Part 2 (1/2)

And the children kissed the mermaid, and with sad hearts, bidding her good-by, they walked along the golden strand. When they had gone what seemed to them a long way, they began to feel weary; and just then they saw coming towards them a little man in a red jacket leading a coal-black steed.

When they met the little man, he said: ”Connla, put Nora up on this steed; then jump up before her.”

Connla did as he was told, and when both of them were mounted--

”Now, Connla,” said the little man, ”catch the bridle in your hands, and you, Nora, clasp Connla round the waist, and close your eyes.”

They did as they were bidden, and then the little man said, ”Swash, swis.h.!.+” and the steed shot up from the strand like a lark from the gra.s.s, and pierced the covering sea, and went bounding on over the level waters; and when his hoofs struck the hard ground, Connla and Nora opened their eyes, and they saw that they were galloping towards a shady wood.

On went the steed, and soon he was galloping beneath the branches that almost touched Connla's head. And on they went until they had pa.s.sed through the wood, and then they saw rising up before them the ”Golden Spear.”

”Oh, Connla,” said Nora, ”we are at home at last.”

”Yes,” said Connla, ”but where is the little house under the hill?”

And no little house was there; but in its stead was standing a lime-white mansion.

”What can this mean?” said Nora.

But before Connla could reply, the steed had galloped up to the door of the mansion, and, in the twinkling of an eye, Connla and Nora were standing on the ground outside the door, and the steed had vanished.

Before they could recover from their surprise the little mother came rus.h.i.+ng out to them, and flung her arms around their necks, and kissed them both again and again.

”Oh, children! children! You are welcome home to me; for though I knew it was all for the best, my heart was lonely without you.”

And Connla and Nora caught up the little mother in their arms, and they carried her into the hall and set her down on the floor.

”Oh, Nora!” said the little mother, ”you are a head over me; and as for you, Connla, you look almost as tall as one of the round towers of Erin.”

”That's what the fairy queen said, mother,” said Nora.

”Blessings on the fairy queen,” said the little mother. ”Turn round, Connla, till I look at you.”

Connla turned round, and the little mother said:

”Oh, Connla, with your golden helmet and your spear, and your glancing s.h.i.+eld, and your silken cloak, you look like a king. But take them off, my boy, beautiful as they are. Your little mother would like to see you, her own brave boy, without any fairy finery.”

And Connla laid aside his spear and s.h.i.+eld, and took off his golden helmet and his silken cloak. Then he caught the little mother and kissed her, and lifted her up until she was as high as his head. And said he:

”Don't you know, little mother, I'd rather have you than all the world.”

And that night, when they were sitting down by the fire together, you may be sure that in the whole world no people were half as happy as Nora, Connla, and the little mother.

THE HOUSE IN THE LAKE[2]

A long, long time ago there lived in a little hut, in the midst of one of the inland lakes of Erin, an old fisherman and his son. The hut was built on stakes driven into the bed of the lake, and was so high above the waters that even when they were stirred into waves by the wind coming down from the mountains they did not reach the threshold of the door. Around, outside the hut, on a level with the floor, was a little wicker-work platform, and under the platform, close to the steps leading up to it from the water, the fisherman's curragh, made of willows, covered with skins, was moored, and it was only by means of the curragh that he and his son, Enda, could leave their lake dwelling.

On many a summer evening Enda lay stretched on the platform, watching the sunset fading from the mountain-tops, and the twilight creeping over the waters of the lake, and it chanced that once when he was so engaged he heard a rustle in a clump of sedge that grew close to one side of the hut. He turned to where the sound came from, and what should he see but an otter swimming towards him, with a little trout in his mouth.