Part 4

So she sent for an old prophecy—a woman that did foretellings—and she asked her what way would she get quit of the step-son. ‘It’s what is keeping him so smart,’ says the prophecy-woman, ‘is the little Bullockeen out in the meadow. And let you keep a watch on him,’ says she, ‘and you’ll know it’s truth I’m telling.’ So the Queen says: ‘I have three daughters,’ says she, ‘and I’ll send them to watch him,’ says she, ‘for the one is as sharp as an earwig, and the other is sharper again, and the third has one eye in the back of her poll that can see through every enchantment.’ So the first of the girls went out, but before she went the little Bullockeen says to the son: ‘Your step-sister will be coming to-day to watch you,’ says he, ‘and unscrew now my right horn, and take out a pin of slumber you will find under it, and when you see her coming go and play with her for a while, and put the pin of slumber into her ear and she will fall asleep.’ So he did as the Bullockeen told him, and he put the pin of slumber into the step-sister’s ear, and she fell into a deep sleep in the grass and never woke till evening.

The next day the second of the girls went out to keep watch, where the son and the Bullockeen were eating their dinner together. But the Bullockeen rose a fog and an enchantment around them, that she could see nothing, and so she went home to her mother.

The third day the third of the daughters went out, and the son took the pin of slumber as before, and put it in her ear, and she fell asleep. But if the two front eyes were shut, the eye at the back of the poll was open. Then the Bullockeen put the fog and the enchantment around her; but if he did, the eye at the back of her poll was able to see through every enchantment, and she went back and she told the mother that the step-brother got all he could use out of the Bullockeen’s horn, and that he got out of it the best dinner was in the world.

So the Queen sent again for the old prophecy, and she came, and the Queen asked her what way could she bring the King to do away with the Bullockeen. ‘For he will not do it for my asking,’ says she.

‘Let you let on to be sick,’ says the hag, ‘and stop in your bed,’ says she, ‘and send for the King, and tell him there is nothing will cure you but the liver of the Bullockeen,’ says she.

So the Queen stopped in her bed and let on to be sick, and she sent for the King, and she said there was nothing could cure her but to kill the Bullockeen and to give her his liver. ‘I cannot do that,’ says the King; ‘for when that boy’s mother was dying,’ says he, ‘she made a will,’ says he, ‘and she willed him nothing but the little Bullockeen in the meadow. But ask me any other thing,’ says he, ‘and I will give it.’

So the Queen sent for the hag and told her that. ‘Let you take a little black cock is without,’ says the hag, ‘and let them kill it and take the puddings out of him,’ says she, ‘and fill it with blood, and let you put that in your mouth and squeeze it the time the King will come in, and tell him it is the heart’s blood is running from you for the want of the liver of the Bullockeen,’ says she.

So the Queen did as she bade her, and they killed the cock and filled the pudding with blood, and the Queen put it in her mouth where she was in bed. ‘Oh, go run out for the King,’ says she, ‘for I am near my death.’ So the King came running in. ‘Oh,’ says she, ‘I am near my death!’ says she, and she squeezes the blood out of her mouth, and the King thought it was her heart’s blood was coming from her. ‘It will not stop,’ says she, ‘till I’ll get the liver of the little Bullockeen; and let you kill him now for me,’ says she. ‘I cannot do that,’ says the King; and he made her the same answer as before and went out of the room.

So the Queen sent again for the old prophecy and told her all. ‘Haven’t you a yard out there,’ says she, ‘and a wall around it,’ says she, ‘is that high a bird can hardly fly over it,’ says she. ‘And let you drive the Bullockeen in there,’ says she, ‘and put your champions around to kill it.’ So that was done, but when the Bullockeen saw all the champions making an attack on him, he rose up in the air, and the Queen was leaning out through the window, and he took her on his horns, and whitewashed the wall with her bones.

He called to the boy then, and the boy put a halter on him, and they rode away together where the winds never blew, and the cocks never crew, and the old boy himself never sounded his horn. And they overtook the wind that was before them, and the wind that was after them couldn’t overtake them.

They came then to a great wood, and the Black Bullockeen says to the boy: ‘Get up now into the highest tree you can find, and stop there through the day, for I have to fight with the Red Bull that is coming against me. And unscrew my right horn,’ says he, ‘and take out the little bottle that is in it,’ says he, ‘and keep it with you; and if I am well at the end of the day,’ says he, ‘it will be as white as snow.’

The Red Bull came to meet him then, and his head was as big as another’s body would be; and he and the little Bullockeen went to fight together and the boy stopped up in the tree. And in the evening he looked at the little bottle, and what was in it was as white as before. So he came down, and he found the Bullockeen, and got up on his back again, and they went off the same as before.

They came then to the wood where the White Bull was, and he came out to fight the Bullockeen, and all happened the same as the first day. And the boy came down from his tree and got on his back again, and they went on to another wood. And the Green Bull came to meet him this time, and the boy went up in a tree. And at evening he looked at the little bottle and it was red up to the cork. He got down then and went to look for the Bullockeen, and he found him lying on the ground at the point of death.

[Illustration: THE BLACK BULLOCKEEN DIES.]

And the Green Bull made a great bellow, and made away and left him there. And the Bullockeen said: ‘I am going to leave you now,’ says he, ‘but I won’t go without leaving you something. And when I am dead,’ says he, ‘cut three strips of skin off of me, from the nape of the neck to the root of the tail, and put them about your body. And you to be wearing those,’ says he, ‘they’ll give you the strength of six hundred men.’

So the boy sat down on the ground and cried him through three days and three nights. And after that he cut off as he was bade the three strips of the skin, and put them around his body, and they gave him the strength of six hundred men.

That now is the story of the Bullockeen, and it is a story that happened in the long ago.

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THE THREE SONS

I’ll tell you a story, says the old man who was bringing fish from the sea; and after that I’ll be going on to Ballinrobe, to one that has a shop there and that was reared by my grandmother. It is likely he’ll give me a tasty suit of clothes. Working all my life I am; working with the flail in the barn, working with the spade at the potato tilling and the potato digging, breaking stones on the road. And four years ago the wife died, and it’s lonesome to be housekeeping alone.

There was a King long ago of Ireland, and he had three sons, and one of them was something silly. There came a sickness on the King, and he called his three sons, and he said to them that he had knowledge the only thing would cure him was the apples from Burnett’s orchard, and he bade them to go look for them, for that orchard was in some far-away place, and no one could tell where it was.

The three sons went then, and they tackled their horses, and put on their bridles, and they set out, and went on till they came to three cross-roads. There they stopped, and they settled among themselves that each one of them would take one of the roads and go searching for the apples, and they would meet at the same place at the end of a year and a day.

The youngest son, that was a bit silly, took the crossest of the roads, and he went on till he came to a cottage by the roadside. He went in, and there was a withered old man in the house, and he said: ‘There is a great welcome before the King of Ireland’s son!’ The son was astonished at that, because he thought no one could know him. He got good treatment there, and in the course of the night he asked the old man did he know where was Burnett’s garden. ‘I have a hundred years on me,’ said the old man, ‘and I never heard of such a place. But I have a brother,’ he said, ‘that has a hundred years more than myself, and it may be he would know,’ he said.

So in the morning he gave a canoe to the King’s son, and it went on of itself without him turning or guiding it, till it brought him to the old man’s brother, and he got a welcome there and good treatment; and in the course of the night he asked that old man did he know where was Burnett’s orchard. ‘I do not,’ said he; ‘though I have two hundred years upon me I never heard of it. But go on,’ he said, ‘to a brother I have that has a hundred years more than myself.’

So in the morning he went into the canoe, and it went on of itself till it came to where the third old man was, that was older again than the other two, and the King’s son asked did he know where was Burnett’s garden. ‘I do not,’ he said, ‘although I have three hundred years upon me; but I will tell you how you will know it,’ he said. ‘Go on till you come to shore, where you will see a swan-gander standing by the water, and he is the one that can tell you and can bring you to it,’ he said. ‘And ask him to bring you to that garden in the name of the Almighty God.’

So the King’s son went on in the canoe till he came where the swan-gander was standing on the shore. ‘Can you tell me,’ says he, ‘where can I get the apples that are in Burnett’s orchard? And can you bring me there?’ he said.

‘Indeed,’ said the swan-gander, ‘I am in no way obliged to your leader, or to whoever it was sent you to me and gave you that teaching. And those apples are well minded,’ he said, ‘by wolves; and the only time they ever sleep is for three hours once in every seven years. And it chances they are asleep for those three hours at this time; and so I will bring you there,’ he said.

With that he stretched out his wings, and he bade the King’s son to get up on his back. And it was long before he could start flying with the weight that was on him; but he flew away at last, and he brought the King’s son to Burnett’s garden, and there was a high wall around it, but he flew over the wall, and put him down in the garden. The King’s son filled his bag with the apples, and when he had done that, he went looking around, and he came to a large cottage in the garden, and he went in, and there was no one in the house but a beautiful young girl, and she asleep. So he went away; but he brought with him the gold rings and the gold garters that he saw there in the window.

He got up again on the back of the swan-gander, but it was hard for it to rise with the weight of the bag of apples. But it did rise at last, and it brought him to where the old man was that had three hundred years. And the King’s son gave one of the apples to the old man, and no sooner did he eat it than his age was gone from him, and he was like a boy of fifteen years.

He went on then to the two other old men, and gave an apple to both of them, and no sooner did they eat it than they were like young boys again.

Then the King’s son went back to the cross-roads, for it was the end of a year and a day, and he was the first to come there, and he fell asleep. And the two brothers came, and they saw him there, and they stole the bag of apples from under his head, and they put in the place of it a bag of apples that were no use at all. Then they went on to their father’s house, and they gave him the apples they had stolen, and he was cured on the moment; but they told him that what the youngest son was bringing to him was poison apples, that would bring him to his death.

So the King was very angry when he heard that, and he went to his butler and he said: ‘Go out to the wood where my son is, and shoot him there, and cut him open and bring his heart here with you on the top of the gun, and throw it to the dogs at the door; for I will never have him, or anything belonging to him, brought into this house,’ he said.

So the butler got the gun, and went out to the wood, and when he saw the young man he was going to shoot him. ‘Why would you do that?’ said he. So the butler told him all the father ordered him; and the young man said then: ‘Do not shoot me, but save me. And it is what you will do,’ he said. ‘Go into the wood till you meet with a woodcock, and shoot it, and take the heart out of it, for that is most like the heart of a man. And bring the woodcock’s heart to my father’s house,’ he said, ‘and throw it there to the dogs at the door.’

So the butler did that, and spared him, and took its heart and threw it to the dogs at the door.

It was a good while after that, the beautiful young lady came to the King’s doorway in a coach and four, and she stopped at the door. ‘Send out my husband to me here,’ she said. So the eldest son came out to her. ‘Was it you came to the garden for the apples?’ says she. ‘It was,’ says he. ‘What things did you take notice of in the cottage where I was?’ says she.

So he began telling of this thing and that thing that never was in it at all. And when she heard that she gave him a clout that knocked his head as solid as any stone in the wall.

Then the second son came out, and she asked him the same question, and he told the same lies, and she gave him another clout that left his head as solid as any stone in the wall.

When the King heard all that, he knew they had deceived him, and that it was the youngest son had got the apples for his cure, and he began to cry after him and to lament that he was not living to come back again. ‘Would you like to know he is living yet?’ says the butler. ‘I would sooner hear it than any word that ever I heard,’ says the King. ‘Well, he is living yet, and is in the wood,’ says the butler.

When the young lady heard that, she bade the butler to bring her where he was, and they went together to the wood, and there they found him where he had been living on the fruits of the trees through the most of the year. So when the young lady saw him, she said: ‘Was it you came to the house where I was in the garden?’ ‘It was,’ says he. ‘What things did you take notice of in it?’ ‘Here they are,’ says he. And he put his hand in his pocket, and brought out the gold rings and the golden garters and the other signs he had brought away.

So she knew then he was the right one that was there, and she married him, and they lived happy ever after, and there was great rejoicing in the King of Ireland’s house.

KING SOLOMON

I’ll tell you a story now, and I’ll not be with you again till Christmas; and I never saw a man that could read an open book, was able to tell a story out of the mouth.

King Solomon made a great house for himself, the best that was ever seen. And there was a man passing one day, and he stopped to give a look at it—the way I might give a look at that house there. ‘Tell me what there is stronger and finer than that house,’ says King Solomon. ‘I don’t know anything that is stronger and finer than it is,’ says the man. ‘Well,’ said King Solomon, ‘unless you can give me an answer to that by to-morrow I’ll have the head struck off of you,’ he said.

So when the man went home, he told all that to the daughter he had, and he said he could find no answer. ‘I will give you an answer,’ says she. ‘Is not God stronger than that house, and isn’t heaven finer than what it is?’ So he went the next day and he gave that answer. ‘I’ll give you another question,’ says the King then. ‘Tell me,’ says he, ‘what is the number of the stars of the sky! And tell me that by to-morrow,’ says he, ‘or I will strike the head off you.’

So the man went home, and he could think of no answer, and he told the daughter what happened, and how King Solomon asked him to give an account of the stars in the sky. ‘I will give you an answer,’ says the daughter. ‘If you were to put twelve candles lighting on the top of the highest mountain,’ says she, ‘and to be looking at them, and your sight to spread on you, you wouldn’t know how many you were looking at, but you might think it was hundreds. And there is no one can tell the number of the stars,’ says she, ‘or give an account of them, but God that made them.’

So the man went back next day, and he gave that answer to King Solomon. ‘Where did you get that answer,’ says the king, ‘or who made it?’ says he. ‘It was my daughter made it,’ says the man. ‘Bring her here till I’ll have a look at her,’ says the king.

So the daughter was brought before him, and she was a fine comely girl, and when King Solomon saw her he took a liking to her. ‘Will you marry me?’ says he. ‘I will not,’ says she; ‘for if you marry me to-day, you might throw me off again to-morrow.’ I suppose she said that because she knew of him having seven hundred wives. ‘I will not do that,’ says he. ‘Well,’ says she, ‘I’ll make a bargain with you that I’ll marry you if you give me your word that the day you turn me out you’ll let me carry away with me the three things I’ll ask for, and to have them for my own.’

[Illustration: THE THIRD THING I’LL BE TAKING IS YOURSELF.]

So King Solomon agreed to that, and she married him, and she had a child. And after a while he tired of her, and said she might go home. ‘I will go,’ says she, ‘but I’ll bring away the three things you offered to give me.’ So the first thing she brought away was the child, and the second thing was a bag of gold. She came then to King Solomon. ‘Now,’ says she, ‘since you said I could bring away three things, it is you yourself is the third. And come with me now,’ she says. So when King Solomon heard that, he was afraid she would bring him with her, and that she would have power over him. So he asked her to stop with him, and so she did.

He began well and he ended badly; and Samson did the same, killing a lion that was going to eat him in the beginning, and killing himself in the end. It was through a woman that he lost his eyesight.

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THE ROBINEEN

I have a new wife now, says the old man who had come back from Ballinrobe; to keep my victuals ready and the door open before me. She’s a quiet woman at some times, but she has a queer way in her mind at the time of the full moon, but it will pass away after. And here is a story now, and I’ll word it easy to you.

There was a woman one time and she had three sons. Well, one day one of them said the quarter was too small for the three of them to be in it. ‘And I’ll go,’ says he, ‘and I’ll try to do for myself. And let you turn and make a cake for me to bring with me,’ says he to the mother.

The mother went at night and she baked two cakes, a big one and a small one. And when he was going to start in the morning: ‘Which would you sooner have now,’ says she, ‘to have the big one and my curse, or the small one and my blessing?’ ‘I’ll take the big one and your curse,’ says he; ‘the other one is too small and the road being long before me.’