Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/197

 Rh queen and eleven waiting-maids asleep, and a sword of light hung above the head of the queen. It was it that was giving light to the whole castle.

When he saw the queen, he said to himself: "It's a pity to leave that pretty mouth without kissing it. He kissed the queen, and she never awoke; and after that he did the same to the eleven maidens. Then he got the sword, the bottle, and the loaf, and came to the old man, but he never told him that he had those things.

"How did you get on?" said the old man.

"I got the thing I was in search of," said the king's son.

"Did you see any marvel since you left me?" said the old man.

The king's son told him that he had seen a wonderful loaf, bottle, and sword.

"You did not touch them?" said the old man; "shun them, for they would bring trouble on you. Come on my back now till I bring you across the river."

When they went to the house of the old man, he put water out of the bottle on himself, and made a young man of himself. Then he said to the king's son:

"My sisters and myself are now free from enchantment, and they are young women again."

The king's son remained there until most part of the year and day were gone. Then he began the journey home; but, my grief, he had not the little nag with him. He walked the first day until the darkness of the night was coming on. He saw a large house. He went to the door, struck it, and the man of the house came out to him.

"Can you give me lodgings?" said he.

"I can," said the man of the house, "only I have no light to light you."

"I have a light myself," said the king's son.