The Sea-maiden · page 21 2101He caught the beast's head, and he drew a knot through it, and he told her to bring it with her there to-morrow.102She gave him a gold ring, and went home with the head on her shoulder, and the herd betook himself to the cows.103But she had not gone far when this great General saw her, and he said to her, "I will kill you if you do not say that 'twas I took the head off the beast." "104Oh!" says she, "'tis I will say it; who else took the head off the beast but you!"105They reached the king's house, and the head was on the General's shoulder.106But here was rejoicing, that she should come home alive and whole, and this great captain with the beast's head full of blood in his hand.107On the morrow they went away, and there was no question at all but that this hero would save the king's daughter.108They reached the same place, and they were not long there when the fearful Laidly Beast stirred in the midst of the loch, and the hero slunk away as he did on yesterday, but it was not long after this when the man of the black horse came, with another dress on.109No matter; she knew that it was the very same lad. "110It is I am pleased to see you," said she. "111I am in hopes you will handle your great sword to-day as you did yesterday.112Come up and take breath."113But they were not long there when they saw the beast steaming in the midst of the loch.114At once he went to meet the beast, but _there_ was Cloopersteich and Claperstich, spluttering, splashing, raving, and roaring on the beast!115They kept at it thus for a long time, and about the mouth of night he cut another head off the beast.116He put it on the knot and gave it to her.117She gave him one of her earrings, and he leaped on the black horse, and he betook himself to the herding.118The king's daughter went home with the heads.119The General met her, and took the heads from her, and he said to her, that she must tell that it was he who took the head off the beast this time also. "120Who else took the head off the beast but you?" said she.121They reached the king's house with the heads.122Then there was joy and gladness.123About the same time on the morrow, the two went away.124The officer hid himself as he usually did.checked by a teacher125The king's daughter betook herself to the bank of the loch.126The hero of the black horse came, and if roaring and raving were on the beast on the days that were passed, this day it was horrible.127But no matter, he took the third head off the beast, and drew it through the knot, and gave it to her.128She gave him her other earring, and then she went home with the heads.129When they reached the king's house, all were full of smiles, and the General was to marry the king's daughter the next day.130The wedding was going on, and every one about the castle longing till the priest should come.131But when the priest came, she would marry only the one who could take the heads off the knot without cutting it. "132Who should take the heads off the knot but the man that put the heads on?" said the king.133The General tried them; but he could not loose them; and at last there was no one about the house but had tried to take the heads off the knot, but they could not.134The king asked if there were any one else about the house that would try to take the heads off the knot.135They said that the herd had not tried them yet.136Word went for the herd; and he was not long throwing them hither and thither. "137But stop a bit, my lad," said the king's daughter; "the man that took the heads off the beast, he has my ring and my two earrings."138The herd put his hand in his pocket, and he threw them on the board. "139Thou art my man," said the king's daughter.140The king was not so pleased when he saw that it was a herd who was to marry his daughter, but he ordered that he should be put in a better dress; but his daughter spoke, and she said that he had a dress as fine as any that ever was in his castle; and thus it happened.141The herd put on the giant's golden dress, and they married that same day.142They were now married, and everything went on well.143But one day, and it was the namesake of the day when his father had promised him to the sea-maiden, they were sauntering by the side of the loch, and lo and behold! she came and took him away to the loch without leave or asking.144The king's daughter was now mournful, tearful, blind-sorrowful for her married man; she was always with her eye on the loch.145An old soothsayer met her, and she told how it had befallen her married mate.146Then he told her the thing to do to save her mate, and that she did.147She took her harp to the sea-shore, and sat and played; and the sea-maiden came up to listen, for sea-maidens are fonder of music than all other creatures.148But when the wife saw the sea-maiden she stopped.149The sea-maiden said, "Play on!" but the princess said, "No, not till I see my man again."150So the sea-maiden put up his head out of the loch.151Then the princess played again, and stopped till the sea-maiden put him up to the waist.152Then the princess played and stopped again, and this time the sea-maiden put him all out of the loch, and he called on the falcon and became one and flew on shore.153But the sea-maiden took the princess, his wife.154Sorrowful was each one that was in the town on this night.155Her man was mournful, tearful, wandering down and up about the banks of the loch, by day and night.156The old soothsayer met him.157The soothsayer told him that there was no way of killing the sea-maiden but the one way, and this is it--"In the island that is in the midst of the loch is the white-footed hind of the slenderest legs and the swiftest step, and though she be caught, there will spring a hoodie out of her, and though the hoodie should be caught, there will spring a trout out of her, but there is an egg in the mouth of the trout, and the soul of the sea-maiden is in the egg, and if the egg breaks, she is dead."158Now, there was no way of getting to this island, for the sea-maiden would sink each boat and raft that would go on the loch.159He thought he would try to leap the strait with the black horse, and even so he did.160The black horse leaped the strait.161He saw the hind, and he let the black dog after her, but when he was on one side of the island, the hind would be on the other side. "162Oh! would the black dog of the carcass of flesh were here!"163No sooner spoke he the word than the grateful dog was at his side; and after the hind he went, and they were not long in bringing her to earth.164But he no sooner caught her than a hoodie sprang out of her. "165Would that the falcon grey, of sharpest eye and swiftest wing, were here!"166No sooner said he this than the falcon was after the hoodie, and she was not long putting her to earth; and as the hoodie fell on the bank of the loch, out of her jumps the trout. "167Oh! that thou wert by me now, oh otter!"168No sooner said than the otter was at his side, and out on the loch she leaped, and brings the trout from the midst of the loch; but no sooner was the otter on shore with the trout than the egg came from his mouth.169He sprang and he put his foot on it. '170Twas then the sea-maiden appeared, and she said, "Break not the egg, and you shall get all you ask." "171Deliver to me my wife!"172In the wink of an eye she was by his side.173When he got hold of her hand in both his hands, he let his foot down on the egg, and the sea-maiden died.1 2← previousThe Story-teller At Faultnext →A Legend of Knockmany↑ back to Celtic Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7885/21/page/2/