Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/192

130 went on by himself. He walked all that day without knowing where he was going. As the darkness of the night came on he was entering a great wood, and he was going forwards in the wood, until he came to a large house. He went in and looked round him, but he saw nobody, except a large white cat sitting beside the fire. When the cat saw him she rose up and went into another room. He was tired and sat beside the fire. It was not long till the door of the chamber opened, and there came out an old hag.

"One hundred thousand welcomes before you, son of the king of Connacht," says the hag.

"How did you know me?" says the king's son.

"Oh, many's the good day I spent in your father's castle in Bwee-sounee, and I know you since you were born," said the hag.

Then she prepared him a fine supper, and gave it to him. When he had eaten and drunk enough, she said to him:

"You made a long journey to-day; come with me until I show you a bed. Then she brought him to a fine chamber, showed him a bed, and the king's son fell asleep. He did not awake until the sun was coming in on the windows the next morning.

Then he rose up, dressed himself, and was going out, when the hag asked him where he was going.

"I don't know," said the king's son. "I left home to find out the Well of D'yerree-in-Dowan."

"I'm after walking a good many places," said the hag, "but I never heard talk of the Well of D'yerree-in-Dowan before."

The king's son went out, and he was travelling till he came to a cross-roads between two woods. He did not know which road to take. He saw a seat under the