Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/229

 Rh The younger children were running on first to the house, being hungry, and the eldest was coming, reading a book, after them. The father was standing at the gate on the inside, and he threw him a purse of money, and told him he must go seek his fortune, that he gave him to God and to the Djachwi.

He went and spent that night with the old druid. He rose in the morning and washed his face, and prayed to God to put him in luck again until evening. He gave a good heap of the gold to the old druid. The old druid gave him a card and a bridle, and told him that any beast he would rub the card to, if his skin was full of disease, would be cured. He went away that morning and he met with a king upon the road. The king asked him,—

“What are you seeking?”

“I am seeking a master,” said he.

“Your like is what I am wanting,” said the king. “I have three hundred horses and there is not one of them fit to put to my carriage, they are so full of lumps in their skin.”

“I am able to cure them,” said the other.

“How much do you ask till the end of a day and a year?”

“I'll be asking of you nothing at all but the