Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/194

 132 upon the road throw it up before you, and follow it till you come to the house of my sister."

When he went out on the road he threw down the ball, and he was following it until the sun was going under the shadow of the hills. Then he went into a wood, and came to the door of a little house. When he struck the door, a hag opened it and said:

"A hundred thousand welcomes before you, son of the king of the castle of Bwee-sounee, who were at my sister's house last night. You made a long journey to-day. Sit down; I have a supper ready for you."

When the king's son ate and drank his enough, the hag put him to sleep, and he did not wake up till the morning. Then the hag asked:

"Where are you going?"

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

"I am over five hundred years of age," said the hag, "and I never heard talk of that place before; but I have a brother, and if there is any such place in the world, he'll know of it. He is living seven hundred miles from here."

"It's a long journey," said the king's son.

"You'll be there to-night," said the hag.

Then she gave him a little garraun (nag, gelding) about the size of a goat.

"That little beast won't be able to carry me," said the king's son.

"Wait till you go riding on it," said the hag.

The king's son got on the garraun, and out for ever with him as fast as lightning.

When the sun was going under, that evening, he came to a little house in a wood. The king's son got off the garraun, went in, and it was not long till an old grey man came out, and said:

"A hundred thousand welcomes to you, son of the