The Lilac Fairy Book, part 31 · page 21 2101‘I am Luned,’ replied a voice from a cave so hidden by bushes and green hanging plants that Owen had not seen it.102‘And what dost thou here?’ cried he.103‘I am held captive in this cave on account of the knight who married the countess and left her, for the pages spoke ill of him, and because I told them that no man living was his equal they dragged me here and said I should die unless he should come to deliver me by a certain day, and that is no further than the day after to-morrow.104His name is Owen the son of Urien, but I have none to send to tell him of my danger, or of a surety he would deliver me.’105Owen held his peace, but gave the maiden some of the meat, and bade her be of good cheer.106Then, followed by the lion, he set out for a great castle on the other side of the plain, and men came and took his horse and placed it in a manger, and the lion went after and lay down on the straw.107Hospitable and kind were all within the castle, but so full of sorrow that it might have been thought death was upon them.108At length, when they had eaten and drunk, Owen prayed the earl to tell him the reason of their grief.109‘Yesterday,’ answered the earl, ‘my two sons were seized, while thy were hunting, by a monster who dwells on those mountains yonder, and he vows that he will not let them go unless I give him my daughter to wife.’110‘That shall never be,’ said Owen; ‘but what form hath this monster?’1 2← previousThe Lilac Fairy Book, part 30next →The Lilac Fairy Book, part 32↑ back to The Lilac Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3454/31/page/2/