The Golden Spears | Page 5

your eyes," said the little man.
And when the children did so they saw beneath the horse's feet a
golden strand, and above their heads the sea like a transparent cloud
between them and the sky. And once more they heard the fairy music,
and marching on the strand before them were the nine little pipers.
"You must get off now," said the little man, "I can go no farther with
you."
The children scrambled down, and the little man cried "swish," and
himself and the steed shot up through the sea, and they saw him no
more. Then they set out after the nine little pipers, and it wasn't long
until they saw rising up from the golden strand and pushing their heads
up into the sea above, a mass of dark gray rocks. And as they were
gazing at them they saw the rocks opening, and the nine little pipers
disappearing through them.
The children hurried on, and when they came up close to the rocks they
saw sitting on a flat and polished stone a mermaid combing her golden
hair, and singing a strange sweet song that brought the tears to their
eyes, and by the mermaid's side was a little sleek brown otter.
When the mermaid saw them she flung her golden tresses back over her
snow-white shoulders, and she beckoned the children to her. Her large
eyes were full of sadness; but there was a look so tender upon her face
that the children moved towards her without any fear.
"Come to me, little one," she said to Nora, "come and kiss me," and in
a second her arms were around the child. The mermaid kissed her again
and again; as the tears rushed to her eyes, she said:
"Oh, Nora, mavourneen, your breath is as sweet as the wild rose that

blooms in the green fields of Erin, and happy are you, my children,
who have come so lately from the pleasant land. Oh, Connla! Connla! I
get the scent of the dew of the Irish grasses and of the purple heather
from your feet. And you both can soon return to Erin of the Streams,
but I shall not see it till three hundred years have passed away, for I am
Liban the Mermaid, daughter of a line of kings. But I may not keep you
here. The Fairy Queen is waiting for you in her snow-white palace and
her fragrant bowers. And now kiss me once more, Nora, and kiss me,
Connla. May luck and joy go with you, and all gentleness be upon you
both."[1]
Then the children said good-by to the mermaid, and the rocks opened
for them and they passed through, and soon they found themselves in a
meadow starred with flowers, and through the meadow sped a sunlit
stream. They followed the stream until it led them into a garden of
roses, and beyond the garden, standing on a gentle hill, was a palace
white as snow. Before the palace was a crowd of fairy maidens pelting
each other with rose-leaves. But when they saw the children they gave
over their play, and came trooping towards them.
"Our queen is waiting for you," they said; and then they led the
children to the palace door. The children entered, and after passing
through a long corridor they found themselves in a crystal hall so like
the one they had seen in the mountain of the golden spear that they
thought it was the same. But on all the crystal couches fairies, dressed
in silken robes of many colors, were sitting, and at the end of the hall,
on a crystal throne, was seated the fairy queen, looking lovelier than the
evening star. The queen descended from her throne to meet the children,
and taking them by the hands, she led them up the shining steps. Then,
sitting down, she made them sit beside her, Connla on her right hand
and Nora on her left.
Then she ordered the nine little pipers to come before her, and she said
to them:
"So far you have done your duty faithfully, and now play one more
sweet air and your task is done."

And the little pipers played, and from the couches at the first sound of
the music all the fairies rose, and forming partners, they danced over
the crystal floor as lightly as the young leaves dancing in the wind.
Listening to the fairy music, and watching the wavy motion of the
dancing fairies, the children fell asleep. When they awoke next
morning and rose from their silken beds they were no longer children.
Nora was a graceful and stately maiden, and Connla a handsome and
gallant youth. They looked at each other for a moment in surprise, and
then Connla said: