The Lilac Fairy Book, part 34 · page 21 2101As she drew near the pond she saw a great procession of fishes advancing to meet her, crying in hoarse tones:102‘This is our lord and master, who has saved us from the net of steel and the pot of gold!’103‘And who will restore you to your proper shapes,’ said Bellah, drawing the knife from her pocket.104But just as she was going to touch the foremost fish, her eyes fell on a green frog on his knees beside her, his little paws crossed over his little heart.105Bellah felt as if fingers were tightening round her throat, but she managed to cry:106‘Is this you, my Houarn?107Is this you?’108‘It is I,’ croaked the little frog; and as the knife touched him he was a man again, and, springing up, he clasped her in his arms.109‘But we must not forget the others,’ she said at last, and began to transform the fishes to their proper shapes.110There were so many of them that it took quite a long time.111Just as she had finished there arrived the little dwarf from the Deer’s Leap in a car drawn by six cockchafers, which once had been the six stone eggs.112‘Here I am!’ he exclaimed.113‘You have broken the spell that held me, and now come and get your reward,’ and, dismounting from his chariot, he led them down into the caves filled with gold and jewels, and bade Bellah and Houarn take as much as they wanted.114When their pockets were full, Bellah ordered her stick to become a winged carriage, large enough to bear them and the men they had rescued back to Lanillis.115There they were married the next day, but instead of setting up housekeeping with the little cow and pig to fatten that they had so long wished for, they were able to buy lands for miles round for themselves, and gave each man who had been delivered from the Groac’h a small farm, where he lived happily to the end of his days.116From ‘Le Foyer Breton,’ par E. Souvestre.117The Escape of the Mouse118Manawyddan the prince and his friend Pryderi were wanderers, for the brother of Manawyddan had been slain, and his throne taken from him.119Very sorrowful was Manawyddan, but Pryderi was stout of heart, and bade him be of good cheer, as he knew a way out of his trouble.120‘And what may that be?’ asked Manawyddan.121‘It is that thou marry my mother Rhiannon and become lord of the fair lands that I will give her for dowry.122Never did any lady have more wit than she, and in her youth none was more lovely; even yet she is good to look upon.’1 2← previousThe Lilac Fairy Book, part 33next →The Lilac Fairy Book, part 35↑ back to The Lilac Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3454/34/page/2/