Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/193

Rh trunk of a great tree. When he went up to it he found it written: "This is the seat of travellers."

The king's son sat down, and after a minute he saw the most lovely woman in the world coming towards him, and she dressed in red silk, and she said to him:

"I often heard that it is better to go forward than back."

Then she went out of his sight as though the ground should swallow her.

The king's son rose up and went forward. He walked that day till the darkness of the night was coming on, and he did not know where to get lodgings. He saw a light in a wood, and he drew towards it. The light was in a little house. There was not as much as the end of a feather jutting up on the outside nor jutting down on the inside, but only one single feather that was keeping up the house. He knocked at the door, and an old hag opened it.

"God save all here," says the king's son.

"A hundred welcomes before you, son of the king of the castle of Bwee-sounee," said the hag.

"How do you know me?" said the king's son.

"It was my sister nursed you," said the hag, "and sit down till I get your supper ready."

When he ate and drank his enough, she put him to sleep till morning. When he rose up in the morning, he prayed to God to direct him on the road of his luck.

"How far will you go to-day?" said the hag.

"I don't know," said the king's son. "I'm in search of the Well of D'yerree-in-Dowan."

"I'm three hundred years here," said the hag, "and I never heard of such a place before; but I have a sister older than myself, and, perhaps, she may know of it. Here is a ball of silver for you, and when you will go out