Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/199

 Rh "I have plenty of bread myself," said the king's son.

He went in, got a knife, and began cutting the loaf, until the table was filled with pieces of bread, and yet the loaf was as big as it was when he began. Then they prepared a supper for him, and when he ate his enough, he went to sleep. When he was departing in the morning, they asked of him, for the honour of God, to leave the loaf with them, and he left it with them.

The three things were now gone from him.

He walked the fourth day until he came to a great river, and he had no way to get across it. He went upon his knees, and asked of God to send him help. After half a minute, he saw the beautiful woman he saw the day he left the house of the first hag. When she came near him, she said: "Son of the king of the castle of Bwee-sounnee, has it succeeded with you?"

"I got the thing I went in search of," said the king's son; "but I do not know how I shall pass over this river."

She drew out a thimble and said: "Bad is the day I would see your father's son without a boat."

Then she threw the thimble into the river, and made a splendid boat of it.

"Get into that boat now," said she; "and when you will come to the other side, there will be a steed before you to bring you as far as the cross-road, where you left your brothers."

The king's son stepped into the boat, and it was not long until he was at the other side, and there he found a white steed before him. He went riding on it, and it went off as swiftly as the wind. At about twelve o'clock on that day, he was at the cross-roads. The king's son looked round him, and he did not see his brothers, nor any stone set up, and he said to himself, "perhaps they