 Chapter 24 of Celtic Fairy Tales This is a LibriVox recording, all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, reading by Lars Rolander. Celtic Fairy Tales, selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs. Chapter 24 The Battle of the Birds I will tell you a story about the Wren. There was once a farmer who was seeking a servant, and the Wren met him and said, What are you seeking? I am seeking a servant, said the farmer to the Wren. Will you take me, said the Wren. You, you poor creature, what good would you do? Try me, said the Wren. So he engaged him, and the first work he set him to do was threshing in the barn. The Wren threshed. What did he thresh with? Why, a flail to be sure. And he knocked off one grain. A mouse came out, and she eats that. I'll trouble you not to do that again, said the Wren. He struck again, and he struck off two grains. Out came the mouse, and she eats them. So they arranged a contest to see who was strongest, and the Wren brings his twelve birds, and the mouse her tribe. You have your tribe with you, said the Wren. As well as yourself, said the mouse, and she struck out her leg proudly. But the Wren broke it with his flail, and then there was a pitched battle on a set day. When every creature and bird was gathering to battle, the son of the king of Tethertown said that he would go to see the battle, and that he would bring sure word home to his father the king, who would be king of the creatures this year. The battle was over before he arrived, all but one fight between a great black raven and a snake. The snake was twined about the raven's neck, and the raven held the snake's throat in his beak, and it seemed as if the snake would get the victory over the raven. When the king's son saw this, he held the raven, and with one blow takes the head off the snake. When the raven had taken breath and saw that the snake was dead, he said, For thy kindness to me this day, I will give thee a sight. Come up now on the root of my two wings. The king's son put his hands about the raven before his wings, and before he stopped, he took him over nine bends and nine glens and nine mountain moors. Now, said the raven, see you that house yonder. Go now to it, it is a sister of mine that makes her dwelling in it, and I will go bale that you are welcome. And if she asks you, were you at the battle of the birds, say you were, and if she asks, did you see anyone like me, say you did, but be sure that you meet me tomorrow morning here, in this place. The king's son got good and right good treatment that night. Meat of each meat, drink of each drink, warm water to his feet, and a soft bed for his limbs. On the next day the raven gave him the same sight over six bends and six glens and six mountain moors. They saw Boothy far off, but though far off they were soon there. He got good treatment this night as before, plenty of meat and drink, and warm water to his feet, and a soft bed to his limbs. And on the next day it was the same thing over three bends and three glens and three mountain moors. On the third morning, instead of seeing the raven as at the other times, who should meet him but the handsomest lad he ever saw, with gold rings in his hair, with a bundle in his hand. The king's son asked this lad if he had seen a big black raven, said the lad to him, You will never see the raven again, for I am that raven. I was put under spells by a bad druid. It was meeting you that loosed me, and for that you shall get this bundle. Now, said the lad, you must turn back on the self-same steps and lie at night in each house as before, but you must not loose the bundle which I gave you, till in the place where you would most wish to dwell. The king's son turned his back to the lad and his face to his father's house, and he got lodging from the raven sisters, just as he got it when going forward. When he was nearing his father's house he was going through a close wood. It seemed to him that the bundle was growing heavy, and he thought he would look what was in it. When he loosed the bundle he was astonished. In a twinkling he sees the very grandest place he ever saw. A great castle and an orchard about the castle, in which was every kind of fruit and herb. He stood full of wonder and regret for having loosed the bundle, for it was not in his power to put it back again, and he would have wished this pretty place to be in the pretty little green hollow that was opposite his father's house, but he looked up and saw a great giant coming toward him. Bad's the place where you have built the house, king's son, says the giant. Yes, but it is not here I would wish it to be, though it happens to be here by mishap, says the king's son. What's the reward for putting it back in the bundle as it was before? What's the reward you would ask, says the king's son? That you will give me the first son you have when he is seven years of age, says the giant. If I have a son you shall have him, said the king's son. In a twinkling the giant put each garden an orchard and castle in the bundle as they were before. Now, says the giant, take your own road and I will take mine, but mind your promise, and if you forget I will remember. The king's son took to the road, and at the end of a few days he reached the place he was fondest of. He loosened the bundle, and the castle was just as it was before, and when he opened the castle door, he seized the handsomest maiden he ever cast eye upon. Advance, king's son, said the pretty maiden, everything is in order for you if you will marry me this very day. It's I that am willing, said the king's son, and on the same day they married, but at the end of a day and seven years, who would be seen coming to the castle but the giant. The king's son was reminded of his promise to the giant, until now he had not told his promise to the queen. Leave the matter between me and the giant, says the queen. Turn out your son, says the giant. Mind your promise. You shall have him, says the king, when his mother puts him in order for his journey. The queen dressed up the cook's son, and she gave him to the giant by the hand. The giant went away with him, but he had not gone far when he put a rod in the hand of the little laddie. The giant asked him, if thy father had that rod, what would he do with it? If my father had that rod, he would beat the dogs and the cats so that they shouldn't be going near of the king's meat, said the little laddie. Thard the cook's son, said the giant. He catches him by the two small ankles and knocks him against the stone that was beside him. The giant turned back to the castle in rage and madness, and he said that if they did not send out the king's son to him, the highest stone of the castle would be the lowest. Said the queen to the king, we'll try it yet. The butler's son is of the same age as our son. She dressed up the butler's son, and she gave him to the giant by the hand. The giant had not gone far when he put the rod in his hand. If thy father had that rod, says the giant, what should he do with it? He would beat the dogs and the cats when they would be coming near the king's bottles and glasses. Thou art the son of the butler, says the giant, and dashed his brains out too. The giant returned in a very great rage and anger. The earth shook under the sole of his feet, and the castle shook, and all that was in it. Out here with thy son, says the giant, or in the twinkling the stone that is highest in the dwelling will be the lowest. So they had to give the king's son to the giant. When they were gone a little bit from the earth, the giant showed him the rod that was in his hand and said, What would thy father do with this rod if he had it? The king's son said, My father has a braver rod than that. And the giant asked him, Where is thy father when he has that brave rod? And the king's son said, He will be sitting in his kingly chair. Then the giant understood that he had the right one. The giant took him to his own house, and he reared him as his own son. On a day of days when the giant was from home, the lad heard the sweetest music he ever heard in a room at the top of the giant's house. At a glance he saw the finest face he had ever seen. He beckoned to him to come a bit nearer to her, and she said her name was Auburn Mary, but she told him to go this time, but to be sure to be at the same place about that dead midnight. And as he promised he did, the giant's daughter was at his side in a twinkling, and she said, Tomorrow you will get the choice of my two sisters to marry, but say that you will not take either but me. My father wants me to marry the son of the king of the green city, but I don't like him. On the morrow the giant took out his three daughters, and he said, Now son of the king of Tethertown, thou hast not lost by living with me so long. Thou wilt get a wife one of the two eldest of my daughters, and with her leave to go home with her the day after the wedding. If you will give me this pretty little one, says the king's son, I will take you at your word. The giant's wrath kindled, and he said, Before thou getst her, thou must do the three things that I ask thee to do. Say on, says the king's son, The giant took him to the buyer. Now, says the giant, a hundred cattle are stabled here, and it has not been cleansed for seven years. I am going from home today, and if this buyer is not clean before tonight comes, so clean that a golden apple will run from end to end of it. Not only thou shalt not get my daughter, but is only a drink of thy fresh, goodly beautiful blood that will quench my thirst this night. He begins cleaning the buyer, but he might just as well to keep bailing the great ocean. After me day when sweet was blinding him, the giant's youngest daughter came where he was, and she said to him, You are being punished, king's son. I am, says the king's son. Come over, says Auburn Mary, and lay down your weariness. I will do that, says he. There is but death awaiting me at any rate. He sat down near her. He was so tired that he fell asleep beside her. When he awoke, the giant's daughter was not to be seen, but the buyer was so well clean that a golden apple would run from end to end of it, and raise no stain. In comes the giant, and he said, Has thou cleaned the buyer, king's son? I have cleaned it, says he. Somebody cleaned it, says the giant. You did not clean it at all events, said the king's son. Well, well, says the giant, since thou were so active today, thou wilt get to this time tomorrow to thatch this buyer with birds down, from birds with no two feathers of one color. The king's son was on foot before the sun. He caught up his bow and his quiver of arrows to kill the birds. He took to the moors, but if he did, the birds were not so easy to take. He was running after them till the sweet was blinding him. About midday, who should come, but Auburn marrying. You are exhausting yourself, king's son, says she. I am, said he. There fell but these two blackbirds, and both of one color. Come over and lay down your weariness on this pretty hillock, says the giant's daughter. It's I am willing, said he. He thought she would aid him this time too, and he sat down near her, and he was not long there till he fell asleep. When he awoke, Auburn married was gone. He thought he would go back to the house, and his sees the buyer thatched with feathers. When the giant came home, he said, As thou fetched the buyer, king's son. I thatched it, says he. Somebody thatched it, says the giant. You did not thatch it, says the king's son. Yes, yes, says the giant. Now, says the giant, There is a fir tree beside that lock down there, and there is a magpie's nest in its top. The eggs thou wilt find in the nest. I must have them for my first meal. Not one must be burst or broken, and there are five in the nest. Early in the morning the king's son went where the tree was, and that tree was not hard to hit upon. Its match was not in the whole wood. From the foot to the first branch was five hundred feet. The king's son was going all round the tree. She came, who was always bringing help to him. You are losing the skin of your hands and feet. Ah, I am, says he. I'm no sooner up than down. This is no time for stopping, says the giant's daughter. Now you must kill me, take the flesh from my bones, take all those bones apart, and use them as steps for climbing the tree. When you are climbing the tree, they will stick to the glass as if they had grown out of it. But when you are coming down and have put your foot on each one, they will drop into your hand when you touch them. Be sure and stand on each bone. Leave none untouched. If you do, I will stay behind. Put all my flesh into this clean cloth by the side of the spring at the roots of the tree. When you come to the earth, arrange my bones together, put the flesh over them, sprinkle it with water from the spring, and I shall be alive before you. But don't forget a bone of me on the tree. How could I kill you? Ask the king's son. After what you have done for me. If you won't obey you and I are done for, said Auburn Mary, you must climb the tree or we are lost. And to climb the tree you must do as I say. The king's son obeyed. He killed Auburn Mary, cut the flesh from her body, and unjointed the bones as she had told him. When she went up the king's son put the bones of Auburn Mary's body against the side of the tree, using them as steps, till he came under the nest and stood on the last bone. Then he took the eggs and coming down put his foot on every bone, then took it with him till he came to the last bone, which was so near the ground that he failed to touch it with his foot. Now placed all the bones of Auburn Mary in order again at the side of the spring, put the flesh on them, sprinkled it with water from the spring. She rose up before him and said, didn't I tell you not to leave a bone of my body without stepping on it? Now I am lame for life. You left my little finger on the tree without touching it and I have but nine fingers. Now, says she, go home with the eggs quickly and you will get me to marry tonight. If you can know me, I and my two sisters will be arrayed in the same garments and made like each other. But look at me when my father says, go to thy wife, king son, and you will see a hand without a little finger. He gave the eggs to the giant. Yes, yes, says the giant, be making ready for your marriage. Then indeed there was a wedding and it was a wedding. Giants and gentlemen and the son of the king of the green city was in the midst of them. They were married and the dancing began. That was a dance. The giant's house was shaking from top to bottom. But bedtime came and the giant said, it is time for thee to go to rest. Son of the king of Tethertown chose thy bride to take with thee from amidst those. She put out the hand of which the little finger was and he caught her by the hand. Thou hast aimed well this time too. But there is no knowing, but we may meet thee another way, said the giant. But to rest they went. Now, says she, sleep not or else you are a dead man. We must fly quick, quick, or for certain my father will kill you. Out they went and on the blue gray filly in the stable they mounted. Stop a while, says she, and I will play a trick to the old hero. She jumped in and cut an apple into nine shares and she put two shares at the head of the bed and two shares at the door of the kitchen and two shares at the big door and one outside the house. The giant awoke and called, are you asleep? Not yet, said the apple that was at the head of the bed. At the end of a while he called again. Not yet, said the apple that was at the foot of the bed. While after this he called again, are you asleep? Not yet, said the apple at the kitchen door. The giant called again, the apple that was at the big door answered. You are now going far from me, says the giant. Not yet, says the apple that was outside the house. You are flying, says the giant. The giant jumped on his feet and to the bed he went, but it was cold, empty. My own daughter's trick are trying me, said the giant. Here's after them, says he. At the mouth of day the giant's daughter said that her father's breath was burning her back. Put your hand quick, said she, in the air of the gray filly and whatever you find in it throw it behind us. There is a twig of slow tree, said he. Throw it behind us, said she. No sooner did he that than there were twenty miles of black thorn wood so thick that scarce a weasel could go through it. The giant came headlong and there he is fleecing his head and neck in the thorns. My own daughter's trick are here as before, said the giant. But if I had my own big axe and wood knife here, I would not be long making a way through this. He went home for the big axe and the wood knife, and sure he was not long on his journey, and he was the boy behind the big axe. He was not long making a way through the black thorn. I will leave the axe and the wood knife here till I return, says he. If you leave him, leave him, said the hoodie that was in a tree, will steal him, steal him. If you will do that, says the giant, I must take them home. He returned home and left them at the house. At the heat of the day the giant's daughter felt her father's breath burning her back. Put your finger in the filly's ear and throw behind whatever you find in it. He got a splinter of grey stone, and at winkling there were twenty miles by breath and height of great grey rock behind them. The giant came full pelt but past the rock he could not go. The tricks of my own daughter are the hardest things that ever met me, says the giant. If I had my lever and my mighty mattock I would not be long in making my way through this rock also. There was no help for it but a turn the chase for them, and he was the boy to split the stones. He was not long in making a road through the rock. I will leave the tools here and I will return no more. If you leave them, leave them, says the hoodie, we will steal them, steal them. Do that if you will, there is no time to go back. At the time of breaking the watch the giant's daughter said that she felt her father's breath burning her back. Look in the filly's ear, King-son, for else we are lost. He did so, and it was a bladder of water that was in her ear this time. He threw it behind him, and there was a fresh water-loch twenty miles in length and breadth behind them. The giant came on, but with the speed he had on him he was in the middle of the loch and he went under, and he rose no more. On the next day the giant companions were come in sight of his father's house. Now, says she, my father is drowned, and he won't trouble us anymore. But before we go further, says she, go you to your father's house and tell that you have the likes of me, but let neither man nor creature kiss you. For if you do, you will not remember that you have ever seen me. Everyone he met gave him welcome and luck, and he charged his father and mother not to kiss him. But as mishap was to be, an old greyhound was indoors, and she knew him and jumped up to his mouth, and after that he did not remember the giant's daughter. She was sitting at the well-side as he left her, but the king's son was not coming. In the mouth of night she climbed up into a tree of oak that was beside the well, and she lay in the fork of that tree all night. A shoemaker had a house near the well, and about midday on the morrow the shoemaker asked his wife to go for a drink for him out of the well. When the shoemaker's wife reached the well, and when she saw the shadow of her that was in the tree, thinking it was her own shadow, and she never thought till now that she was so handsome, she gave a cast to the dish that was in her hand, and it was broken on the ground, and she took herself to the house without vessel or water. Where is the water, wife, said the shoemaker? You shambling, contemptible old carl, without grace, I have stayed too long your water and wood-thrull. I think, wife, that you have turned crazy. Go, you daughter, quickly, and fetch drink for your father. His daughter went and in the same way so it happened to her. She never thought till now that she was so lovable, and she took herself home. Up with the drink, said her father. You home-spun shoemaker, do you think I'm fit to be your thrull? The poor shoemaker thought that I had taken a turn in their understandings, and he went himself to the well. He saw the shadow of the maiden in the well, and he looked up to the tree, and he sees the finest woman he ever saw. Your seat is wavering, but your face is fair, said the shoemaker. Come down, for there is need of you for a short while at my house. The shoemaker understood that this was the shadow that had driven his people mad. The shoemaker took her to his house, and he said that he had but a poor boothy, but that she should get a share of all that was in it. One day the shoemaker had shoes ready, for on that very day the king's son was to be married. The shoemaker was going to the castle with the shoes of the young people, and the girl said to the shoemaker, I would like to get a sight to the king's son before he marries. Come with me, says the shoemaker, I am well acquainted with the servants at the castle, and you shall get a sight of the king's son and all the company. And when the gentle saw the pretty woman that was here, they took her to the wedding room, and they filled for her a glass of wine. When she was going to drink what was in it, a flame went up out of the glass, and a golden pigeon and a silver pigeon sprang out of it. They were flying about when three grains of barley fell on the floor. The silver pigeon sprang and ate that up. Said the golden pigeon to him, If you remembered when I cleared the bire, you would not eat that without giving me a share. Again there fell three other grains of barley, and the silver pigeon sprang and ate that up as before. If you remembered when I thatched the bire, you would not eat that without giving me my share, says the golden pigeon. Three other grains fall, and the silver pigeon sprang and ate that up. If you remembered when I harried the magpie's nest, you would not eat that without giving me my share, says the golden pigeon. I lost my little finger bringing it down, and I wanted still. The king's son minded, and he knew who it was that was before him. Well, said the king's son to the guests at the feast, When I was a little junger than I am now, I lost the key of a casket that I had. I had a new key made, but after it was brought to me, I found the old one. Now I leave it up to anyone here to tell me what I am to do. Which of the keys should I keep? My advice to you, said one of the guests, Is to keep the old key, for it fits the lock better and you're more used to it. Then the king's son stood up and said, I thank you for wise advice and an honest word. This is my bride, the daughter of the giant who saved my life at the risk of her own. I'll have her and no other woman. So the king's son married Auburn Mary, and the wedding lasted long and all were happy. But all I got was butter on a live coal, porridge in a basket, And they sent me for water to the stream, and the paper shoes came to an end. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Celtic fairytales, selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs. CHAPTER XXV. Brewery of Egg-shells. In Trenogluis there is a certain shepherd's cot known by the name of Tent Iconris, because of the strange strife that occurred there. There once lived a man and his wife, and they had twins whom the woman nursed tenderly. One day she was called away to the house of a neighbor at some distance. She did not much like going and leaving her little ones all alone in a solitary house, especially as she had heard tell of the good folk haunting the neighborhood. Well, she went and came back as soon as she could, but on her way back she was frightened to see some old elves of the blue petticoat crossing her path, though it was mid-day. She rushed home but found her two little ones in the cradle and everything seemed as it was before. But after a time the good people began to suspect that something was wrong, for the twins didn't grow at all. The man said, they're not ours. The woman said, whose else should they be? And so arose the great strife so that the neighbors named the cottage after it. It made the woman very sad, so one evening she made up her mind to go and see the wise men of Leonard Lowe's, for he knew everything and would advise her what to do. So she went to Leonard Lowe's and told the case to the old wise man. Now there was soon to be a harvest of rye and oats, so the wise man said to her, when you are getting dinner for the reapers, clear out the shell of a hen's egg and boil some potage in it, and then take it to the door as if you meant it as a dinner for the reapers. Then listen if the twins say anything. If you hear them speaking of things beyond the understanding of children, go back and take them up and throw them into the waters of Lake Elven. But if you don't hear anything remarkable, do them no injury. So when the day of the reap came the woman did all that the wise man ordered and put the eggshell on the fire and took it off and carried it to the door, and there she stood and listened. Then she heard one of the children say to the other, acorn before oak I knew, and egg before a hen, but I never heard of an eggshell brew, a dinner for harvest men. So she went back into the house, seized the children, and threw them into the lynn, and the goblins and their blue trousers came and saved their dwarfs, and the mother had her own children back, and so the great strife ended. Long ago a poor widowman lived down near the iron forge by Ennis Cawth, and she was so poor she had no clothes to put on her son, so she used to fix him in the ash hole near the fire, and pile the war wreaths on the fire. So she went back into the house and put on her son's clothes, so she used to fix him in the ash hole near the fire, and pile the warm ashes around about him, and according, as he grew up, she sunk the pit deeper. At last, by hook or by crook, she got a goatskin, and fastened it around his waist, and he felt quite grand, and took a walk down the street, so says she to him next morning. Tom, you thief, you never done any good yet, and you six foot high, and past nineteen, take that rope and bring me a faggot from the wood. Never say it twice, mother, says Tom. Here goes. When he had gathered and tied, what should come up but a big giant nine foot high, and made a lick of a club at him? Well, become Tom. He jumped to one side, and picked up a ram pike, and the first crack he gave the big fellow, he made him kiss the clod. If you air a prayer, says Tom, now's the time to say it, before I make fragments of you. I have no prayers, says the giant, but if you spare my life, I'll give you that club, and as long as you keep from sin, you'll win every battle you ever fight with it. Tom made no bones about letting him off, and as soon as he got the club in his hands, he sat down on the Bresna, and gave it a tap with the kipeen, and says, faggot, I had great trouble gathering you, and run the risk of my life for you, the least you can do is to carry me home. And sure enough, the wind of the word was all it wanted, and it went off through the wood, groaning and crackling, till it came to the window's door. Well, when the sticks were all burned, Tom was sent off again to pick more, and this time he had to fight with a giant that had two heads on him. Tom had a little more trouble with him, that's all, and the prayers he said was to give Tom a fife that nobody could help dancing when he was playing it. Bigonies, he made the big faggot dance home, with himself sitting on it. The next giant was a beautiful boy with three heads on him. He had neither prayers nor catechism, no more nor the others. And so he gave Tom a bottle of green ointment that wouldn't let you be burned, nor scalded, nor wounded. And now, says he, there's no more of us. You may come and gather sticks here to little lunacy day in harvest, without giant or fairy man to disturb you. Well now, Tom was prouder, nor ten paycocks, and used to take a walk down street in the heel of the evening. But some of the little boys had no more manners than if they were doubling jack-eens and put out their tongues at Tom's club and Tom's goat skin. He didn't like that at all, and it would be mean to give one of them a clout. At last, what should come through the town but a kind of a bell-man? Only it's a big bugle he had and huntsman's cap on his head and a kind of a painted shirt. So this, he wasn't a bell-man, and I don't know what to call him, bugle-man, maybe, proclaimed that the king of Dublin's daughter was so melancholy that she didn't give a laugh for seven years, and that her father would grant her and manage to whoever would make her laugh three times. That's the very thing for me to try, says Tom, and so without burning any more daylight he kissed his mother, curled his club at the little boys, and hoff he set along the Yalla High Road to the town of Dublin. At last Tom came to one of the city gates and the guards laughed and cursed at him instead of letting him in. Tom stood it all for a little time, but at last one of them, out of fun as he said, drove his bayonet half an inch or so into his side. Tom done nothing but take the fellow by the scrap of the neck and the waistband of his cord-roy's and fling him into the canal. Some run to pull the fellow out and others to let manners into the vulgarian with their swords and daggers. But a tap from his club sent them headlong into the moat or down on the stones and they were soon begging him to stay his hands. So at least one of them was guide enough to show Tom the way to the palace-yard and there was the king and the queen and the princess in a gallery, looking at all sorts of wrestling and sword-playing and long-lan-dances and mumming all to please the princess, but not a smile came over her handsome face. Well, they all stopped when they seen the young giant with his boy's face and long black hair and his short, curly beard for his poor mother couldn't afford to buy razors and his great strong arms and bare legs and no covering but the goat-skin that reached from his waist to his knees. But an envious whizzen bit of a fellow with a red head that wished to be married to the princess and didn't like how she opened her eyes at Tom came forward and asked his business very snappishly. My business, says Tom, says he, is to make the beautiful princess, God bless her, laugh three times. Do you see all their merry fellows and skillful swordsmen, says the other, that could eat you up with a grain of salt and not a mother's soul of them ever got to laugh from her these seven years? So the great fellows gathered round Tom and the bad man aggravated him till he told them he didn't care a pinch of snuff for the whole billion of them. Let them come on six at a time and try what they could do. The king, who was too far off to hear what they were saying, asked what did the stranger want? He wants, said the red-headed fellow, to make hairs of your best men. Oh, says the king, if that's the way, let one of them turn out and try his metal. So one stood forward with sword and potlid and made a cut at Tom. He struck the fellow's elbow with the club and up over their heads flew the sword and down went the owner of it on the gravel from a thump he got on the helmet. Another took his place and another and another and then half a dozen at once and Tom sent swords, helmets, shields and bodies rolling over and over and themselves bawling out that they were killed and disabled and damaged and robbing their poor elbows and hips and limping away. Tom contrived not to kill anyone and the princess was so amused that she let a great sweet laugh out of her that was heard all over the yard. King Adublin, says Tom, I've caught a your daughter. And the king didn't know whether he was glad or sorry and all the blood in the princess's heart run into her cheeks so there was no more fighting that day and Tom was invited to dine with the royal family. Next day Redhead told Tom of a wolf the size of a yearling heifer that used to be serenading about the walls and eating people in cattle and said what a pleasure it would give the king to have it killed. With all my heart, says Tom, send a jacking to show me where he lives and we'll see how he becaves to a stranger. The princess was not well pleased but Tom looked a different person with fine clothes and nice green beard over his long curly hair and besides he'd got one laugh out of her however the king gave his consent and in an hour and a half the horrible wolf was walking into the palace yard and Tom a step or two behind with his club on his shoulder just as a shepherd will be walking after a pet lamb. The king and queen and princess were safe up in their gallery but the officers and people of the court that were padrolling around the green borne when they saw the big base coming in gave themselves up and began to make the doors and gates and the wolf licked his chops if he was saying wouldn't I enjoy a breakfast of a couple of years. The king shouted out oh Tom with the goat skin take away that terrible wolf and you must have all my daughter but Tom didn't mind him a bit he pulled out his flute and began to play like vengeance and dickens a man or boy in the yard but began shoveling away healing tow and the wolf himself was obliged to get on his hind legs and dance tattered Jack Walsh along with the rest a good deal of the people got inside and shut the doors the way the hairy fellow wouldn't pin him but Tom kept playing and the outsiders kept dancing and shouting and the wolf kept dancing and roaring with the pain in his legs were giving him and all the time he had his eyes on red head who were shot out along with the rest wherever red head went the wolf followed and kept one eye on him and the other on Tom to see if he would give him leave to eat him but Tom shook his head and never stopped the tune and red head never stopped dancing and bawling and the wolf dancing and roaring one leg up and the other down and he ready to drop out of his standing from fair tiresomeness when the princess seen that there was no fear of anyone being killed she was so divided by the stew that red head was in that she gave another great laugh and well become Tom out he cried king of Dublin I have two halves of your daughter oh halves or alls says the king put away that devil of a wolf and we'll see about it so Tom put his flute in his pocket and says he to the base that was sitting on his carabingo ready to faint walk off to your mountain my fine fellow and live like a respectable base and if ever I find you come within seven miles of any town well he said no more but spit at his fist and gave a flourish of his club it was all the poor devil of a wolf wanted he put his tail between his legs and took to his pumps without looking at man or mortal and neither sun, moon or stars ever saw him inside to Dublin again at dinner everyone laughed but the foxy fellow and sure enough he was laying out how he'd settle poured on the next day well to be sure says he king of Dublin you are in luck there's the Danes moitering us to no end deuce run to Lusk with him and if anyone can save us from him if this gentleman with the goat skin there is a flail hanging on the collar beam in our and neither day nor devil can stand before it so says Tom's the king will you let me have the other half of the princess if I bring you the flail no no says the princess I'd rather never be your wife than see you in that danger but redhead whispered and nudged Tom about how shabby would look to near the adventure so he asked which way he was to go and redhead directed him well he travelled and travelled till he came inside of the walls of hell and bedad before he knocked at the gate he rubbed himself over with the green assointment when he knocked a hundred little imps popped their heads up through the bars and axed him what he wanted I want to speak to the big devil of all says Tom open the gate it wasn't till long till the gate was thrown open and the old boy received Tom with bows and scrapes and axed his business my business isn't much says Tom I only came for the loan of that flail that I see hanging on the collar beam for the king of Dublin to give a thrashing to the Danes well says the other the Danes is much better customers to me but since you walked so far I won't refuse hand that flail says he to a young imp and he winked the fire of fire at the same time so while some were barring the gates the young devil climbed up and took down the flail that had the hand stuff and both made out a red hot iron the little vagabond was grilling to think how it would burn the hands of Tom but the dickens a burn it made on him no more nor if it was a good oak sapling thank you says Tom now would you open the gate for a body and I'll give you no more trouble oh Tramp says old Nick is that the way is it easier getting inside them gates and getting out again take that tool from him and give him a dose of the oil of stirrup so one fellow put out his claws to seize on the flail but Tom gave him such a wealth of it on the side of the head that he broke off one of his horns and made him roar like a devil as he was well they rushed at Tom but he gave them little and big such a thrashing as they didn't forget for a while at last says the old thief of all rubbing his elbow let the fool out and woe to whoever lets him in again great or small so out marched Tom and away with him without minding the shouting and cursing they kept up at him from the tops of the walls and when he got home to the big born of the palace there never was such running and racing as to see himself and the flail when he had his story told he laid down the flail on the stone steps and bid no one for their life to touch it if the king and queen and princess made much of him before they made ten times more of him now but redhead the mean scruffhound stole over and thought to catch hold of the flail to make an end of him his fingers hardly touched it when he let a roar out of him as if heaven and earth were coming together and kept flinging his arms about and dancing and it was pitiful to look at him Tom run at him as soon as he could rise and caught his hands in his two and rubbed them this way and that and the burning pain left them before he could reckon one well the poor fellow between the pain that was only just gone and the comforts he was in had the comicalist face that you ever see it was such a mix-the-room-gather-um of laughing and crying everyone burst out laughing the princess could not stop no more than the rest and then says Tom now ma'am if there were fifty halves of you I hope you'll give me them all well the princess looked at her father and by my word she came over to Tom and put her two delicate hands into his two rough ones and I wish it was myself in his shoes that day Tom would not bring the flail into the palace you may be sure no other body went near it and when the early risers were passing next morning they found two long clefts in the stone where it was after burning itself and opening downwards nobody could tell how far but a messenger came in at noon and said that the Danes were so frightened when they heard of the flail coming into Dublin that they got into their ships and sailed away well I suppose before they were married Tom got some man like Pat Mara of Tomenin to learn him the principles of politeness fluxion, gunnery and fortification decimal fractions, practice and the rule of three direct the way he'd be able to keep up a conversation with the royal family whether he ever lost his time learning them sciences I'm not sure but is a surest fate that his mother never more saw any want till the end of her days End of Chapter 26 Recording by Karen Yamada a.k.a. Teru Joan End of Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs