The King of Irelands Son | Page 7

ground, and as soon as the clear day came
he began to watch for the three swans.

III
They came, they flew down, and when they touched the ground they
trans- formed themselves into three maidens and went to bathe in the
lake. The one who carried the green scarf left her swanskin under a
bush. The King's Son took it and hid it in a hollow tree.
Two of the maidens soon came out of the water, put on their swanskins
and flew away as swans. The younger maiden stayed for a while in the
lake. Then she came out and began to search for her swanskin. She
searched and searched, and at last the King's Son heard her say, "I
would do anything in the world for the creature who would find my
swanskin for me." Then he came from where he was hiding and gave
her the swanskin. "I am the Son of the King of Ireland," he said, "and I
want you to show me the way to your father's dominion."
"I would prefer to do anything else for you," said the maiden. "I do not
want anything else," said the King of Ireland's Son.
"If I show you how to get there will you be content?"
"I shall be content."

"You must never let my father know that I showed you the way. And
he must not know when you come that you are the King of Ireland's
Son."
"I will not tell him you showed me the way and I will not let him know
who I am."
Now that she had the swanskin she was able to transform herself. She
whistled and a blue falcon came down and perched on a tree. "That
falcon is my own bird," said she. "Follow where it flies and you will
come to my father's house. And now good-by to you. You will be in
danger, but I will try to help you. Fedelma is my name." She rose up as
a swan and flew away.
The blue falcon went flying from bush to bush and from rock to rock.
The night came, but in the morning the blue falcon was seen again. The
King's Son followed, and at last he saw a house before him. He went in,
and there, seated on a chair of gold was the man who seemed so tall
when he threw down the cards upon the heap of stones. The Enchanter
did not recognize the King's Son without his hawk and his hound and
the fine clothes he used to wear. He asked who he was and the King's
Son said he was a youth who had just finished an apprenticeship to a
wizard. "And," said he, "I have heard that you have three fair daughters,
and I came to strive to gain one of them for a wife."
"In that case," said the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands, "you will
have to do three tasks for me. If you are able to do them I will give you
one of my three daughters in marriage. If you fail to do any one of them
you will lose your head. Are you willing to make the trial?"
"I am willing," said the King of Ireland's Son.
"Then I shall give you your first task to-morrow. It is unlucky that you
came to-day. In this country we eat a meal only once a week, and we
have had our meal this morning."
"It is all the same to me," said the King's Son, "I can do without food or
drink for a month without any hardship."

"I suppose you can do without sleep too?" said the Enchanter of the
Black Back-Lands.
"Easily," said the King of Ireland's Son.
"That is good. Come outside now, and I'll show you your bed." He took
the King's Son outside and showed him a dry narrow water-tank at the
gable end of the house. "There is where you are to sleep" said the
Enchanter. "Tuck yourself into it now and be ready for your first task at
the rising of the sun."
The King of Ireland's Son went into the little tank. He was
uncomfortable there you may be sure. But in the middle of the night
Fedelma came and brought him into a fine room where he ate and then
slept until the sun was about to rise in the morning. She called him and
he went outside and laid himself down in the water-tank.
As soon as the sun rose the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands came
out of the house and stood beside the water-tank. "Come now," said he,
"and I will show you the first task you have to perform." He took him
to where a herd of goats was grazing. Away from