Page:The book of wonder voyages (1919).djvu/128

 Not long thereafter they came to an island upon which dwelt a miller, vast of bulk and hideous of aspect; and if he was hideous, still more hideous was his mill.

"What mill may this be?" asked the wayfarers.

Then he made reply:

"Whatever in broad Erin, and in all the four brown quarters of the globe, is not given cheerfully and with a willing heart is ground here. And truly, I tell you, half of the corn of Erin passes through my mill."

Even as he spoke they saw countless laden horses and human beings bending under the weight of heavy sacks, and all were going to and from the mill. And ever the unground corn came from the east, and ever the ground corn was carried westward.

They marveled greatly at these things.

"What is the name of thy mill?" asked they again.

Then he told them it was the mill of Hell.

Thereupon they crossed themselves with the sign of Christ's cross, and departed in their boat.

Then they came to a large island peopled with many human beings, black in body and raiment. They wore fillets round their heads, and they rested not from wailing.

Lots were cast as to who should land, and the unlucky lot fell to one of Maelduin's two foster-brothers. He went on shore, and when he mingled with the wailing people he at once became as one of them, and wept and wailed too. Maelduin would fain have rescued him,