Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 5, 1894.djvu/215

Rh that they would do their utmost to put her to death for getting such a noble lord. The old woman had told her to sit on the steed, and not to go in the lord's chariot on the journey, so Cul-corrach told the lord he must either take another steed or go in his chariot, and do his best to keep up with her, and she'd show she was nobler blood than he thought.

When they came to the lord's castle there was great preparation, for the like of it was never seen in that country before.

When Cul-corrach came near to her first birth, her eldest sister, Cul-fin, came to be near her, and she took the child when he was born and threw him out on the heap behind the castle. But the herdsman was out that day, and saw the infant put out, and he took the child, for his own wife had no family.

What had the sister put but a little cat in the infant's place, and when the lord came in to see his child it was a young kitten was rolled up and shown to him.

Said he, "Why, why, that's a shame; it's bad enough, but it might be worse!"

Soon after Cul-fin went home, and the two sisters were plotting what they could do next time. So Cul-fin came back the next time, and when the child was born she put it out again, and put a little pup in the child's place; and when the lord came in and saw it was a young pup, he said, "Fy, fy, that is bad; but it might be worse!" The herdsman had seen the child put out, and he took it home, so he had the two children, and the neighbours said he was doing well; but, indeed, it was the lord's children he was getting.

The sisters plotted again, that it was no use getting on that way, for the lord would never do anything to Cul-corrach. So they said they'd try the third time, and when the child was born they sent the nurse away, saying that Cul-fin was fit to mind her sister. Then they put a young pig in the child's place, and the lord said it was bad indeed,