Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/163

 Rh anything else whatever. And it was not long till the serpent cried out, “Throw me the Irish person you have on board.”

“We have no Irish person in the ship,” said the king's son, “for it is foreign people we are; but we have meat we took from Eire, and, if you wish, we will give you that.”

“Give it to me,” said the serpent, “and everything else you took from Eire.”

He threw out a quarter of the beef, and the serpent went away that day, and on the morrow morning she came again, and they threw out another quarter, and one every day till the meat was gone. And the next day the serpent came again and she cried out to the king's son, “Throw the Irish flesh out to me.”

“I have no more flesh,” said the prince.

“If you have not flesh, you have an Irish person,” said the serpent, “and don't be telling your lies to me any longer. I knew from the beginning that you had an Irish person in the ship, and unless you throw her out to me, and quickly, I will eat yourself and your men.”

Margaret came up, and no sooner did the serpent see her than she opened her mouth, and put on an appearance as if she were going to swallow the ship.

“I will not be guilty of the death of you all,” said Margaret; “get me a boat, and if I go far