Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/216

 184 And in the morning on the third day the wise old man spoke to the king, and said to him that he had seen a beautiful woman come in by the window on two days, and that he got his sight when she came in and lost it when she went out; and (said he) “Stretch yourself here to-day, and when she comes in and makes wine of the water, catch her as she is going out.”

And he did so, and the third brother said to his sister,—

“Go down to-day, and do good in return for evil, and make the wine.”

And she did this; and as she was going out the man caught her. And when her brothers heard that she was caught they went away. And she asked him to give her leave to take just one look at her brothers.

“Here's the corner of my apron.”

And he took hold of the corner of her apron, and she left him the apron and went away after her brothers. When they saw her coming again they waited for her, and she asked them if there was anything at all in the world that would make them alive again; and they said there was one thing only and that hard it was to do.

“What is it?” said she, “and I will try it.”

“To make three shirts of the ivy-leaves in a day and a year, without uttering a word of speech