Fair, Brown, and Trembling · page 21 2101The prince of Emania looked at her and said: "You are the woman the shoe fits, and you are the woman I took the shoe from."102Then Trembling spoke up, and said: "Do you stay here till I return."103Then she went to the henwife's house.104The old woman put on the cloak of darkness, got everything for her she had the first Sunday at church, and put her on the white mare in the same fashion.105Then Trembling rode along the highway to the front of the house.106All who saw her the first time said: "This is the lady we saw at church."107Then she went away a second time, and a second time came back on the black mare in the second dress which the henwife gave her.108All who saw her the second Sunday said: "That is the lady we saw at church."109A third time she asked for a short absence, and soon came back on the third mare and in the third dress.110All who saw her the third time said: "That is the lady we saw at church."111Every man was satisfied, and knew that she was the woman.112Then all the princes and great men spoke up, and said to the son of the king of Emania: "You'll have to fight now for her before we let her go with you."113"I'm here before you, ready for combat," answered the prince.114Then the son of the king of Lochlin stepped forth.115The struggle began, and a terrible struggle it was.116They fought for nine hours; and then the son of the king of Lochlin stopped, gave up his claim, and left the field.117Next day the son of the king of Spain fought six hours, and yielded his claim.118On the third day the son of the king of Nyerfoi fought eight hours, and stopped.119The fourth day the son of the king of Greece fought six hours, and stopped.120On the fifth day no more strange princes wanted to fight; and all the sons of kings in Erin said they would not fight with a man of their own land, that the strangers had had their chance, and, as no others came to claim the woman, she belonged of right to the son of the king of Emania.121The marriage-day was fixed, and the invitations were sent out.122The wedding lasted for a year and a day.123When the wedding was over, the king's son brought home the bride, and when the time came a son was born.124The young woman sent for her eldest sister, Fair, to be with her and care for her.125One day, when Trembling was well, and when her husband was away hunting, the two sisters went out to walk; and when they came to the seaside, the eldest pushed the youngest sister in.126A great whale came and swallowed her.127The eldest sister came home alone, and the husband asked, "Where is your sister?"128"She has gone home to her father in Ballyshannon; now that I am well, I don't need her."129"Well," said the husband, looking at her, "I'm in dread it's my wife that has gone."130"Oh! no," said she; "it's my sister Fair that's gone."131Since the sisters were very much alike, the prince was in doubt.132That night he put his sword between them, and said: "If you are my wife, this sword will get warm; if not, it will stay cold."133In the morning when he rose up, the sword was as cold as when he put it there.134It happened, when the two sisters were walking by the seashore, that a little cowboy was down by the water minding cattle, and saw Fair push Trembling into the sea; and next day, when the tide came in, he saw the whale swim up and throw her out on the sand.135When she was on the sand she said to the cowboy: "When you go home in the evening with the cows, tell the master that my sister Fair pushed me into the sea yesterday; that a whale swallowed me, and then threw me out, but will come again and swallow me with the coming of the next tide; then he'll go out with the tide, and come again with to-morrow's tide, and throw me again on the strand.136The whale will cast me out three times.137I'm under the enchantment of this whale, and cannot leave the beach or escape myself.138Unless my husband saves me before I'm swallowed the fourth time, I shall be lost.139He must come and shoot the whale with a silver bullet when he turns on the broad of his back.140Under the breast-fin of the whale is a reddish-brown spot.141My husband must hit him in that spot, for it is the only place in which he can be killed."142When the cowboy got home, the eldest sister gave him a draught of oblivion, and he did not tell.143Next day he went again to the sea.144The whale came and cast Trembling on shore again.145She asked the boy "Did you tell the master what I told you to tell him?"146"I did not," said he; "I forgot."147"How did you forget?" asked she.148"The woman of the house gave me a drink that made me forget."149"Well, don't forget telling him this night; and if she gives you a drink, don't take it from her."150As soon as the cowboy came home, the eldest sister offered him a drink.151He refused to take it till he had delivered his message and told all to the master.152The third day the prince went down with his gun and a silver bullet in it.153He was not long down when the whale came and threw Trembling upon the beach as the two days before.154She had no power to speak to her husband till he had killed the whale.155Then the whale went out, turned over once on the broad of his back, and showed the spot for a moment only.156That moment the prince fired.157He had but the one chance, and a short one at that; but he took it, and hit the spot, and the whale, mad with pain, made the sea all around red with blood, and died.158That minute Trembling was able to speak, and went home with her husband, who sent word to her father what the eldest sister had done.159The father came, and told him any death he chose to give her to give it.160The prince told the father he would leave her life and death with himself.161The father had her put out then on the sea in a barrel, with provisions in it for seven years.162In time Trembling had a second child, a daughter.checked by a teacher163The prince and she sent the cowboy to school, and trained him up as one of their own children, and said: "If the little girl that is born to us now lives, no other man in the world will get her but him."164The cowboy and the prince's daughter lived on till they were married.165The mother said to her husband "You could not have saved me from the whale but for the little cowboy; on that account I don't grudge him my daughter."166The son of the king of Emania and Trembling had fourteen children, and they lived happily till the two died of old age.1 2← previousA Legend of Knockmanynext →Jack and His Master↑ back to Celtic Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7885/23/page/2/