it be truth it's unknown to me," said the King, "but it shall be +tried out." + +Then said he to the Royal Falconer, "Let the Eagle and the Wren soar +together. And when the Eagle outsoars the Wren it shall be proved that +the Headman of Windy-Gap is a catiff, and his village and everyone in +it will be sold to the Saracens. But if it so happens that the Wren +outsoars the Eagle, the tribute sent from the village of Windy-Gap +must be accepted." + +The Eagle and the Wren rose from the same perch and soared up +together. Up and up the Eagle went. "So far my father went, but I +shall go farther," said the Eagle. Higher and higher he rose. "So far +my grandfather went but I shall go farther." Farther and farther he +soared. "So far went my great-grandfather, and no eagle again will fly +so high." His wings were stiff and tired. "No bird will ever out-soar +this flight of mine," said the Eagle. + +He went to close his wings so that he might rest them as he went down. +But as he did the Wren came from under his wings. + +Up went the Wren, down went the Eagle. Up and up went the Wren. He had +been resting while the Eagle had been flying, and now he was able to +soar past the point the Eagle had reached at his dead-best. + +The Eagle flew down and lighted on the Falconer's perch. "Has he flown +high, Falconer?" asked the King. "No bird has flown so high," said the +Falconer. "By the rime on his wings he has gone into the line of +frost." + +"The Eagle is King of the Birds and no one can deny it," said the +King. "The village of Windy-Gap has not sent me my tribute." + +"Mercy," said the Headman of Windy-Gap. + +"The village and all in it shall be sold to the Saracens," said the +King. + +Just then the Wren came down and lighted on the perch beside the +Eagle. "Where did the Wren fly to?" said the King. "By my glove," said +the Falconer "he soared past the line of frost, and went into the line +of snow, for what's on his feathers is a drop of snow." + +"The Wren is King of the Birds," said the Headman of Windy-Gap. + +"Yes, King of the Birds," said the King, "and, therefore, my lawful +tribute." + +[Illustration: "No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine," said +the Eagle.] + +And so, for ever after the villages sent to the King, not an Eagle, +but a Wren as tribute. And in no village ever after were the lands +unplowed and the fields unsown, the cloth unspun and the coats not +made, the roofs unthatched and the apple-trees unplanted. And in every +village in the hollow and on the height the people shouted for the +Wren--"The Wren, the Wren, the King of all Birds." + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch of the Elders] + + + + +Bloom-of-Youth and the Witch of the Elders + + +[Illustration] + +Bloom-of-youth was a young, young girl. But, young as she was, she +would have to be married, her step-mother said. Then married she was +while she was still little enough to walk through the doorway of her +step-mother's hut without stooping her head. + +Her husband was a hunter and he took her to live in a hut at the edge +of a wood. He was out hunting the whole of the day. Now what did +Bloom-of-Youth do while she had the house to herself? Little enough +indeed. She swept the floor and she washed the dishes and she laid +them back on their shelf. Then she went to the well for pails of +water. When she went out she stayed long, for first she would look +into the well at her own image and then she would make a wreath of +flowers and put it on her head and look at herself again. After that, +maybe, she would delay to pick berries and eat them. Then she would go +without hurrying along the path, singing to herself.-- + + 'Said when he saw + Me all in blue, + "Who is the maid + The sky must woo?" + + 'Said when he saw + Me all in green, + "Who is the maid + The grass calls queen?"' + +When she would have got back to the hut the fire on the hearth would +have gone out and she would have to light it again and then sweep the +floor clear of the ashes that had blown upon it. After that she would +have little time to do anything else except prepare a meal against +the time when her husband would be back from his hunting. + +One morning her husband left his coat down on the bench. "My coat is +torn; sew it for me," he said. Bloom-of-Youth said she would do that. +But she did no more to the coat than take it up and leave it down +again on the bench. + +The next day her husband said "My vest is torn too; have it and the +coat sewn for me." He left the vest beside the coat and went out to +his hunting. + +Bloom-of-Youth did nothing to the coat and nothing to the vest, and +every day for a week her husband went out without coat or vest upon +him. + +One day he put on his torn coat and his torn vest and went out to his +hunting. When he came home that evening he had a bundle of wool with +him. + +"Your step-mother," said he, "sends you this bundle of wool and she +bids you spin it that there may be cloth for new clothes for me." "I +will spin it," said Bloom-of-Youth. + +But the next day when her husband went away she did what she had +always done before. She went to the well and she looked for long at +her image; she put a wreath of flowers on her head and she looked at +her image again; she picked berries and ate them; she went along the +path without hurrying, singing to herself.-- + + 'Said when he saw + Me all in blue + "Who is the maid + The sky must woo?" + + 'Said when he saw + Me all in green + "Who is the maid + The grass calls queen?"' + +She had to light the fire again when she came in and sweep away the +ashes that had gathered on the floor and after she had done all that +it was time to prepare the meal for the evening. But before her +husband came home she took the spinning wheel out of the corner and +put it near the light of the doorway. + +"I see," said her husband, "that you are going to spin the wool for my +clothes." + +"I am when to-morrow comes," said Bloom-of-Youth. + +But the next day she did as she done every day and no wool was spun. +The day after she put wool on the wheel and gave it a few turns. In a +week from that evening she had one ball of thread spun. + +"Your step-mother bids me ask you how much of the wool have you spun?" +said her husband to her one evening. Bloom-of-Youth was so much afraid +that her husband would send her to her step-mother through the dark, +dark wood, that she said "I have spun many balls." + +"Your step-mother bade me count the balls you have spun," said her +husband. + +"I will go up to the loft and throw them down to you and then you will +throw them back to me and we will count them that way," said +Bloom-of-Youth. + +She went up to the loft and she flung down the ball she had spun. + +"One," said her husband, and he threw it back to her. + +She flung him the ball again. + +"Two," said her husband, and he flung it back to her. Then he said +"three," and then "four," and then "five," and so on until he had +counted twelve. "You have done well," said he, "and now before the +week is out take the twelve balls to your step-mother's house and she +will weave the thread into cloth for clothes for me." + +[Illustration] + +Bloom-of-Youth was greatly frightened. To her step-mother's house she +would have to go with a dozen balls of thread in a few days. The next +day she hurried back from the well and she sat at her wheel before the +door spinning and spinning. But, do her best, she could not get a good +thread spun in the long length of the day. + +And while she was spinning and spinning and getting her thread knotted +and broken a black and crooked woman came and stood before the door. +"You're spinning hard I see," said she to Bloom-of-Youth. + +Bloom-of-Youth gave her no answer but put her head against the wheel +and cried and cried. + +"And what would you say," said the black and crooked woman, "if I took +the bundle of wool from you now and brought it back to you to-morrow +spun into a dozen balls of thread?" + +"It is not what I would say; it is what I should give you," said +Bloom-of-Youth. + +"Give me!" said the black and crooked woman. "What could you give me?" +But as she said it she gave Bloom-of-Youth a baleful look from under +her leafy eyebrows. "No, no, you need give me nothing for spinning the +wool for you. All that I'll ask from you is that you tell me my name +within a week from this day." + +"It will be easy to find out her name within a week," said +Bloom-of-Youth to herself. She took the bundle of wool out of the +basket and gave it to her. The black and crooked woman put the wool +under her arm and then she lifted up her stick and shook it at +Bloom-of-Youth. + +"And if you don't find out my name within a week you will have to give +me your heart's blood--a drop of heart's blood for every ball of wool +I spin for you." The hag went away then. Bloom-of-Youth was greatly +frightened, but after a while she said to herself "I need not be +afraid, for in a week I'll surely find out the name of the black and +crooked woman who can't live far from this." + +The next day the hag came to the door and left twelve balls of wool on +the bench outside the house. "In a week, in a week," said she, "you'll +have my name or I'll have twelve drops of your heart's blood to make +the leaves of my Elder Tree fresh and fine." + +Bloom-of-Youth went with the twelve balls of wool to her step-mother's +house, and every person she met on the way she asked if he or she knew +the name of the black and crooked woman. But no one could tell her the +hag's real name. All they could tell was that she was the Witch of the +Elders and that she lived beside the Big Stones that were at the other +side of the wood. + +Bloom-of-Youth was afraid: her face lost its color and her eyes grew +wide and her heart would beat from one side of her body to the other. +And every day the Witch of the Elders would come to the door and say +"Have you my name yet, Bloom-of-Youth, have you my name yet? Two days +gone, five to come on; three days gone, four to come on; four days +gone, three to come on; five days gone, two to come on." Six days went +by and on the seventh she would have to go to the Big Stones at the +other side of the wood and let the Witch of the Elders take twelve +drops of her heart's blood. + +The night before the week's end her husband, when he sat down by the +fire said "I saw something and I heard something very strange when I +was at the other side of the wood this evening." "What was it you +saw?" said Bloom-of-Youth. "Lights were all round the Big Stones and +there was a noise of spinning inside the ring they make. That's what I +saw." "And what was it you heard?" said Bloom-of-Youth. "Someone +singing to the wheels," said her husband. "And this is what I heard +sung.-- + + Spin, wheel, spin; sing, wheel, sing; + Every stone in my yard, spin, spin, spin; + The thread is hers, the wool is mine; + Twelve drops from her heart will make my leaves shine! + How little she knows, the foolish thing, + That my name is Bolg and Curr and Carr, + That my name is Lurr and Lappie. + +"O sing that song again," said Bloom-of-Youth, "Sing that song again." + +Her husband sang it again, and Bloom-of-Youth went to bed, singing to +herself.-- + + My name is Bolg and Curr and Carr, + My name is Lurr and Lappie. + +The next day as soon as her husband had gone to his hunting +Bloom-of-Youth went through the wood and towards the Big Stones that +were at the other side of it. And as she went through the wood she +sang.-- + + Spin, wheel, spin; sing, wheel, sing; + Every branch on the tree, spin, spin, spin; + The wool is hers, the thread is fine; + For loss of my heart's blood I'll never dwine; + Her name is Bolg and Curr and Carr, + Her name is Lurr and Lappie. + +She went singing until she was through the wood and near the Big +Stones. She went within the circle. There, besides a flat stone that +was on the ground, she saw the black and crooked old woman. + +"You have come to me, Bloom-of-Youth," said she. "Do you see the +hollow that is in this stone? It is into this hollow that the drops of +your heart's blood will have to run." + +"The drops of my heart's blood may remain my own." + +"No, no, they won't remain your own any longer than when it is plain +you can't tell my name." + +"Is it Bolg?" said Bloom-of-Youth. + +"Bolg is one of my names," screamed the Witch of the Elders, "but one +of my names won't let you go free." + +"Is it Curr?" + +"Curr is another of my names, but two of my names won't let you go +free." + +"Is it Carr?" + +"Carr is another of my names, but three of my names will not let you +go free." + +"I know your other names too," said Bloom-of-Youth. + +"Say them, say them," screamed the Witch of the Elders. + +But when she tried to think of them Bloom-of-Youth found that the last +two names had gone out of her mind. Not for all the drops that were in +her heart could she remember them. + +"No, no, you can't say them," said the Witch of the Elders. "And now +bend your breast over the hollow in the stone. I'll let out twelve +drops of your heart's blood with my pointed rod. Bend your breast over +the hollow." + +[Illustration: But just as the Witch was dragging her to the stone a +robin began to sing.] + +But just as the Witch was dragging her to the stone a robin began to +sing on a branch outside the Stones. It was the same tune as +Bloom-of-Youth had sung her song to as she went through the wood. Now +all the words in her song came back to her.-- + + Spin, wheel, spin; sing, wheel, sing; + Every branch on the tree, spin, spin, spin; + The wool is hers, the thread is mine; + For loss of my heart's blood I'll never dwine! + Her name is Bolg and Curr and Carr, + Her name is Lurr and Lappie. + +She said the last two names and as she did the Witch of the Elders +screamed and ran behind the stones. Bloom-of-Youth saw no more of her. + +That evening her husband brought home the web of cloth that her +step-mother had woven. The next day Bloom-of-Youth began to make +clothes for him out of it. Never again did she make delays at the well +but she came straight home with her pails of water. The fire was +always clear upon the hearth and she had never to light it the second +time and then sweep away the ashes that had gathered on the floor. She +made good clothes for her husband out of the web of cloth her +step-mother had woven. And every evening she spun on her wheel and +there was never a time afterwards when she had not a dozen balls of +thread in the house. + + The wool is hers and the thread is mine; + For loss of my heart's blood I never will dwine, + And I throw my ball over to you. + +It was the Woodpecker that told this story to the Boy Who Knew What +the Birds Said. + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: The Hen-wife's Son and the Princess Bright Brow] + + + + +The Hen-wife's Son and the Princess Bright Brow + + +[Illustration] + +Everyone in and around the King's Castle despised Mell, the Hen-wife's +Son, said the Stonechecker, the bird that built within the stones of +the Tower. And it was not because there was anything mean about the +lad himself: it was because his mother, the Hen-wife, had the lowest +office about the King's Castle. + +This is what a Hen-wife did: She had to mind the fowl and keep count +of them, she had to gather the eggs and put them into a basket and +send them to the King's Steward every day. And for doing this she had +as wages the right to go to the back-door of the Steward's house and +get from the under-servants two meals a day for herself and Mell, her +son. + +And everybody, as I said, despised this son of hers--horse-boys and +dog-boys and the grooms around the Castle. But of course no one +despised Mell more than did the King's daughter, Princess Bright Brow. + +She used to go into a wood and whisper along the branch of a tree. And +one day the Hen-wife's son whom she despised so much made answer to +her. He was lying along the branch of the tree watching his mother's +goat that grazed on the grass below. Now this is what Princess Bright +Brow said to the tree and this is what she used to say to it every +day.-- + + Oak-tree, oak-tree, above the rest, + Which of the heroes loves me best? + +Mell was lying along the Branch as I have said, and he made answer +back to her.-- + + Princess, Princess, he's at your call, + And the Hen-wife's son loves you best of all! + +The King's daughter looked up and she saw the Hen-wife's son on the +branch, and she went into a great rage. She gave orders to the grooms +that the Hen-wife's son was to be whipped every time he looked at her. +Many's the time after that Mell got the lash. But he loved Bright Brow +so much that he could not forbear looking at her. + + +II + +Now, one very early morning Mell took his mother's goat out to graze +on the green. And as he went along he saw on the grass a beautiful +mantle. He took it up and he thought to himself "How well it would +look upon Princess Bright Brow!" And he thought again "if she would +take this beautiful green mantle from me maybe she would let me look +upon her when she is wearing it." + +He put the mantle across his shoulders and sat down and thought and +thought. And while he was thinking he felt the mantle being pulled +from behind. He turned round and he saw a woman standing there. She +had brighter colors in her dress and she wore more ornaments than any +one he had ever seen in the King's Castle. He knew by such signs that +she was a Fairy Woman out of the Green Rath. + +[Illustration] + +"Mell," said she, "Mell, the Hen-wife's son, give to me the mantle +that the King of the Fairy Riders let fall from his shoulders last +night." + +"If it is his, and if you have come to bring it to him, why you must +have it," said Mell, and he took the mantle off his shoulders and +handed it to her. + +"The King would wish that I should recompense you," said the Fairy +Woman. She took a jewel that was on the collar of the mantle and gave +it to Mell. "If you take this jewel in your hand," said she, "and wish +to be in this place or that place you will be there in an instant, and +anyone you take by the hand you can bring with you." And when Mell +took the jewel from her, the Fairy Woman, carrying the green mantle, +went into the green rath. + +Then Mell took his goat by the horns and turned towards his hut. And +there, outside the gate of the Castle he saw the King's daughter, +Princess Bright Brow. She was watching the falconer training the young +hawks and the grooms and the riders of the Castle were behind her. +When she saw Mell with his hands on the goat's horns she grew high in +rage and she turned to the grooms to give an order that he be beaten +with the whips they held. + +But Mell ran to her and he caught her hand and holding the jewel he +said "I wish that I was in the Island of the Shadow of the Stars and +that this young girl was with me." The hawk flew at him and the hound +sprang at him and the whips struck at him and while he was still +expecting the feel of teeth and claws and lash he was away and was in +another country altogether. There was neither hawk nor hound nor hut +nor castle nor groom nor falconer. Two beings only were there and they +were Mell the Hen-wife's son and the King's daughter, Princess Bright +Brow. + +"In what country are we?" said Princess Bright Brow. + +"Unless we are in the Island of the Shadow of the Stars I don't know +where we are," said Mell, the Hen-wife's Son. + +"You are the Hen-wife's son and you have brought me here by +enchantment," said Bright Brow. + +She wanted to go from him, but where was she to go to? All the country +was strange to her. And so, if she made two steps away from him she +soon made two steps back to him. And the end of this part of the story +is that Bright Brow became friendly to the Hen-wife's Son. + +He gathered fruits off trees and he snared birds and he took the fish +out of rivers and he found sheltered places to sleep in. And often the +Princess Bright Brow was good and kind to him. And Mell the Hen-wife's +son was now as happy as anyone in the world. "Since we are so friendly +to each other now," said Bright Brow to him one day, "will you not +tell me how you were able to come here and bring me with you?" + +"It was because of the jewel I wear at my breast," said Mell. And then +he told how he had found the green mantle on the ground and how the +Fairy Woman gave him the jewel and what power the jewel had. + +If Mell was content to be on the Island, Bright Brow was not. And so +one evening when he was asleep she lifted up the mantle and took the +jewel that was on his breast. Then holding it in her hand she said "I +wish I was back in my father's Castle." In an instant she was back +there. Now all her maids were around her and all of them were crying +"Where have you been, King's daughter, where have you been?" And +Bright Brow told them that the King of the Fairy Riders had taken her +away to show her all the great heroes of the world so that when the +time came for her to choose a husband she could make her choice of the +best amongst them. + +As for Mell, the Hen-wife's son: when he wakened up and found that +Bright Brow had gone and that the jewel was gone there was no one in +the world more sad and lonely than he was. He thought that she might +come back to him, but the moon came and the sun came and Bright Brow +came not. He longed to be a bird that he might fly after her to her +father's Castle. + +He stayed on the Island of the Shadow of the Stars for a long time +for, now that the jewel was gone from him, there was no way of getting +from the Island. Then a King who had built a high tower went to the +top of it one day and saw the Island of the Shadow of the Stars. He +sent out his long ships and his leathern-jerkined men to it. They +found Mell and they brought him to the King. Then Mell became one of +the King's men and he went into battle and he learnt the use of all +arms. + + +III + +The Hen-wife's son went through the Eastern and the Western Worlds and +he came back to where his mother's hut was. He rode round the walls of +the King's Castle. Everything that he thought was magnificent before +seemed small to him now. The trees that grew within the walls seemed +not much bigger than the bushes the old women put clothes to dry on. + +Sitting on his black horse he looked across the wall that he once +thought was so high and he saw the Hen-wife's hut. His mother came out +to feed the hens and to count them and to gather up the eggs and put +them in a basket. "She's alive and I'll see her again," said Mell. He +rode round the wall to the King's Garden to try to get sight of the +Princess Bright Brow. He saw no sight of her. He rode on and he came +to the gate at the other side and he saw outside the Cook-house the +horse-boys and dog-boys and grooms that he used to know. + +He saw them and he knew them, but they did not know him. He was +surprised to see that they had not learnt to straighten up their +shoulders nor to walk as if there was a fine thought in their heads. +They were all around the Cook-house, and a great noise of rattling was +coming from within it. + +"What noise is that in the Cook-house?" Mell asked a groom. + +"The Cook's son is going out to fight," said the groom, "and he is +striking the pot-lids with the ladles to let everyone in the +Cook-house know how fierce he is." + +"And who is the Cook's son going to fight?" asked Mell the Hen-wife's +son. + +"He is going to fight a great Champion that has come up from the sea +in a boat that moves itself. This Champion demands that the King pay +tribute to him. And the King has offered his daughter and half his +kingdom to the youth who will go down to the sea-shore and defeat this +Champion. And to-day the Cook's son is going out to make trial." + +And while the groom was saying all this the Cook's son came out of the +Cook-house. His big face was all gray. His knees were knocking each +other. The breastplate of iron he had on was slipping to one side and +the big sword he had put in his belt was trailing on the ground. + +"I would like to see what sort of a fight this Champion will make," +said Mell, the Hen-wife's son. He followed the Cook's son to the +sea-shore. But the Cook's son, when he had come to the shore, looked +round and found a little cave in the face of the rock and climbed into +it. + +Then a boat that moved of itself came in from the sea, and a Champion +all in red sprang out of it. And when he had touched the shingles he +struck his sword on his shield and he shouted "If the King of this +Land has a Champion equal to the fray let him forth against me. And +if the King of the Land has no such Champion, let him pay me tribute +from his Kingdom." + +Mell looked to the cave where the Cook's son had hidden himself and +all he saw there was a bush being pulled towards the opening to hide +it. + +Then Mell the Hen-wife's son drew his sword and went down the beach +towards the Red Champion. They fought for half the day. At the end of +that time the Red Champion said "Good is the champion that the King of +this Land has sent against me. I did not know he had such a good +champion." + +They fought all over the strand making the places that were stony, +wet, and the places that were wet, stony, and then, when the sun was +going down, the Red Champion was not able to do anything more than +guard himself from the strokes of Mell's sword while he drew towards +his boat. + +"You will have the honors of the fight to-day," said he to Mell. + +[Illustration: The Red Champion said, "Good is the Champion that the +King of this Land has sent against me."] + +"I shall have the honors and something else beside," said Mell. Then +he struck at the red plume that was on his enemy's cap. He cut it +off as the Red Champion sprang into the boat that moved of itself. As +the sun was sinking the Champion in the boat went over the sea. + +Now the Cook's son had been watching the whole fight from the cave. +When he saw the Red Champion going off in his boat he came running +down to the shore. The Hen wife's son was lying with his hands and his +face in the water trying to cool himself after the combat and the red +plume that he had struck off the Champion's cap was lying near him. +The Cook's son took up the plume. + +"Let me keep this as a remembrance of your fight, brave warrior," said +he to the Hen-wife's son. + +"You may keep it," said Mell. Then with the red plume in his hands the +Cook's son ran back towards the Castle. + + +IV + +Mell the Hen-wife's son put on his best garments and he went to the +Castle that evening and he was received by the King as a champion +from foreign parts. And the King invited him to supper for three +nights. + +Princess Bright Brow was at the supper and Mell watched and watched +her. He saw that she was pale and that she kept sighing. And of the +damsel who came to sit beside him at the table Mell asked "Why is the +King's daughter so sad and troubled-looking?" + +"She has reason for being sad and troubled," said the damsel who was +called Sea Swan, "for she thinks she may have to marry one whom she +thinks little of." + +"Why should that be?" said Mell. + +"Because her father has promised to give her and half his Kingdom to +the one who will defeat the Red Champion who has come from across the +sea and who demands that the King give him tribute from the land. And +the only one who has gone forth against the Champion is the Cook's +son--a gray-faced fellow that only a kitchen-maid would marry. And if +it happens that the Cook's son overcomes the Red Champion, well then +Princess Bright Brow will have to marry him." + +And later on Sea Swan said to Mell "The King's daughter is so troubled +that she would go away to the Island of the Shadow of the Stars if she +had the jewel that would bring her there. She had it once, but a Fairy +Woman came out of the green rath and made Bright Brow give it to her." + +When the feast was at its height the King stood up and bade the Cook's +son come near the High Chair and tell how he had fought with the Red +Champion that day. And the Cook's son came up holding the red plume in +his hand. He told a story of how he had fought with the Red Champion +all the day and how he had beaten him to his boat and how he had made +him take his boat out to sea, and how, as the Champion had sprung into +the boat, he had struck at him and had cut the red plume from his cap. +"And I shall go down the sea-shore to-morrow," said the Cook's son +very bravely, "and if the Red Champion dares come back I shall take +off his head instead of his plume." Then he left the red plume beside +the King's daughter and her father made Bright Brow hold up her +forehead for the Cook's son to kiss. And all in the supper-room +clapped their hands for the Cook's son. + +The next day Mell the Hen-wife's son stood outside the Cook-house and +he heard a tremendous rattling within. "That is the Cook's son +preparing to go out to battle," said one of the grooms. "He is +striking the ladles upon the pot-lids to show how fierce he is." Just +as that was being said the Cook's son walked out of the Cook-house. He +looked around him very haughtily. Then he walked away with his big +sword trailing behind him and his breast-plate all to one side. Mell +the Hen-wife's son followed him. + +When he came to the sea-shore he stood for a while looking out to sea +with his knees knocking together. Then he went where he had gone the +day before. He climbed into a cave in the face of the cliff and he +drew the bush to the entrance of it so that it was quite hidden. + +Mell the Hen-wife's son looked out to sea and he saw the boat that +moved of itself come towards the shore. The Red Champion was in it. He +sprang out on the strand, struck his sword on his shield and made +proclamation: Unless the King of the Land sent a champion who could +overthrow him he would make him pay tribute for his Kingdom. + +Then down to meet him came Mell the Hen-wife's son, his sword in his +hand. He and the Red Champion saluted each other and then they fought +together trampling over the beach, making the soft places hard and the +hard places soft with the dint of their trampling. "A good champion, +by my faith you are," said the Red Champion to Mell, when +three-quarters of the day had been spent in fighting. And after that +the Red Champion tried only to guard himself from the thrusts and the +strokes of Mell's sword. He drew away from Mell and towards his boat. +He put his two feet in it and pushed away. "You have the honors of the +day's fight, champion," said he. "I shall have something beside the +honors," said Mell and he struck at the Red Champion's belt. Down on +the shingles fell the silver-studded belt and the Red Champion pushed +off in his boat. + +When the Cook's son saw from his cave that the Red Champion had gone +he came down to the water's edge where Mell was lying with his face +and hands in the water to cool himself after the combat. The +silver-studded belt was lying beside Mell. The Cook's son took it up +without saying a word and he went off towards the Castle. + +That night Mell the Hen-wife's son sat by himself in the supper room +of the King's Castle. He watched and watched the face of the Princess +Bright Brow. She looked more pale and troubled than on the night +before. And after the harpers had played the King called upon the +Cook's son to come up to the High Chair and tell how he had battled +with the Red Champion. He came up with the silver-studded belt in his +hand and he told a story of how he had beaten the Red Champion back +into the sea. And when the story was told the King bade Bright Brow go +over to him and kiss the Cook's son on his heavy gray cheek. + + +V + +The next day when he stood before the Cook-house, Mell the Hen-wife's +son heard a greater rattling than before. The Cook's son struck the +pot-lids with the ladles more fiercely than before and he cried out in +a high voice "This is the last time that I shall ever stand amongst +the pots and the pans, the lids and the ladles, for I go to fight the +Red Champion for the last time, and after this I will sit beside the +King's Chair and the King's daughter, Princess Bright Brow, will sit +upon my knee." + +He marched down to the sea-shore, his long sword trailing behind him. +He walked through the street with his head high, but when he drew near +the sea-shore his gait became less grand. His knees began to knock +together. He looked out to the sea and when he saw the boat that moved +of itself coming towards the shore he clambered into the cave and he +drew the bushes round to cover up the entrance. + +The boat that moved of itself came to the strand. The Red Champion +sprang out on the shingles. He made his proclamation. Then up to him +came Mell the Hen-wife's son. "I will strive with you," said he, "as I +strove with you yesterday and the day before. And how shall we fight? +Shall it be with swords or by wrestling?" "By wrestling let it be +to-day," said the Red Champion. + +They laid hands on each other and began to wrestle. And in their bout +of wrestling they made holes in the ground and they made hillocks on +the ground, and when the day was about to close Mell overthrew the Red +Champion. He left him stark on the ground. Then he took the cord he +had round his waist and he bound the Red Champion--hands and feet, +waist and chest he bound him. + +The Cook's son came up to them then. "As you took the red plume and as +you took the silver-studded belt, take the Champion too," said Mell. +Then the Cook's son took the Red Champion, all bound as he was, and +putting him across his shoulders went staggering up the beach and +towards the King's Castle. + + +VI + +Mell the Hen-wife's son sat in the supper-room of the Castle again +that night. The King's daughter, Princess Bright Brow, was there and +she was as white as white rose-leaves and tears were falling down her +cheeks. And when the wine had been drunk out of the cups the King +stood up and called upon the Cook's son to come up to the High Chair +and tell all how he had overthrown and had bound the Red Champion who +would have put a tribute upon the Kingdom. The Cook's son came up to +the High Chair and he told them a story that was wonderful indeed. And +when the story was told the King said "Loose the Red Champion whom you +bound, and when he has knelt here and prayed to us for forgiveness the +King's daughter will take your hands and will marry you." "Look," said +the damsel Sea Swan to Mell the Hen Wife's son, "how the Princess +Bright Brow is pulling the hairs from her head in her grief." + +The Red Champion was brought in bound and the Cook's son began to try +to unbind him. But not one knot could he loosen. He tried and he tried +and he broke his nails trying. "This is strange indeed," said the +King, "for it used to be said that whoever bound one could loosen +one." + +He tried again and he tried again and not one cord could he loosen +from another. Then the King's daughter Princess Bright Brow looked up. +"How strange it would be," said she, "if it was not the Cook's son who +bound the Red Champion." + +Then up the Hall came Mell the Hen-wife's son. He stood over the Red +Champion and he pulled a cord here and he pulled a cord there and in a +minute he was unbound. All in the hall began to murmur "Surely the one +who unloosed him bound him," said many people. + +"He is the one who bound me," said the Red Champion, pointing out Mell +the Hen-wife's son, "and besides it was he who cut the red plume off +my cap and who took the silver-studded belt from me." + +"Speak up and deny what he says," said the King to the Cook's son. + +But when the Cook's son tried to speak he stuttered and stammered and +his knees began to knock together and his hands went shaking. And when +the company looked at him there was not one there who believed he had +fought the Red Champion. And when the Cook's son looked round and saw +there was not one there who believed in him he gathered the +supper-things of the table like an attendant and went out of the room. + +"And now," said the King to Mell, the Hen-wife's son, "since there is +no doubt but it was you who conquered the champion to you I give my +daughter's hand. Take her now for your wife and take half of my +kingdom with her." + +Then Bright Brow lifted her face to him and she put her hands in his +hands. + +"Mell," said she, "Mell the Hen-wife's son, I knew for long that you +would come to me like this. Forgive me and love me," said she, "and I +will love you from this night." + +And so Mell the Hen-wife's son and the King's daughter, Princess +Bright Brow, came together again. He married her and came to rule +over half her father's kingdom. They lived happy ever afterwards, of +course. And Mell brought his mother out of the hut beside the +poultry-coop and he took her to live in the Castle. And in the end his +mother married the Steward who had become a widower and she became the +most respected dame in and about the King's Castle. And as for the +Cook's son he is still in the Cook-house amongst the pots and the +pans, the lids and the ladles. + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: The Giant and the Birds] + + + + +The Giant and the Birds + + +[Illustration] + +The Cock scraped and the Hens scraped and when the Hens went away the +Cock scraped by himself. He called the Hens back, and they all scraped +deeper and deeper. Then something was shown; it was bright and round, +and the Cock and the three Hens scraped until the whole of it was to +be seen. It was a great ring of brass. + +"Tell us how you knew the bright thing was there, Hero-son of my +heart?" said the Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's mother. + +"Do, do," said the Feather-legged Hen. + +"Tell us, Top of Wisdom," said the Blue Hen. + +"You all know," said the Cock, "that the earth rocks underneath the +place where I crow in the morning." + +"We know, O Unvanquishable," said the three Hens. + +"The earth never rocked here," said the Cock, "hence I knew that +something powerful was under the ground at this place. It was the ring +of brass. Now it will be found and brought into the house. And when I +stand here and crow in the morning the earth will rock as it does in +every other place in the world." + +"It will, it will," said the Feather-legged Hen. + +"It must, O Top of Valor," said the Blue Hen. + +"And you will tell us how the ring of brass came to be there, Hero-son +of my heart," said the Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's +mother. + +"In the course of the evening I may do so," said the Cock +condescendingly. + +When they were beside the sunny wall, the Hens on the ground +scattering dust over their feathers and their lord standing on one leg +with his comb hanging over one eye the Cock said "No Cock of our +breed ever told this story before. They would not frighten the hens +with it. However, since you have persuaded me I will tell you the +tale. My grandfather told it to my father who told it to me. It is the +story of the Big Man who came to this place and who wore the ring of +brass that we uncovered to-day." + +He did not put it over his head as you might think from the size of +the ring. No. He wore it on his arm. Never was a bigger man seen by +anyone living. The whole countryside stood outside their houses to see +him come over the hills. When he came to where the stones are he +stooped down to take a drink and he drank the well dry. The people +came out of the house to meet him, and he spoke to them, and out of +what he said to them they drew his story. + +As I am to a Bantam, the Big Man was to the other men of the country. +And if they were surprised at his bigness, he was astonished at their +smallness. For he came from a time when all were as big as he. A +hundred and a hundred years before he had hunted with his companions, +and he was then called, not Big Man, but Little Fawn. + +And one day--a hundred and a hundred years ago it was--he had gone to +chase a deer. The deer fled into a cave. He followed with his hounds +and his sword, his trumpet and his missile-ball. He went astray and +fell asleep in the Cave. And when he wakened up, his hounds were heaps +of dust beside him. He went into the world, and he found that his +companions were dead for a hundred and a hundred years and that the +men of the earth had become smaller and smaller. In the Cave he left +his sword and his trumpet and his missile-ball. + + * * * * * + +The Cock put his two feet on the ground and shook his red comb from +over his left to over his right eye. Then said he, Everyone in the +house was friendly to Little Fawn except one person--Murrish the +Cook-woman. From the first day he came there were disputes between +them. "Big men have big appetites," said she to him the day he +came, "and so to-night I will give you two eggs for your supper." But +when she handed him the eggs Little Fawn said "It was not the eggs of +the hedge-sparrow we were wont to eat in my time." "Eggs of the +hedge-sparrow!" said Murrish, "I have handed you the biggest eggs laid +by the best hens in the country." "In my time there were bigger eggs +in the nest of the hedge-sparrow," said Little Fawn. + +[Illustration: All flew from the mountain except one bird and he was +the greatest amongst them all.] + +The next day she gave him a barley-cake for his breakfast. He ate it +and then sent the boy--Ardan was his name--to ask what else she was +going to give him. + +"Give him!" said Murrish the Cook-woman, "I have given him a whole +barley cake, and that is enough for two men's breakfasts." + +"Tell her," said Little Fawn, "that I often saw an ivy-leaf that was +as big as her barley cake." + +"Tell him," said Murrish the Cook-woman, "that I am not here to listen +to old men's romances." + +Now when he heard that his words were taken as old men's romances +Little Fawn was an angry man. He was hungry, for the food he got did +not stay his appetite, but what Murrish said in doubt of his word gave +him more hurt than his hunger did. For in his day and amongst his +companions a lie was never told and nothing a man said was ever +doubted. + +The next day he sent back the dish for more butter. + +"Tell him," said Murrish the Cook-woman, "that I put a whole pat of +butter on his dish--enough to do two men for two days." + +"Tell her," said Little Fawn, "that often I saw a rowan berry that was +bigger as her pat of butter." + +"The child just out of the cradle would not believe that story," said +Murrish the Cook-woman. + +She sent him a quarter of mutton for his dinner. Little Fawn told +Ardan to ask Murrish for more, as the dinner she gave him left him +hungry still. + +"Did he not get a whole quarter of mutton for his dinner?" said +Murrish. + +"A whole quarter of mutton, did she say?" said Little Fawn. "Often I +saw a quarter of a blackbird that was bigger than her quarter of +mutton." + +"A quarter of a blackbird bigger than my quarter of mutton! Tell him +that if he never lied before, he lies now," said Murrish. + +"Does she say that?" said Little Fawn. "Then I swear I shall never +rest in the house nor be easy in my mind until I bring her an ivy leaf +that is as big as her barley loaf, and a rowan berry that is as big as +her pat of butter, and if I bring these," said he, "it may not be +needful for me to get her the blackbird that is as big in one quarter +as the quarter of mutton that she gave me for my dinner." + +There and then he went from the house and Ardan the boy went with him. +They went east and they went west, they went towards the north and +towards the south, but no ivy leaf did they find that was as big as a +barley loaf, and no rowan berry did they see that was as big as a pat +of butter. Little Fawn was troubled and downcast. They came back to +the house, and Murrish the Cook-woman was pleased when she heard from +Ardan that they found no ivy leaf and saw no rowan berry that was as +big as her barley loaf or her pat of butter. "There is only one thing +I can do now," said Little Fawn, "and that is to bring her the +blackbird that is as big in one quarter as the quarter of mutton she +gave me for my dinner. And that," said he to Ardan, "will take time +and trouble and the meeting of danger to bring about." + + * * * * * + +"Time and trouble," said the Feather-legged Hen, "time and trouble!" + +"Why did he say time and trouble, O Top of Wisdom?" said the Blue Hen. + +"Hush now," said the Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's +mother. "Hush now, and let the Hero-son of my heart tell what's best +in the story...." + + * * * * * + +"Little Fawn was an old man, white-haired and feeble when he came to +the house," said the Cock, and now he was nearly blind. His mind would +not be at rest, he told Ardan, until he brought to Murrish and showed +her a blackbird that was as big in one quarter as the quarter of +mutton she gave him for his dinner. "But before I can take that +blackbird," said he, "I must have a hound. There is a hound in the +yard, but I have tried her and found she is weak and fearful. She will +have puppies, and one of her puppies, maybe, will do." And he told +Ardan to tell him when the puppies came to the hound that was in the +yard. + +Then one day Ardan came and told him that there was a litter of +puppies with the hound. "That is well," said Little Fawn, "and in a +while we will try if one has the strength and courage enough to help +us to take the blackbird." + +He told Ardan what to do. He was to take the skin that had been +stripped off a dead horse and he was to nail this skin upon a door in +the yard. Then he was to do a curious thing. He was to take up each +puppy and fling it against the door. + +Ardan did all this and Little Fawn stood by and heard the puppies +yowling as they fell on the ground. They scampered away. Then he heard +nothing except Ardan's laugh. + +"Why are you laughing, my boy?" said Little Fawn. + +"I laugh to see what the last puppy is doing," said Ardan. + +"And what is he doing?" said Little Fawn. + +"He has not fallen to the ground like the others. He has caught hold +of the horseskin with his teeth and he is holding on to it." + +"That puppy will do," said Little Fawn. "He has strength and courage. +Take him and rear him away from the others, and when he comes to his +full strength you and I will take him to hunt the blackbird that is as +big in one quarter as the quarter of mutton Murrish the Cook-woman +gave me for my dinner. We must make our word good this time, good +lad." Ardan took away the puppy (Conbeg they called him) from the +others and reared him up. Little Fawn tested his strength and courage +in many ways. At length he was satisfied. One day he put a leash on +Conbeg and he told the boy to come with him. Little Fawn and Ardan and +Conbeg the young hound went away from the house. + +"'Tis the best part of the story," said the Little Slate-colored Hen +that was the Cock's mother. + + * * * * * + +"It is, it is," said the Feather-legged Hen. + +"And how well he tells it, the Top of Wisdom," said the Blue Hen. + +"I tell it as my father told me and as his father told him," said the +Cock changing legs. "The first place they went was into the Cave where +the Big Man had lain for a hundred and a hundred years. They found +there the heap of dust that was his two hounds, and they found too the +missile-ball of brass and the trumpet and the great sword. They left +the Cave and they turned south, and they went on and on till they came +to the mountain that is called Slieve-na-Mon. The boy and the man and +the hound rested themselves for a while on the level on the top of the +mountain. + +Then Little Fawn told Ardan to take the trumpet and put it to his +mouth. He blew on the trumpet. O louder than ever I crowed was the +noise he made on that trumpet. The trees that were growing on the +mountain top shook at the sound. + +"Blow again," said Little Fawn. + +And Ardan blew again and he blew louder. + +"Now look into the sky," said Little Fawn, "and tell me what you see +coming towards us." + +Ardan looked for a long time, and at last he saw what he thought was a +cloud coming towards the mountain-top. And then he saw that the cloud +was a flock of birds. They came to the mountain-top and lighted on the +ground--Peewits, Blackbirds, Starlings, Finches, Linnets--and each was +bigger than any bird he had ever seen. The birds were hardly afraid of +the hound, but Conbeg went amongst them and drove them away. + +And then another cloud was seen coming across the sky, and this cloud +came to be a flock of birds too, and they came to the mountain-top and +lighted on the ground--Linnets, Finches, Starlings, Blackbirds, +Peewits--and each bird was bigger than the birds in the first flock. +"Loose the hound on them," said Little Fawn. Ardan unslipped Conbeg +and the hound went amongst the birds. But they were not afraid and +they attacked the hound, and only his strength and courage was so +great they would have driven him off the mountain-top. + +They rose up and they flew away, and as they did another flock of +birds came towards the mountain-top. They lighted on the +ground--Peewits, Blackbirds, Starlings, Finches, Linnets--tremendous +birds. Ardan loosed Conbeg on them. Then with beaks open and claws +outstretched they flew at Ardan and Little Fawn. Little Fawn took his +great sword in hand and he attacked them with such strength that the +great birds flew off. + +All flew from the mountain except one bird. He was a Blackbird and the +greatest amongst them all. When Ardan told Little Fawn that this bird +was left alone on a rock the Big Man told him to unloose Conbeg. + +The hound dashed at the Blackbird but the blackbird flew at him and +attacked him with beak and claws. With a sweep of his wing he threw +Conbeg on the ground. Then he rose up in the air and flew towards +Ardan and Little Fawn. + +"You will escape him," said Ardan, "but me he will kill as he has +killed Conbeg." "Put the missile-ball into my hand and guide my aim," +said Little Fawn. Ardan put the missile-ball of brass into the Big +Man's hand and guided his aim. Little Fawn threw the missile-ball and +the Blackbird fell down on the ground. But the bird was not killed. + +"A frightening tale, a frightening tale," said the Blue Hen. + +"So it is, so it is," said the Feather-legged Hen. + +"But you have done well to tell the Hens the story, Hero-son of my +heart," said the Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's mother. + + * * * * * + +"More has to be told," said the Cock, "and it is needful that it +should be told now. Murrish the Cook-woman was in the kitchen. In +dashed Conbeg the hound, his eyes blazing with the fierceness of the +chase. Murrish was so frightened that she ran to the door. And coming +to the door she saw Little Fawn with a net on his shoulder. He came +into the house and he put the net on the floor, and he showed Murrish +what was in the net--a tremendous bird--a Blackbird that was as big in +one quarter as the quarter of mutton she had on the table. And when +the net was laid down on the ground the Blackbird flew up and he +carried the middle of the roof away with him as he flew through it and +he tumbled beams and rafters down upon Murrish. My grandfather saw the +Blackbird flying towards the mountain that is called Slieve-na-Mon, +and my grandfather told my father who told me." "You spoke the truth +when you said that you saw a blackbird as big in one quarter as the +quarter of mutton I gave you for your dinner," said Murrish the +Cook-woman to Little Fawn. "And I believe you when you say you saw an +ivy leaf as big as my barley loaf and a rowan berry as big as my pat +of butter." "I would only show you," said Little Fawn "that the men I +lived amongst had truth on their lips as they had strength in their +hands and courage in their hearts." + +And from that day Little Fawn and Murrish the Cook-woman lived in +peace and good fellowship, and Ardan and Conbeg grew up together and +became famous, one and the other. They lived happy for long, but as +the books say-- + + The end of every ship is drowning, + The end of every kiln is burning, + The end of every feast is wasting, + The end of every laugh is sighing. + +And if they were here once, they are here no more. + +"And if they are not, we are," said the Slate-colored Hen that was the +Cock's mother. "We're here," said she, "and the earth, I promise you, +will shake under your feet to-morrow, no matter where you crow, +Hero-son of my heart." + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: The Sea-Maiden who became a Sea-Swan] + + + + +The Sea-Maiden who became a Sea-Swan + + +[Illustration] + +The Sea-Swan told the story to the pigeons of the rock, and the Boy +Who Knew What the Birds said heard every word of it. I was once a +Sea-Maiden, she said, and my name was Eevil, and I was known through +all the Kingdoms that are Under-Wave for my beautiful hair--my long, +beautiful, green hair. Something was in me that made me want to dance, +and I used to rise up through the water, and dance on the shore of the +island that is called Hathony. + +Mananaun, as you, creatures, know, is Lord of the Sea, and what he +commands in the Kingdoms-Under-Wave has to be. Now Mananaun made a +promise to a King of an Earth-Kingdom, and the promise was that he +would give this King whatever he asked for. The King died according to +the ways of men, and his son, whose name was Branduv, came to rule +him. + +Branduv called Mananaun out of the sea, and he asked that he renew the +promise he had made to his father. The Lord of the Sea did not want a +promise to lapse because of the death of a man, and he renewed it to +the man's son. Then Mananaun told him he would take him and show him +the Kingdoms of the Sea and whatever he saw that he desired there +would be given to him. He took him in his boat of glass "The Ocean +Sweeper" to visit the Kingdoms of the Sea. + +They came to Moy Mell, the Plain of Pleasure, and there Mananaun gave +Branduv a branch of everlasting blossoms; they came to another Kingdom +and there Mananaun gave him a sword that was the best wrought in the +world; they came to a third Kingdom and there Mananaun gave him a pair +of hounds that could run down the silver-antlered stag. But as yet +Branduv the King had asked no gift from Mananaun. + +They came to Mananaun's own Kingdom, Silver-Cloud Plain, and there +Branduv was left alone while Mananaun drank the Ale of the Ever-Living +Ones. The King saw from the shores of Silver-Cloud Plain "The Ocean +Sweeper," and he directed that the boat bring him to the island. And +the boat travelled as the one in it wished. + +Only one thing had ever made me fearful of dancing on the shore of the +Island of Hathony--that was the presence there of a pair of Ravens. +These Ravens had once been Sea-maidens, but they had desired men for +husbands, and they had gone to them. The men forsook them, and they +had become first Witches and afterwards Ravens. Ever since their +change they wished harm to the Maidens of the Sea. I had been +frightened of them, but now I had seen them flapping about so often +that I was no longer or I was only a little, afraid. + +I came up through the sea and I danced upon the shore of the island, +and the play of the waves was in my dance, and my long soft green +hair fell over my foam-white, foam soft body. I danced on, O my +listeners, and as no one had ever seen me looked upon, I thought no +one looked upon me now. + +But this King of the earthly Kingdom saw me. He saw me as I danced by +the waves, and I was the fairest thing he had ever looked upon. At +first he was all wonder and no robber's thoughts were in his mind. But +the Ravens came to him. One perched on one shoulder and one perched on +the other, and one said "If you carry Eevil off you will have the +fairest wife in all the world," and the other said "If you leave her +here you will never look on anything as fair again." + +The Ravens flapped before him to guide him to a place in the dark +rocks where he might hide and to which I might come. He followed where +they led. But I saw his shadow on a rock. I drew back and the sea took +me and drew me into its depths. "The sea has taken her," said Branduv +to the Ravens. + +"Mananaun is Lord of the Sea," said one of the Ravens. + +"And Mananaun has promised you a gift, and he cannot refuse what you +will ask," said the other Raven. + +Then the Ravens flapped away and Mananaun came to where the King was +standing. "You have asked me for a gift," said Mananaun, "think now of +what you desire before I take you back to your own island." Then said +Branduv, "What I ask is that you bestow upon me the Sea-maiden who was +dancing here, Eevil." + +[Illustration] + +Mananaun in anger lifted his spear. But then he remembered he was +bound by a promise to Branduv. He lowered the spear he had raised. "I +will give you any other gift you ask," said he, "even my own boat 'The +Ocean Sweeper.'" + +"I hold you to your promise," said Branduv, "and I declare to you +that I shall take no other gift unless it be the maiden who was here +dancing by the sea." + +"It must be then that I give her you," said Mananaun, and his face was +dark. + +[Illustration] + +Down he went to the Kingdom-Under-Wave and he came to the black +mansion where lived the Seven Spinning Women of the Sea. He spoke as +speaks a King who has a hard thing to do. "A law has to be broken," +said he. "What law, Lord?" said the Spinning Women. "The law that +saves our Maidens from taking part in the stormy lives of men." "We +would rather that anything else but this should happen, Lord," said +the Seven Spinning Women. "This thing must happen," said Mananaun, +"and the Maiden Eevil must go to Branduv the King." "She must be +prepared for this," said the Seven Spinning Women. + +They came to me and they told me that the man whose shadow I had seen +on the rock now claimed me for his wife and that Mananaun would not +gainsay him. When I heard this, O my listeners, the life nearly left +me. + +This comfort the Seven Spinning Women gave me: I was to stay on his +island so that I might become used to the earthly kingdom, but that I +was not to see Branduv until the green had left my hair and the brown +that the sun makes had come into my cheeks. So I came to Branduv's +island. I lived by the sea-shore and the women of the island attended +me. + +How different was this earthly land from the Kingdom-Under-Wave. With +us there was but the one mild season, the one mild light. Here there +was glaring day and terrible darkness, bitter winds and hot beams of +the sun. With us there were songs and tales, but the songs were about +love or about the beautiful things we had seen. Here the tales and +songs were about battles and forays and slaying with the sword. What +they told of their loves was terrible, so much violence and +unfaithfulness was in them. + +The soft green tints were going out of my hair and the sun was putting +brownness in my cheeks. Soon my hair would be wheaten-colored like the +hair of the women of the islands and my cheeks would be brown like +theirs. And then the day would come when I should have to be with the +man whom I looked upon as my enemy. + +I used to stay by the shore and speak with the birds that came in from +the sea, for I knew their language. Never again could I go back to the +Kingdom-Under-Wave. Green shade after green shade left my hair, brown +tint after brown tint came into my cheeks, and what could I do but +envy the birds that could make their flight from the islands of men. +And when the green had nearly gone altogether from my hair I +thought of a desperate thing I might do. + +[Illustration: I put it to my lips, I drank it when he took a step +towards me.] + +I sent a message to my sisters, and I sent it by many birds, so that +if they did not get it by one they might get it by another. And I +asked in my message that they send me a draft from the Well under the +Sea, and that they send it in the cup that the Seven Spinning Women +guarded. It would be terrible for any of my sisters to come to +Branduv's island with the draft and the cup, but I begged that they +would do it for me. + +The days went by and the green color was now only a shade in my hair, +and brownness was on my cheeks, and the women said "Before this old +moon is gone our King will come here to wed you." + +Then one day I found on the shore the cup that my sisters had brought +and the draft from the Secret Well was in it. I took the cup in my +hands and I brought it where I lived. "Come to us," said the women, +"so that we may undo your hair and tell the King when he may come to +wed you." They loosened my hair and then they said "there is no shade +of green here at all. Bid the King come as early as he likes +to-morrow." + +I lay that night with the cup beside me. When I rose I knew that day I +should drink from the cup my sisters had sent me--drink the draft that +would change me into what I wished to be--a bird of the sea. + +And while I sat with the cup beside me and my hair spread out, +Branduv, the King of the Island, came to the door of the house. It may +have been that I was becoming used to the sight of people of the +earthly kingdoms, for, as I looked upon him he did not seem terrible +to me. He looked noble, I thought, and eager to befriend me and love +me. But the cup was in my hands when he came to the door. I put it to +my lips when he entered the house. I drank it when he took a step +towards me. And thereupon I became what I had wished to be--a +Sea-Swan. + +O my listeners! Maybe it would have been well for me if I had wed that +King, and be now as the women of the islands. For now as I fly over +the sea the King's look comes before me, and I think that he was +eager to befriend me and eager to love me. So I am not content when I +am flying over the sea. And I am lonely when I am on these islands, +for I am now a Swan, and what has a Swan to do with the lives of men? + + * * * * * + +Such was the story that the Sea-Swan told the pigeons of the rock, and +the Boy who knew what the Birds said heard it all, and remembered +every word of it. + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: What the Peacock and the Crow Told Each Other] + + + + +What The Peacock and the Crow Told Each Other When the Crow Came to +Steal the Peacock's Feathers + + +[Illustration] + + Said the Lapwing "Crow, + I never have seen + Such a one as you, + Such a one as you + For stealing eggs." + + Said the Crow "Caw, caw, + I never have seen + Such a one myself, + And I am, I am sure + Longer in the world." + +Then the Crow flew away and the Lapwing went on complaining. + +The Crow flew away and he came to where the Peacock was walking in the +King's Garden. He asked the Peacock did he ever listen to stories. + +"No," said the Peacock as he mounted the steps of the terrace. "No. +Certainly not. I do not demean myself by listening to any of the +stories they tell down below there." He spread out his tail, and, that +he might view his own magnificence, he turned his blue, shining neck. + +Hoodie the grey-headed Crow with the bright sharp eyes hopped after +him. + +"Jewels! Kings! Magicians! Palaces! Dragons! What do geese, grouse and +farmyard fowl know of such things? And yet they presume to tell +stories! Tell stories that have nothing in them of Jewels, Kings, +Magicians, Palaces, or Dragons!" + +"Nothing at all about such things," said Hoodie the Crow, as he +plucked a feather out of the Peacock's tail. + +"Yet they will not listen to me," said Purpurpurati the Peacock. "They +affect even to scorn my voice! They pretend that it is less resonant +than the cock in the farmyard and less musical than the bird's that +sings at night." + +"They'd say anything," said Hoodie the Crow, keeping behind the +Peacock's tail. + +Purpurpurati the Peacock mounted higher on the terrace. "I shall walk +before the statue of the beautiful Queen yonder," he said, "and I +shall tell you a story. The reason that I shall tell you is that the +Queen always listens to me. But I would have her think that it is to +you that I am telling the story." + +"I'll listen to you," said Hoodie the Crow and he plucked another +feather out of the Peacock's tail. + +"When the Queen has been pleased with the sight of my tail, I shall +begin," said Purpurpurati, and he spread out his tail. Hoodie the Crow +plucked out three feathers. + +"How pleased she looks," said he. + +"Yes, she is always pleased by my appearance," the Peacock said, and +he turned round and walked the other way. + +"Did I ever tell you," said Hoodie, hiding the feathers behind a bush. +"Did I ever tell you how the Pigeon went to the Crow to learn the art +of nest-making?" + +"I do not know about such things," said Purpurpurati the Peacock. + +"I'll tell you and then you'll know," said Hoodie the Crow. + +[Illustration] + + The Crow is the Master-builder among the Birds and so it was + to the Crow that the Pigeon went to learn the art of + nest-making. "We begin with the sticks," said the Crow. "I + know," said the Pigeon. "First we take one stick and lay it + lengthwise." "I know," said the Pigeon. "Then we put a stick + across it," said the Crow. "I know," said the Pigeon. "And + then we put another stick lower down," said the Crow. "I + know," said the Pigeon. "Then we put another stick + lengthwise." "I know," said the Pigeon. "Musha," said the + Crow, "If you know so much, why do you come here at all? + Away with you! Fly home now and build the nest yourself." + The Pigeon flew home, but of course he was not able to build + his nest, for he knew nothing about the laying of sticks and + the bringing of straws, and he was too young and foolish to + learn when he got the chance. And that is why the Pigeon to + this day cannot build a nest. + +[Illustration] + +"Why do you tell such foolish stories?" said Purpurpurati the Peacock +when Hoodie had finished. + +"We have no other stories in our family," said Hoodie the Crow. "We +don't know about Jewels and Magicians and Palaces and Kings and +Dragons." + +"The Magician," said Purpurpurati the Peacock, "The Magician lived in +a Palace of red marble that was all surrounded by a forest of black, +black trees. I lived there too and I ate golden grains out of pails of +silver. That was long ago and it was in far India. + +"The Magician had precious stones of every kind and he would have me +walk beside him to the Cavern where he kept his precious stones, and +as he handled them over he would tell me of the virtues that each +stone possessed. And one day the Magician looking upon me said 'This +Peacock I will slay, for the beauty of his neck makes dull my +turquoises and the crest on his head is more shapely than my Persian +jewel-work.'" + +"Dear me, dear me!" said Hoodie the Crow. + +Hearing him say this, said the Peacock "I flew into the branches of a +dark, dark tree. And as I rested there the fair lady who walked about +the Garden--White-as-a-Pearl she was called and she was the Magician's +daughter--walked under the dark, dark trees, and I saw that she was +weeping. + +"I knew why she wept. She wept for the young man whom her father had +imprisoned in a tower. This young man was the son of a King, and the +Magician was his father's brother. And if the young man died the +Magician would become King in his brother's Kingdom. But the lady +White-as-a-Pearl did not want the young man to die. + +"A little snow-white dove flew down from the tower and spoke in words +to White-as-a-Pearl and asked her what word she had to send to the +young man. + +"'You must tell him terrible news, my little snow white dove,' said +White-as-a-Pearl. 'My father will have him go forth to fight with a +dragon. And this is a terrible dragon. Every young man who has gone +forth against him has been slain.' + +[Illustration: O most beauteous of all the birds, do you know of any +arms by which a hero can slay a dragon?] + +"The little snow white dove flew back to the tower and the Princess +White-as-a-Pearl stood under the dark, dark trees and wept again. And +when she saw me on my branch she said 'O most beauteous of all the +birds, do you know of any arms by which a hero can slay a terrible +dragon?' + +[Illustration] + +"Then I came down off my branch and I walked beside the Princess, and +as I walked beside her I told her the wonderful secrets I knew." + +"And what were the secrets," said Hoodie the Crow plucking a last +feather from the peacock's tail. "What were the secrets anyway?" + +"Can I tell them to a Crow?" said Purpurpurati the Peacock. "But I +will tell them. I told her the secrets I had learnt from the Magician +when he spoke of the virtues of his precious stones--a ruby in a man's +helmet would make a dragon's eyes go blind. A turquoise on his arm +would make a dragon's blood turn to water. A sapphire on his spear +would make a dragon's heart burst within him. + +"So the Princess White-as-a-Pearl went to her father's cavern and took +the precious stones I spoke of and gave them to the King's son. And he +went forth the next day and when he came to him the dragon's eyes were +blinded, and his blood turned to water and his heart burst within him. +And the King's son cut off his head and brought it into the Palace. +Then the Magician fled amongst the dark, dark trees and I was given +the red marble palace to live in." + +"I lived in Lapland," said Hoodie the Crow. "And who do you think I +knew there?" + +"No one of any dignity," said Purpurpurati the Peacock. + +"I knew your White-as-a-Pearl. She had become an old ugly +witch-woman." + +"Base crow!" said Purpurpurati and he walked up the steps and went +away. + +Then Hoodie the Crow dressed himself in the feathers he had stolen +from the Peacock and went away and walked across the field admiring +himself. But a Fox that had promised to bring a Peacock to his +Mother-in-law saw Hoodie the Crow and stole up beside him and caught +him in his mouth and carried him away. And that was the end of Hoodie +who was such a clever crow. "This Peacock is very tough," said the +Fox's Mother-in-law as she ate Hoodie. "What would your Ladyship +have?" said Rory the Fox. "Peacock is always tough." + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: The Treasure of King Labraid Lorc] + + + + +The Treasure of King Labraid Lorc + + +[Illustration] + +Kingfisher-all-Blue used to sit on the branch that went furthest +across the stream with his head bent down and looking as if he were +trying to think his head off. Only in the most lonesome places, far +from where the hens cackled and the geese gabbled and the cocks crew, +would the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said find him. And when he did +find him Kingfisher-all-Blue would not open his beak to say one +word--no, not even when the Boy would say "Where did you get your +beautiful color?" and "Why is your beak so big, little +Kingfisher-all-Blue?" + +Now one day when he had left behind him the hens that cackled, the +geese that gabbled and the cocks that crew, and had left behind him +too the old raven that built in the lone tree he came where +Kingfisher-all-Blue sat upon the slenderest branch that went farthest +across the stream. And when Kingfisher-all-Blue saw him he lifted up +his head and he fixed his eye upon him and he cried out the one word +"Follow." Then he went flying down the stream as if he were not a bird +at all but a streak of blue fire. + +Kingfisher-all-Blue went flying along the stream and the Boy Who Knew +What the Birds Said was able to follow him. They went on until the +stream they followed came out on the sand of the sea-shore. Then +Kingfisher-all-Blue seated himself on a branch that was just above +where the grains of sand and the blades of grass mixed with each other +and he fixed his eye on a mound of sand and clay. And when the Boy Who +Knew What the Birds Said came beside him Kingfisher-all-Blue said the +one word "Find." + +Then the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said began to take the sand and +clay from the mound. He worked all day at it and Kingfisher-all-Blue +sat on the branch above and watched him. And at evening, when all the +sand and clay had been taken away by him the Boy Who Knew What the +Birds Said came upon a stone that was as big and as round as the wheel +of a cart. + +And when he had brushed away the grains of sand that was on the round +stone he saw a writing. The writing was in OGHAM, but at that time +even boys could read OGHAM. And the Ogham writing said YOU HAVE LUCK +TO HAVE SEEN THIS SIDE OF THE STONE BUT YOU WILL HAVE MORE LUCK WHEN +YOU SEE THE OTHER SIDE. + +When he read that he looked up to where the bird sat, but +Kingfisher-all-Blue only said "I am done with you now," and then he +flew back along the stream like a streak of blue fire. + +The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said stayed near the stone until the +dark was coming on. Then he thought he would go home and in the +morning he would speak to Pracaun the Crow and ask her about the stone +that Kingfisher-all-Blue had brought him to and what good luck there +was at the other side of it. + +Pracaun the Crow came to the standing stone in the morning and ate the +boiled potato that the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said brought her, +and then the Boy spoke to her about the stone that Kingfisher-all-Blue +had brought him to, and he asked what good luck there was at the other +side of it. + +"Kingfisher-all-Blue has brought you to good luck that none of the +rest of us could have shown you," said Pracaun the Crow. "Under that +round stone is the treasure of King Labraid Lorc." + +"Who was King Labraid Lorc and what was his treasure?" said the Boy +Who Knew What the Birds Said. + +"I will tell you first about King Labraid Lorc," said Pracaun the +Crow. "He was King of this part of the country and of two lovely +Islands that are now sunken deep in the sea. Mananaun Mac Lir who is +Lord of the Sea was his friend and Labraid Lorc would have been a +happy King only for--well, I'll tell you in a while what troubles he +had. + +"No one knew where the King had come from. He was not born King of +this part of the country nor of the lovely Islands that are now deep +sunken under the sea. Mananaun who is Lord of the Sea had given him +the Islands, or rather he had given him the two keys that had brought +the Islands up from the bottom of the sea. Two silver keys they were, +O lad. And when they were brought together they struck each other and +rang like bells. And 'Labraid Lorc is King, King of the two Fair +Islands' is what they chimed out. As long as he held the keys the +Islands would remain above the water. But if he put the keys away the +Islands would sink back into the sea. + +"Once in every month the King had a man killed. This is how it was. He +would have a man to shave his beard and to trim his hair. This man +never came alive out of the King's Castle. As soon as the poor barber +left the King's chamber and passed down the hall soldiers would fall +upon him and kill him with their swords. Every time when the King's +beard was shaved and his hair was trimmed a man was killed--twelve men +in a year, a hundred and forty-four men in twelve years! + +"Now a warning came to a woman that her son would be called upon to be +the next barber to the King. She was a widow and the young man was her +only son. She was wild with grief when she thought that he would be +killed by the soldiers' swords as soon as he had shaved the King's +beard and trimmed the King's hair. + +"She went everywhere the King rode. She threw herself before him and +asked for the life of her son. And at last the King promised that no +harm would befall her son's life if he swore he would tell no person +what he saw when he shaved the King's beard and trimmed the King's +hair. After that he would be always the King's barber. + +"The widow's son came before the King and he swore he would tell no +person what he saw when he shaved his beard and trimmed his hair. Then +he went into the King's Chamber. And when he came out from it the +King's soldiers did not fall upon him and kill him with their swords. +The widow's son went home out of the Castle. + +"His mother cried over him with joy at seeing him back. The next day he +went to work at his trade and his mother watched him and was +contented in her mind. But the day after her son only worked by fits +and starts, and the day after that he did no work at all but sat over +the fire looking into the burning coals. + +"And after that the widow's son became sick and lay on his bed and no +one could tell what was the matter with him. He became more and more +ill and at last his mother thought that he had only escaped the +soldiers' swords to come home and die in his house. And when she +thought of that she said to herself that she would go see the Druid +who lived at the back of the hill and beg him to come to see her son +and strive to cure him. The Druid came and he looked into the eyes of +the young man and he said 'He has a secret upon his mind, and if he +does not tell it he will die.' + +"Then his mother told the Druid that he had sworn not to tell any +person what he saw when he shaved the King's beard and trimmed the +King's hair, and that what he saw was his secret. Said the Druid 'If +he wants to live he will have to speak out his secret. But it need not +be to any person. Let him go to the meeting of two roads, turn with +the sun and tell his secret to the first tree on his right hand. And +when he feels he has told his secret your son will get the better of +his sickness.' + +[Illustration] + +"When this was told to the young man he got up off his bed and he +walked to where two roads met. He turned as the sun turns and he +whispered into the branches of the first tree on his right hand. And +the secret that he whispered was 'King Labraid Lorc has the ears of a +horse.' Then he turned from the tree and he went home. He slept, and +in the morning when he woke he was well and he went to his work and he +was happy and cheerful. + +"But the tree that he whispered his secret to was a willow, and, as you +know, out of the branches of the willow the harp is made. As the +widow's son went away a Harper seeking wood to make a new harp came +that way. He saw the willow and he knew that its branches were just +right for the making of his harp. He cut them and he bent them and he +formed a harp from them. And when the harp was firmly fixed the Harper +came with it to the King's Castle. + +"The King gave a feast so that the first music that came from the harp +should be honored. He made the Harper sit near his own High Chair. +Then, when the feast was at its height he called upon the Harper to +stand up and strike the first music from the new harp. + +"'The first music from the new harp shall be praise of the King,' said +the Harper when he stood up. He drew his fingers across the strings +and all listened for the first music that would come. But the harp +that was made out of the willow branches that the widow's son had +whispered to murmured 'Labraid Lorc has the ears of a horse, Labraid +Lorc has the ears of a horse.' The King started up from his High +Chair. The Harper threw down the harp. Everyone was silent in the +hall. Then one voice was heard saying 'It is true. The King Labraid +Lorc has the ears of a horse.' + +"The King had the man who said it taken by his soldiers and flung from +the top of the Castle. No one else spoke. But the next day when he +rode abroad the King heard the people behind the hedges saying +'Labraid Lorc has the ears of a horse.' + +"After that, whenever he came near them, people went from him, and at +last no one was left in his Castle. And there was no one to take him +over to the fair Islands that Mananaun, Lord of the Sea, had given him +for a possession. And there was no one to bring over the fruits that +grew on the islands nor the cattle and sheep that pastured there. + +"Then the King went to Mananaun, Lord of the Sea, and he offered him +back the keys Mananaun had given him--the silver keys that struck each +other when they were brought together and rang like bells, chiming out +'Labraid Lorc is King, is King of the two Fair Islands.' But no gift +that Mananaun gives is ever taken back and the keys were still left +with Labraid Lorc. Yet he thought he would let the keys go out of his +possession so that the Fair Islands would sink back into the sea. But +that they might not stay at the bottom of the sea for ever he took the +keys and he put them in a pit at the sea-shore and he covered the pit +with a round stone, and knowing that it would be only a lucky person +who would come to that stone, he wrote in Ogham writing on it YOU HAVE +LUCK TO HAVE SEEN THIS SIDE OF THE STONE BUT YOU WILL HAVE MORE LUCK +WHEN YOU SEE THE OTHER SIDE. + +[Illustration: "Ernan is Lord, is Lord of the Fair Islands."] + +"As he left the silver keys there the Fair Islands began to sink in the +water. So slow were they in sinking that the cattle and sheep that +pastured on the islands were taken off in boats and the people who +lived in villages on the Islands came away with all they owned. But at +last the Islands sank altogether out of sight. And after they went +down into the sea King Labraid Lorc was seen no more. + +"And you, O Boy, are the lucky one that the King hid the silver keys +for. When you take them into your hands the Islands will begin to +rise above the water and when they are altogether risen and are called +the Fair Islands again you will be Lord of them. And +Kingfisher-all-Blue, the one we thought had no care but for himself, +brought you to this good fortune." + + * * * * * + +Day after day the Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said went down to the +sea-shore and worked to lift up the round stone that was over the pit +in which King Labraid Lorc had put his silver keys. And one day he was +able to raise up the stone. There lay the great keys, shining in their +silver brightness. He took them up, and when he brought them near each +other they struck together and they rang like bells. "Mananaun" was +the the name they chimed out. And they chimed again "Ernan is Lord, is +Lord of the Fair Islands." + +Looking out to sea, the boy Ernan saw waters rising up as though +whales were spouting fountains. And the next day, when he came to the +sea-shore, he saw that Islands had risen and that they were already +covered with green. + +No longer he listened to what the Birds said but he watched the +Islands every day and he saw trees and grass come upon them. And when +the people came and said "Who can be Lord of these Islands?" he held +up the silver keys and brought them together so that they struck each +other and rang like bells. "Ernan is Lord, Lord of the Fair Islands" +was what they chimed out. Each day the Islands grew fairer in the +sight of the people, and Ernan was called, not "The Boy Who Knew What +the Birds Said," but "Ernan, Lord of the Fair Islands." + +[Illustration] + + +[Illustration: THE END] + +Printed in the United States of America. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes + +Minor punctuation and capitalization changes have been made for text +consistency. Some illustrations have been moved to avoid breaking up +paragraphs. + +Page 125: Blue Ben has been changed to Blue Hen. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said, by +Padraic Colum + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY WHO KNEW *** + +***** This file should be named 24493.txt or 24493.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/4/9/24493/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Diane Monico, and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. 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