Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 4, 1893.djvu/194

 186 He gave the Boots of Swiftness to the farmer, who said he wouldn't get them married unless Whittlegaire brought him the Sword of Lightning.

So Whittlegaire went, and he brought a little bag of salt with him, and went up on the house. There was a pot of meat on the fire boiling, and he began shaking down the salt until he dried up all the water and it began to burn. The old woman told her daughter to go out for a gallon of water.

"Oh!" said the daughter, "if Whittlegaire catches me, sure he will kill me."

"Oh, bring the Sword of Lightning with you," said the old woman; "and if he's coming, you will surely see him."

So when the girl stooped to the well to lift the gallon of water, he threw her in and drowned her, and snatched the Sword of Lightning and ran away with it.

The old woman came out and saw him run, and when he got over the river he waited.

"Whittlegaire," she says, "you killed my three daughters, you stole my Quilt of Diamonds, and my Boots of Swiftness, and now you have my Sword of Lightning."

"Go along, you old rap," said he; I'll do more than that to you!"

So he brought the Sword of Lightning to the farmer.

The farmer then promised his youngest daughter to Whittlegaire himself, and said he would give them a good farm if he would bring him the Steed of Bells which was in the old woman's stable. This steed had his hair plaited, and on every plait there was a bell. Whittlegaire went to steal the steed, and the horse shook, and every bell rang.

The old woman came out. "Whittlegaire," you're here," said she; "and if I get you, I'll kill you." So she looked through the whole stable, and she couldn't find him, for he hid.

When he got her asleep again he went to steal the