Part 13 (1/2)

The king's son, thinking only of his bride, forgot all about the horse that had brought him over the long road. When at last he went to see him, the stable was empty; the horse had gone. And neither his father in Erin nor the stepmother came to his mind, he was living so pleasantly in the East. But after he had been there a long time, and a son and a daughter had been born to him, he remembered his father. Then he made up his mind not to let the stepmother's son be heir to the kingdom in place of himself. So taking his wife and children, he left the East and travelled to Erin. He stopped on the road, and sent word to the father that he was coming.

When the stepmother heard the news, a great weakness came on her. She fell into a fit and died.

The king's son waited in a convenient place till the funeral was over, and then he came to the castle and lived with his father. He was not long in the place when he sent messengers to know could they find the cowboy that the stepmother banished for telling about the sleeping-pin.

They brought the cowboy to the castle, and the king made him his coachman.

The cowboy was not twelve months in his new place before he married.

Then the king's son gave him a fine piece of land to live on, with six cows and four horses. There was not a happier man in the kingdom than the cowboy. When the father died, the king's son became king in Erin himself.

THE FISHERMAN'S SON AND THE GRUAGACH OF TRICKS.

There was an old fisherman once in Erin who had a wife and one son.

The old fisherman used to go about with a fis.h.i.+ng-rod and tackle to the rivers and lochs and every place where fish resort, and he was killing salmon and other fish to keep the life in himself and his wife and son.

The son was not so keen nor so wise as another, and the father was instructing him every day in fis.h.i.+ng, so that if himself should be taken from the world, the son would be able to support the old mother and get his own living.

One day when the father and son were fis.h.i.+ng in a river near the sea, they looked out over the water and saw a small dark speck on the waves.

It grew larger and larger, till they saw a boat, and when the boat drew near they saw a man sitting in the stern of it.

There was a nice beach near the place where they were fis.h.i.+ng. The man brought the boat straight to the beach, and stepping out drew it up on the sand.

They saw then that the stranger was a man of high degree (_duine uasal_).

After he had put the boat high on the sand, he came to where the two were at work, and said: ”Old fisherman, you'd better let this son of yours with me for a year and a day, and I will make a very wise man of him. I am the Gruagach na g-cleasan[7] (Gruagach of tricks), and I'll bind myself to be here with your son this day year.”

[7] p.r.o.nounced na gla.s.san.

”I can't let him go,” said the old fisherman, ”till he gets his mother's advice.”

”Whatever goes as far as women I'll have nothing to do with,” said the Gruagach. ”You had better give him to me now, and let the mother alone.”

They talked till at last the fisherman promised to let his son go for the year and a day. Then the Gruagach gave his word to have the boy there at the seash.o.r.e that day year.

The Gruagach and the boy went into the boat and sailed away.

When the year and a day were over, the old fisherman went to the same place where he had parted with his son and the Gruagach, and stood looking over the sea, thinking would he see his son that day.

At last he saw a black spot on the water, then a boat. When it was near he saw two men sitting in the stern of the boat. When it touched land, the two, who were _duine uasal_ in appearance, jumped out, and one of them pulled the boat to the top of the strand. Then that one, followed by the other, came to where the old fisherman was waiting, and asked: ”What trouble is on you now, my good man?”

”I had a son that wasn't so keen nor so wise as another, and myself and this son were here fis.h.i.+ng, and a stranger came, like yourself to-day, and asked would I let my son with him for a year and a day. I let the son go, and the man promised to be here with him to-day, and that's why I am waiting at this place now.” ”Well,” said the Gruagach, ”am I your son?”

”You are not,” said the fisherman.

”Is this man here your son?”