Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/39

 Rh he himself who would go to her with food, and the companion with her was a dummy woman. Mananaun left this enchantment with Kian, son of Contje, that any lock he laid his hand on would open and shut after him. He was looking at Balar Beimann going to this house, to his daughter, with food for her, and he went himself after him to the house, and he laid his hand on the lock and opened the door, and found none but the two women there. He made a fire for them. He was coming there ever, till a child happened to her. He was then going to depart, when the boy was born. He went to the king and told him he must depart.

"Why are you going?" said he.

"It is because accidents have happened to me since I came into this island. I must go."

"What is the accident?" said he.

"A child has happened to me."

Balar had two sons on another island learning druidism. They came home to the palace to their father.

"Father," said a man of them, "your story-teller, your cook, and your fireman will give you your sufficiency of trouble."

Kian, son of Contje, was listening to them speaking. He went to the daughter of Balar Beimann, and told her what her brother said.

"Well," said she, "it is now time for you to