Page:The Boy Who Knew What The Birds Said.djvu/144

 "and I declare to you that I shall take no other gift unless it be the maiden who was here dancing by the sea."

"It must be then that I give her you," said Mananaun, and his face was dark.

Down he went to the Kingdom-Under-Wave and he came to the black mansion where lived the Seven Spinning Women of the Sea. He spoke as speaks a King who has a hard thing to do. "A law has to be broken," said he, "What law, Lord?" said the Spinning Women. "The law that saves our Maidens from taking part in the