The Enchanted Cave
: Irish Fairy TalesA long, long time ago, Prince Cuglas,[7] master of the hounds to the
high King of Erin, set out from Tara to the chase. As he was leaving
the palace the light mists were drifting away from the hill-tops, and
the rays of the morning sun were falling aslant on the grinan or
sunny bower of the Princess Ailinn. Glancing towards it the prince
doffed his plumed and jewelled hunting-cap, and the princess answered
his salute b
rose in the hedges in June, and leaning from her bower, she watched
the huntsman until his tossing plumes were hidden by the green waving
branches of the woods.
The Princess Ailinn was over head and ears in love with Cuglas, and
Cuglas was over head and ears in love with the Princess Ailinn, and he
believed that never was summer morning half as bright, or as sweet, or
as fair as she. The glimpse which he had just caught of her filled his
heart with delight, and almost put all thought of hunting out of his
head, when suddenly the tuneful cries of the hounds, answered by a
hundred echoes from the groves, broke upon his ear.
The dogs had started a dappled deer that bounded away through the
forest. The prince, spurring his gallant steed, pushed on in eager
pursuit.
On through the forest sped the deer, through soft, green, secret ways
and flowery dells, then out from the forest, up heathery hills, and
over long stretches of moorland, and across brown rushing streams,
sometimes in view of the hounds, sometimes lost to sight, but always
ahead of them.
All day long the chase continued, and at last, when the sun was
sinking, the dogs were close upon the panting deer, and the prince
believed he was about to secure his game, when the deer suddenly
disappeared through the mouth of a cave which opened before him. The
dogs followed at his heels, and the prince endeavoured to rein in his
steed, but the impetuous animal bore him on, and soon was clattering
over the stony floor of the cave in perfect darkness. Cuglas could
hear ahead of him the cries of the hounds growing fainter and fainter,
as they increased the distance between them and him. Then the cries
ceased altogether, and the only sound the prince heard was the noise
of his horse's hoofs sounding in the hollow cave. Once more he
endeavoured to check his career, but the reins broke in his hands, and
in that instant the prince felt the horse had taken a plunge into a
gulf, and was sinking down and down, as a stone cast from the summit
of a cliff sinks down to the sea. At last the horse struck the
ground again, and the prince was almost thrown out of his saddle, but
he succeeded in regaining his seat. Then on through the darkness
galloped the steed, and when he came into the light the prince's eyes
were for some time unable to bear it. But when he got used to the
brightness he saw he was galloping over a grassy plain, and in the
distance he perceived the hounds rushing towards a wood faintly
visible through a luminous summer haze. The prince galloped on, and as
he approached the wood he saw coming towards him a comely champion,
wearing a shining brown cloak, fastened by a bright bronze spear-like
brooch, and bearing a white hazel wand in one hand, and a single-edged
sword with a hilt made from the tooth of a sea-horse in the other;[8]
and the prince knew by the dress of the champion, and by his wand and
sword, that he was a royal herald. As the herald came close to him the
prince's steed stopped of his own accord.
impetuous animal bore him on"--p. 102]
"You are welcome, Cuglas," said the herald, "and I have been sent by
the Princess Crede to greet you and to lead you to her court, where
you have been so long expected."
"I know not how this may be," said Cuglas.
"How it has come about I shall tell you as we go along," said the
herald. "The Princess Crede is the Queen of the Floating Island. And
it chanced, once upon a day, when she was visiting her fairy kinsmen,
who dwell in one of the pleasant hills that lie near Tara, she saw you
with the high king and princes and nobles of Erin following the chase.
And seeing you her heart went out to you, and wishing to bring you to
her court, she sent one of her nymphs, in the form of a deer, to lure
you on through the cave, which is the entrance to this land."
"I am deeply honoured by the preference shown me by the princess,"
said Cuglas, "but I may not tarry in her court; for above in Erin
there is the Lady Ailinn, the loveliest of all the ladies who grace
the royal palace, and before the princess and chiefs of Erin she has
promised to be my bride."
"Of that I know not," said the herald; "but a true champion, like you,
cannot, I know, refuse to come with me to the court of the Princess
Crede."
As the herald had said these words the prince and he were on the verge
of the wood, and they entered upon a mossy pathway that broadened out
as they advanced until it was as wide as one of the great roads of
Erin. Before they had gone very far the prince heard the tinkling of
silver bells in the distance, and almost as soon as he heard them he
saw coming up towards him a troop of warriors on coal black steeds.
All the warriors wore helmets of shining silver, and cloaks of blue
silk. And on the horses' breasts were crescents of silver, on which
were hung tiny silver bells, shaking out music with the motion of the
horses. As the prince approached the champions they lowered their
spears, and dividing in two lines the prince and the herald passed
between the ranks, and the champions, forming again, followed on
behind the prince.
At last they passed through the wood, and they found themselves on a
green plain, speckled with flowers, and they had not gone far when the
prince saw coming towards him a hundred champions on snow-white
steeds, and around the breasts of the steeds were crescents of gold,
from which were hanging little golden bells.[9] The warriors all wore
golden helmets, and the shafts of their shining spears were of gold,
and golden sandals on their feet, and yellow silken mantles fell down
over their shoulders. And when the prince came near them they lowered
their lances, and then they turned their horses' heads around and
marched before him. And it was not long until above the pleasant
jingle of the bells the prince heard the measured strains of music,
and he saw coming towards him a band of harpers, dressed in green and
gold, and when the harpers had saluted the prince they marched in
front of the cavalcade, playing all the time, and it was not long
until they came to a stream that ran like a blue riband around the
foot of a green hill, on the top of which was a sparkling palace; the
stream was crossed by a golden bridge, so narrow that the horsemen had
to go two-by-two. The herald asked the prince to halt and to allow all
the champions to go before him; and the cavalcade ascended the hill,
the sunlight brightly glancing on helmet and on lance, and when it
reached the palace the horsemen filed around the walls.
When at length the prince and herald crossed the bridge and began to
climb the hill, the prince thought he felt the ground moving under
them, and on looking back he could see no sign of the golden bridge,
and the blue stream had already become as wide as a great river, and
was becoming wider every second.
"You are on the floating island now," said the herald, "and before you
is the palace of the Princess Crede."
At that moment the queen came out through the palace door, and the
prince was so dazzled by her beauty, that only for the golden bracelet
he wore upon his right arm, under the sleeve of his silken tunic, he
might almost have forgotten the Princess Ailinn. This bracelet was
made by the dwarfs who dwell in the heart of the Scandinavian
Mountains, and was sent with other costly presents by the King of
Scandinavia to the King of Erin, and he gave it to the princess, and
it was the virtue of this bracelet, that whoever was wearing it could
not forget the person who gave it to him, and it could never be
loosened from the arm by any art or magic spell; but if the wearer,
even for a single moment, liked anyone better than the person who gave
it to him, that very moment the bracelet fell off from the arm and
could never again be fastened on. And when the princess promised her
hand in marriage to the Prince Cuglas, she closed the bracelet on his
arm.
The fairy queen knew nothing about the bracelet, and she hoped that
before the prince was long in the floating island he would forget all
about the princess.
"You are welcome, Cuglas," said the queen, as she held out her hand,
and Cuglas, having thanked her for her welcome, they entered the
palace together.
"You must be weary after your long journey," said the queen. "My page
will lead you to your apartments, where a bath of the cool blue waters
of the lake has been made ready for you, and when you have taken your
bath the pages will lead you to the banquet hall, where the feast is
spread."
At the feast the prince was seated beside the queen, and she talked to
him of all the pleasures that were in store for him in fairyland,
where pain, and sickness, and sorrow, and old age, are unknown, and
where every rosy hour that flies is brighter than the one that has
fled before it. And when the feast was ended the queen opened the
dance with the prince, and it was not until the moon was high above
the floating island that the prince retired to rest.
He was so tired after his journey and the dancing that he fell into a
sound sleep. When he awoke the next morning the sun was shining
brightly, and he heard outside the palace the jingle of bells and the
music of baying hounds, and his heart was stirred by memories of the
many pleasant days on which he had led the chase over the plains and
through the green woods of Tara.
He looked out through the window, and he saw all the fairy champions
mounted on their steeds ready for the chase, and at their head the
fairy queen. And at that moment the pages came to say the queen wished
to know if he would join them, and the prince went out and found his
steed ready saddled and bridled, and they spent the day hunting in the
forest that stretched away for miles behind the palace, and the night
in feasting and dancing.
When the prince awoke the following morning he was summoned by the
pages to the presence of the queen. The prince found the queen on the
lawn outside the palace surrounded by her court.
"We shall go on the lake to-day, Cuglas," said the queen, and taking
his arm she led him along the water's edge, all the courtiers
following.
When she was close to the water she waved her wand, and in a second a
thousand boats, shining like glass, shot up from beneath the lake and
set their bows against the bank. The queen and Cuglas stepped into
one, and when they were seated two fairy harpers took their places in
the prow. All the other boats were soon thronged by fairies, and then
the queen waved her wand again, and an awning of purple silk rose over
the boat, and silken awning of various colours over the others, and
the royal boat moved off from the bank followed by all the rest, and
in every boat sat a harper with a golden harp, and when the queen
waved her wand for the third time, the harpers struck the trembling
chords, and to the sound of the delightful music the boats glided over
the sunlit lake. And on they went until they approached the mouth of a
gentle river sliding down between banks clad with trees. Up the river,
close to the bank and under the drooping trees, they sailed, and when
they came to a bend in the river, from which the lake could be no
longer seen, they pushed their prows in against the bank, and the
queen and Cuglas, and all the party, left the boats and went on under
the trees until they came to a mossy glade.
Then the queen waved her wand, and silken couches were spread under
the trees, and she and Cuglas sat on one apart from the others, and
the courtiers took their places in proper order.
And the queen waved her wand again, and wind shook the trees above
them, and the most luscious fruit that was ever tasted fell down into
their hands; and when the feast was over there was dancing in the
glades to the music of the harps, and when they were tired dancing
they set out for the boats, and the moon was rising above the trees as
they sailed away over the lake, and it was not long until they reached
the bank below the fairy palace.
Well, between hunting in the forest, and sailing over the lake, and
dancing in the greenwood glade and in the banquet hall, the days
passed, but all the time the prince was thinking of the Princess
Ailinn, and one moonlit night, when he was lying awake on his couch
thinking of her, a shadow was suddenly cast on the floor.
The prince looked towards the window, and what should he see sitting
on the sill outside but a little woman tapping the pane with a golden
bodkin.
The prince jumped from his couch and opened the window, and the little
woman floated on the moonbeams into the room and sat down on the
floor.
"You are thinking of the Princess Ailinn," said the little woman.
"I never think of anyone else," said the prince.
"I know that," said the little woman, "and it's because of your love
for each other, and because her mother was a friend to me in the
days gone by, that I have come here to try and help you; but there is
not much time for talking, the night advances. At the bank below a
boat awaits you. Step into it and it will lead you to the mainland,
and when you reach it you will find before you a path that will
take you to the green fields of Erin and the plains of Tara. I know
you will have to face danger. I know not what kind of danger; but
whatever it may be do not draw your sword before you tread upon the
mainland, for if you do you shall never reach it, and the boat
will come back again to the floating island; and now go and may luck
go with you;" and saying this the little woman climbed up the
moonbeams and disappeared.
The prince left the palace and descended to the lake, and there before
him he saw a glistening boat; he stepped into it, and the boat went on
and on beneath the moon, and at last he saw the mainland, and he could
trace a winding pathway going away from the shore. The sight filled
his heart with joy, but suddenly the milk-white moonshine died away,
and looking up to the sky he saw the moon turning fiery red, and the
waters of the lake, shining like silver a moment before, took a
blood-red hue, and a wind arose that stirred the waters, and they
leaped up against the little boat, tossing it from side to side. While
Cuglas was wondering at the change, he heard a strange, unearthly
noise ahead of him, and a bristling monster, lifting its claws above
the water, in a moment was beside the boat and stuck one of his claws
in the left arm of the prince, and pierced the flesh to the bone.
Maddened by the pain the prince drew his sword and chopped off the
monster's claw. The monster disappeared beneath the lake, and, as it
did so, the colour of the water changed, and the silver moonlight
shone down from the sky again, but the boat no longer went on towards
the mainland, but sped back towards the floating island, while forth
from the island came a fleet of fairy boats to meet it, led by the
shallop of the fairy queen. The queen greeted the prince as if she
knew not of his attempted flight, and to the music of the harps the
fleet returned to the palace.
The next day passed and the night came, and again the prince was lying
on the couch, thinking of the Princess Ailinn, and again he saw the
shadow on the floor and heard the tapping against the window.
And when he opened it the little woman slid into the room.
"You failed last night," she said, "but I come to give you another
chance. To-morrow the queen must set out on a visit to her fairy
kinsmen, who dwell in the green hill near the plain of Tara; she
cannot take you with her, for if your feet once touched the green
grass that grows in the fruitful fields of Erin, she could never bring
you back again. And so, when you find she has left the palace, go at
once into the banquet hall and look behind the throne, and you will
see a small door let down into the ground. Pull this up and descend
the steps which you will see. Where they lead to I cannot tell. What
dangers may be before you I do not know; but this I know, if you
accept anything, no matter what it is, from anyone you may meet on
your way, you shall not set foot on the soil of Erin."
And having said this the little woman, rising from the floor, floated
out through the window.
The prince returned to his couch, and the next morning, as soon as he
heard the queen had left the palace, he hastened to the banquet hall.
He discovered the door and descended the steps, and he found himself
in a gloomy and lonesome valley. Jagged mountains, black as night,
rose on either side, and huge rocks seemed ready to topple down upon
him at every step. Through broken clouds a watery moon shed a faint,
fitful light, that came and went as the clouds, driven by a moaning
wind, passed over the valley.
Cuglas, nothing daunted, pushed on boldly until a bank of cloud shut
out completely the struggling moon, and closing over the valley
covered it like a pall, leaving him in perfect darkness. At the same
moment the moaning wind died away, and with it died away all sound.
The darkness and the death-like silence sent an icy chill to the heart
of Cuglas. He held his hand close to his eyes, but he saw it not. He
shouted that he might hear the sound of his own voice, but he heard it
not. He stamped his foot on the rocky ground, but no sound was
returned to him. He rattled his sword in its brazen scabbard, but it
gave no answer back to him. His heart grew colder and colder, when
suddenly the cloud above him was rent in a dozen places, and lightning
flashed through the valley, and the thunder rolled over the echoing
mountains. In the lurid glare of the lightning Cuglas saw a hundred
ghostly forms sweeping towards him, uttering as they came nearer and
nearer shrieks so terrible that the silence of death could more easily
be borne. Cuglas turned to escape, but they hemmed him round, and
pressed their clammy hands upon his face.
With a yell of horror he drew his sword and slashed about him, and
that very moment the forms vanished, the thunder ceased, the dark
cloud passed, and the sun shone out as bright as on a summer day, and
then Cuglas knew the forms he had seen were those of the wild people
of the glen.[10]
With renewed courage he pursued his way through the valley, and after
three or four windings it took him out upon a sandy desert. He had no
sooner set foot upon the desert than he heard behind him a crashing
sound louder than thunder. He looked around, and he saw that the walls
of mountain through which he had just passed had fallen into the
valley, and filled it up so that he could no longer tell where it had
been.
The sun was beating fiercely on the desert, and the sands were almost
as hot as burning cinders; and as Cuglas advanced over them his body
became dried up, and his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and
when his thirst was at its height a fountain of sparkling water sprang
up in the burning plain a few paces in front of him; but when he came
up quite close to it and stretched out his parched hands to cool them
in the limped waters, the fountain vanished as suddenly as it
appeared. With great pain, and almost choking with heat and thirst, he
struggled on, and again the fountain sprang up in front of him and
moved before him, almost within his reach. At last he came to the end
of the desert, and he saw a green hill up which a pathway climbed; but
as he came to the foot of the hill, there, sitting right in his way,
was a beautiful fairy holding out towards him a crystal cup, over the
rim of which flowed water as clear as crystal. Unable to resist the
temptation, the prince seized the cold, bright goblet, and drank the
water. When he did so his thirst vanished, but the fairy, and the
green hill, and the burning desert disappeared, and he was standing in
the forest behind the palace of the fairy queen.
That evening the queen returned, and at the feast she talked as gaily
to the prince as if she knew not of his attempt to leave the Floating
Island, and the prince spoke as gaily as he could to her, although in
his heart there was sadness when he remembered that if he had only
dashed away the crystal cup, he would be at that moment in the royal
banquet hall of Tara, sitting beside the Princess Ailinn.
And he thought the feast would never end; but it was over at last, and
the prince returned to his apartments. And that night, as he lay on
his couch, he kept his eyes fixed upon the window; but hours passed,
and there was no sign of anyone. At long last, and when he had given
up all hope of seeing her, he heard a tapping at the window, and he
got up and opened it, and the little woman came in.
"You failed again to-day," said she--"failed just at the very moment
when you were about to step on the green hills of Erin. I can give you
only one chance more. It will be your last. The queen will go hunting
in the morning. Join the hunt, and when you are separated from the
rest of the party in the wood throw your reins upon your horse's neck
and he will lead you to the edge of the lake. Then cast this golden
bodkin into the lake in the direction of the mainland, and a golden
bridge will be thrown across, over which you can pass safely to the
fields of Erin; but take care and do not draw your sword, for if you
do your steed will bear you back again to the Floating Island, and
here you must remain for ever." Then handing the bodkin to the prince,
and saying good-bye, the little woman disappeared.
The next morning the queen and the prince and all the court went out
to hunt, and a fleet white deer started out before them, and the royal
party pressed after him in pursuit. The prince's steed outstripped the
others, and when he was alone the prince flung the reins upon his
horse's neck, and before long he came to the edge of the lake.
Then the prince cast the bodkin on to the water, and a golden bridge
was thrown across to the mainland, and the horse galloped on to it,
and when the prince was more than half-way he saw riding towards him a
champion wearing a silver helmet, and carrying on his left arm a
silver shield, and holding in his right hand a gleaming sword. As he
came nearer he struck his shield with his sword and challenged the
prince to battle. The prince's sword almost leaped out of its scabbard
at the martial sound, and, like a true knight of Tara, he dashed
against his foe, and swinging his sword above his head, with one blow
he clove the silver helmet, and the strange warrior reeled from his
horse and fell upon the golden bridge. The prince, content with this
achievement, spurred his horse to pass the fallen champion, but the
horse refused to stir, and the bridge broke in two almost at his feet,
and the part of it between him and the mainland disappeared beneath
the lake, carrying with it the horse and the body of the champion, and
before the prince could recover from his surprise, his steed wheeled
round and was galloping back, and when he reached the land he rushed
through the forest, and the prince was not able to pull him up until
he came to the palace door.
All that night the prince lay awake on his couch with his eyes fixed
upon the window, but no shadow fell upon the floor, and there was no
tapping at the pane, and with a heavy heart he joined the hunting
party in the morning. And day followed day, and his heart was sadder
and sadder, and found no pleasure in the joys and delights of
fairyland. And when all in the palace were at rest he used to roam
through the forest, always thinking of the Princess Ailinn, and hoping
against hope that the little woman would come again to him, but at
last he began to despair of ever seeing her. It chanced one night he
rambled so far that he found himself on the verge of the lake, at the
very spot from which the golden bridge had been thrown across the
waters, and as he gazed wistfully upon them a boat shot up and came
swiftly to the bank, and who should he see sitting in the stern but
the little woman.
"Ah, Cuglas, Cuglas," she said, "I gave you three chances, and you
failed in all of them."
"I should have borne the pain inflicted by the monster's claw," said
Cuglas. "I should have borne the thirst on the sandy desert, and
dashed the crystal cup untasted from the fairy's hand; but I could
never have faced the nobles and chiefs of Erin if I had refused to
meet the challenge of the battle champion on the golden bridge."
"And you would have been no true knight of Erin, and you would not
have been worthy of the wee girl who loves you, the bonny Princess
Ailinn, if you had refused to meet it," said the little woman; "but
for all that you can never return to the fair hills of Erin. But cheer
up, Cuglas, there are mossy ways and forest paths and nestling bowers
in fairyland. Lonely they are, I know, in your eyes now," said the
little woman; "but maybe," she added, with a laugh as musical as the
ripple on a streamlet when summer is in the air, "maybe you won't
always think them so lonely."
"You think I'll forget Ailinn for the fairy queen," said Cuglas, with
a sigh.
"I don't think anything of the kind," said she.
"Then what do you mean?" said the prince.
"Oh, I mean what I mean," said the little woman. "But I can't stop
here all night talking to you: and, indeed, it is in your bed you
ought to be yourself. So now good night; and I have no more to say,
except that perhaps, if you happen to be here this night week at this
very hour, when the moon will be on the waters, you will see----. But
no matter what you will see," said she; "I must be off."
And before the prince could say another word the boat sped away from
the bank, and he was alone. He went back to the palace, and he fell
asleep that night only to dream of the Princess Ailinn.
As for the princess, she was pining away in the palace of Tara, the
colour had fled from her cheeks, and her eyes, which had been once so
bright they would have lighted darkness like a star, lost nearly all
their lustre, and the king's leeches could do nothing for her, and at
last they gave up all hope, and the king and queen of Erin and the
ladies of the court watched her couch by night and by day sadly
waiting for her last hour.
At length one day, when the sun was shining brightly over Tara's
plain, and its light, softened by the intervening curtains, was
falling in the sick chamber, the royal watchers noticed a sweet change
coming over the face of the princess; the bloom of love and youth were
flushing on her cheeks, and from her eyes shone out the old, soft,
tender light, and they began to hope she was about to be restored to
them, when suddenly the room was in darkness as if the night had swept
across the sky, and blotted out the sun. Then they heard the sound of
fairy music, and over the couch where the princess lay they beheld a
gleam of golden light, but only for a moment; and again there was
perfect darkness, and the fairy music ceased. Then, as suddenly as it
came the darkness vanished, the softened sunlight once more filled the
chamber, and rested upon the couch; but the couch was empty, and the
royal watchers, looking at each other, said in whispers: "The fairies
have carried away the Princess Ailinn to fairyland."
Well, that very day the prince roamed by himself through the forest,
counting the hours until the day would fade in the sky and the moon
come climbing up, and at last, when it was shining full above the
waters, he went down to the verge of the lake, and he looked out over
the gleaming surface watching for the vision promised by the little
woman. But he could see nothing, and was about to turn away when he
heard the faint sound of fairy music. He listened and listened, and
the sound came nearer and clearer, and away in the distance, like
drops of glistening water breaking the level of the lake, he saw a
fleet of fairy boats, and he thought it was the fairy queen sailing in
the moonlight. And it was the fairy queen, and soon he was able to
recognise the royal shallop leading the others, and as it came close
to the bank he saw the little woman sitting in the prow between the
little harpers, and at the stern was the fairy queen, and by her side
the lady of his heart, the Princess Ailinn. In a second the boat was
against the bank, and the princess in his arms. And he kissed her
again and again.
"And have you never a kiss for me," said the little woman, tapping his
hand with the little gold bodkin.
"A kiss and a dozen," said Cuglas, as he caught the little fairy up in
his arms.
"Oh, fie, Cuglas," said the queen.
"Oh, the princess isn't one bit jealous," said the little woman. "Are
you, Ailinn?"
"Indeed I am not," said Ailinn.
"And you should not be," said the fairy queen, "for never lady yet had
truer knight than Cuglas. I loved him, and I love him dearly. I lured
him here hoping that in the delights of fairyland he might forget you.
It was all in vain. I know now that there is one thing no fairy power
above or below the stars, or beneath the waters, can ever subdue, and
that is love. And here together forever shall you and Cuglas dwell,
where old age shall never come upon you, and where pain or sorrow or
sickness are unknown."
And Cuglas never returned to the fair hills of Erin, and ages passed
away since the morning he followed the hounds into the fatal cave, but
his story was remembered by the firesides, and sometimes, even yet,
the herdboy watching his cattle in the fields hears the tuneful cry of
hounds, and follows it till it leads him to a darksome cave, and as
fearfully he listens to the sound becoming fainter and fainter he
hears the clatter of hoofs over the stony floor, and to this day the
cave bears the name of the prince who entered it never to return.
[Footnote: Uaimh Belaigh Conglais, the cave of the road of
Cuglas--now Baltinglass--in the county Wicklow.]
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Once upon a time there was a youth who used to herd buffaloes; and as he watched his animals graze he noticed that exactly at noon every day a she-dog used to make its way to a ravine, in which there were some pools of water. This made him curious a... The Dog Gellert
Having demolished William Tell, I proceed to the destruction of another article of popular belief. Who that has visited Snowdon has not seen the grave of Llewellyn's faithful hound Gellert, and been told by the guide the touching story of the d... The Dog Whose Ears Were Cropped
"What have I done, I'd like to know, To make my master maim me so? A pretty figure I shall cut! From other dogs I'll keep, in kennel shut. Ye kings of beasts, or rather tyrants, ho! Would any beast have serv... The Dog's Howl
A dog howling on the doorsteps or at the entrance of a house also foretold death. The noise was that peculiar howling noise which dogs sometimes make. It was in Welsh called yn udo, or crying. ... The Doomed Rider
"The Conan is as bonny a river as we hae in a' the north country. There's mony a sweet sunny spot on its banks, an' mony a time an' aft hae I waded through its shallows, whan a boy, to set my little scautling-line for the trouts an' the eels, or ... The Dormouse
Many years ago the animals ruled the earth. They had killed every one but a brother and a sister. These two lived in a lodge far away in the forest, where the animals could not find them. The boy was a tiny, little fellow,--he had never grown any... The Dove And The Ant
A dove came to a brook to drink, When, leaning o'er its crumbling brink, An ant fell in, and vainly tried, In this, to her, an ocean tide, To reach the land; whereat the dove, With every living thing in love, Was pro... The Dracae
These are a sort of water-spirits who inveigle women and children into the recesses which they inhabit, beneath lakes and rivers, by floating past them, on the surface of the water, in the shape of gold rings or cups. The women thus seized are em... The Dragon With Many Heads
An envoy of the Porte Sublime, As history says, once on a time, Before th' imperial German court Did rather boastfully report, The troops commanded by his master's firman, As being a stronger army than... The Dragon-giant And His Stone-steed
Not one amongst the numerous wives of Vladimir the Great was comparable in beauty to the Bulgarian Princess Milolika. Her eyes resembled those of the falcon; the fur of the sable was not more glossy than her eyebrows, and her breast was whiter... The Dream
One night as a man and his wife lay talking in bed, the woman told her husband that she had dreamt that in a certain place she had dug up a pot full of rupees, and she proposed that they should go and look for it and see whether the dream was true. ... The Dream
At sunrise on the following morning two women were seated on the ground, in the back part of a small flat-roofed house, situated in a very secluded spot amongst the hills, not a mile from Jerusalem. They sat opposite to each other, engaged--after t... The Dream Of Juiwaiyu And His Journey To Damhauja's Country
PERSONAGES After each name is given that of the creature or thing into which the personage was changed subsequently. =Damhauja=, the moon just before renewal; =Darijua=, gray squirrel; =Halaia=, morning star; =Jupka=, butterfly of the wild si... The Dream Of The King's Son
There was once a king who had three sons. One evening, when the young princes were going to sleep, the king ordered them to take good note of their dreams and come and tell them to him next morning. So, the next day the princes went to their father ... The Dream Story Of Gojiro
Only a few years ago there was a gentleman in Fukui, Japan, who had a son, a bright lad of twelve, who was very diligent at school and had made astonishing progress in his studies. He was especially quick at learning Chinese characters, of which e... The Drop Star
A little maid of three years was missing from her home on the Genesee. She had gone to gather water-lilies and did not return. Her mother, almost crazed with grief, searched for days, weeks, months, before she could resign herself to the thought tha... The Dumb Shepherd
There was once a very rich and powerful Raja and in his heart he thought that there was no one so powerful in the world as himself; thus he thought but he told no one of his thought. One day he made up his mind to see whether others could guess what... The Dwarf-sword Tirfing
Suaforlami, the second in descent from Odin, was king over Gardarike (Russia). One day he rode a-hunting, and sought long after a hart, but could not find one the whole day. When the sun was setting, he found himself plunged so deep in the forest ... The Dwarfs
A man who was out in his kayak saw another kayak far off, and rowed up to it. When he came up with it, he saw that the man in it was a very little man, a dwarf. "What do you want," asked the dwarf, who was very much afraid of the man. "I saw... The Dwarfs' Banquet
There lived in Norway, not far from the city of Drontheim, a powerful man who was blessed with all the goods of fortune. A part of the surrounding country was his property, numerous herds fed on his pastures, and a great retinue and a crowd of ser... The Eagle And The Magpie
The eagle, through the air a queen, And one far different, I ween, In temper, language, thought, and mien,-- The magpie,--once a prairie cross'd. The by-path where they met was drear, And Madge gave up herself for l... The Eagle And The Owl
The eagle and the owl, resolved to cease Their war, embraced in pledge of peace. On faith of king, on faith of owl, they swore That they would eat each other's chicks no more. "But know you mine?" said Wisdom's bird. ... The Eagle And The Whale
In a certain village there lived many brothers. And they had two sisters, both of an age to marry, and often urged them to take husbands, but they would not. At last one of the men said: "What sort of a husband do you want, then? An eagle, perh... The Eagle Crest
It is well known that there is a certain clan which claims the Eagle for its crest or totem, and this is how it happened. There was once a very poor man, so poor that he could not even get enough to eat. He was always cruising around in a small ca... The Ears Of The Hare
Some beast with horns did gore The lion; and that sovereign dread, Resolved to suffer so no more, Straight banish'd from his realm, 'tis said, All sorts of beasts with horns-- Rams, bulls, goats, stags, ... The Earth-hardening After The Flood
Sia (New Mexico) After the flood, the Sia returned to Ha-arts, the earth. They came through an opening in the far north. After they had remained at their first village a year, they wished to pass on, but the earth was very moist and Utset was puzzl... The Earthen Pot And The Iron Pot
An iron pot proposed To an earthen pot a journey. The latter was opposed, Expressing the concern he Had felt about the danger Of going out a ranger. He thought the kitchen hearth The safest place on earth ... The Earthquake Fish
Mukashi, mukashi, (as most Japanese stories begin), long, long ago, when the gods came down from heaven to subdue the earth for the mikados, and civilize the country, there were a great many earthquakes, and nothing to stop them. The world continu... The Egg Shell Pottage
In the parish of Treveglwys, near Llanidloes, in the county of Montgomery, there is a little shepherd's cot, that is commonly called Twt y Cwmrws (the place of strife) on account of the extraordinary strife that has been there. The inhabitants of... The Eighth Labor
The eighth labor of Hercules was to bring the mares of the Thracian Diomede to Mycene. Diomede was a son of Mars and ruler of the Bistonians, a very warlike people. He had mares so wild and strong that they had to be fastened with iron chains. Their... The Ejectment Of The Evil Spirit From Llanfor Church
Mr. Roberts states that his grandmother, born in 1744, had only traditions of this spirit. He was said to have worn a three-cocked hat, and appeared as a gentleman, and whilst divine service was performed he stood up in the church. But at night ... The Elephant And The Ants
In the days of old there was a great deal more jungle than there is now, and wild elephants were very numerous; once upon a time a red ant and a black ant were burrowing in the ground, when a wild elephant appeared and said "Why are you burrowing he... The Eleventh Labor
At the celebration of the marriage of Jupiter and Juno, when all the gods were bringing their wedding gifts to the happy pair, Mother Earth did not wish to be left out. So she caused to spring forth on the western borders of the great world-sea a ma... The Elf Dancers Of Cae Caled
Dr. Edward Williams, under the year 1757, writes as follows:-- I am now going to relate a circumstance in this young period of my life which probably will excite an alternate smile and thoughtful reflection, as it has often done in myself, howev... The Elves
The happy day at length arrived on which Count Hermann von Rosenberg was married to his beloved Catherine, a princess of the house of Gonzaca. The event was celebrated by a magnificent banquet and festival, and it was late before the Count and Cou... The Enchanted Cave
A long, long time ago, Prince Cuglas,[7] master of the hounds to the high King of Erin, set out from Tara to the chase. As he was leaving the palace the light mists were drifting away from the hill-tops, and the rays of the morning sun were fallin... The Enchanted Crow
In a royal palace dwelt, once upon a time, three fair sisters, all equally young and pretty; the youngest, however, although not at all more beautiful than the two elder, was the best and most amiable of them all. About half a mile distant ... The Enchanted Lake
In the depths of the Great Smoky Mountains there lies a hidden lake which no human eye has ever seen. The hunters know where it must be, for sometimes one has come near enough to scent its freshness, and to hear the rustle of thousands of wings as t... The Enchanted Moccasins
ODJIBWA. There once lived a little boy, all alone with his sister, in a very wild uninhabitable country. They saw nothing but beasts, and birds, the sky above them, and the earth beneath them. But there were no human beings besides themselves. ... The Enchanted Moccasins
Once on Mackinac Island there lived a little Indian boy and his sister. They saw only the birds and animals, for no human beings were there but themselves. The little boy, instead of playing with his sister, used to go into the forest and think. S... The Enchanted Mountain
The hunters who are continually going about from place to place, climbing up high hills, descending into deep ravines and making ways through jungles in search of the wild bison and other game, tell strange tales of an enchanted place away on the to... The Envious Sisters
A king had three daughters whose names were Pride, Gentleness, and Kindness. The king was very fond of them all, but he loved the youngest one, Kindness, the most, as she knew best how to please him. Many clever young gentlemen came to visit Kindn... The Envy Of Manitou
Behind the mountains that gloom about the romantic village of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, was once a lake of clear, bright water, its winding loops and bays extending back for several miles. On one of its prettiest bits of shore stood a village of th... The Escape Of Francois Navarre
When the Hurons came to Sandwich, opposite the Michigan shore, in 1806, and camped near the church for the annual festival of savages, which was religious primarily, but incidentally gastronomic, athletic, and alcoholic, an old woman of the tribe fo... The Escape Of Juanita
Have you heard of the terrible Tic-balan, A tall and thin and very black man, With terrible teeth and a horse's head, And covered with hair that is long and red? He lives in the awful Balete tree, And to pass the place you must say "Tabi";... The Evil Maker
The Great Spirit made man, and all the good things in the world, while the Evil Spirit was asleep. When the Evil Spirit awoke he saw an Indian, and, wondering at his appearance, he went to him and asked-- "Who made you?" "The Great Spirit," r... The Evil Spirit Appearing To A Man Who Frequented Alehouses On Sunday
Jones writes as follows:--W. J. was once a Sabbath-breaker at Risca village, where he frequently used to play and visit the alehouses on the Sabbath day, and there stay till late at night. On returning homeward he heard something walking behind h... The Expeditious Frog
A fox came one day at full speed to a pond to drink. A frog who was sitting there, began to croak at him. Then, said the fox, "Be off with you, or I'll swallow you." The frog, however, replied: "Don't give yourself such airs; I am swifter tha... The Extortionate Sentry
There was once a sentry outside a Raja's palace who would let no one go in to sell anything to the Raja until they first promised to give him half the price they received from the Raja, and the poor traders had to promise, for their livelihood depen... The Fable Of The Animals
Karok (near Klamath River,. Cal.) A great many hundred snows ago, Kareya, sitting on the Sacred Stool, created the world. First, he made the fishes in the Big Water, then the animals on the green land, and last of all, Man! But at first the animals... The Face Of The Manito
Many years ago the manito of the Indians lived in the sun. Every morning the wise men of the tribe went to the top of a mountain, and as the sun rose in the east, they sang, "We praise thee, O sun! From thee come fire and light. Be good to us, be ... The Fairies And Their Chest Of Gold
The following tale I obtained from the Rev. Owen Jones, Vicar of Pentrevoelas. The scene lies amongst the wildest mountains of Merionethshire. David, the weaver, lived in a house called Llurig, near Cerniogau Mawr, between Pentrevoelas and Cer... The Fairies Cliff
An Indian chief once had ten daughters. They were all very beautiful, especially the youngest. When they grew to be women, nine of them married handsome, young warriors. But the youngest maiden would not listen to any of the young men who came to... The Fairies Giving Money To A Man For Joining Them In Their Dance
The following story came to me through the Rev. Owen Jones, Vicar of Pentrevoelas. The occurrence is said to have taken place near Pentrevoelas. The following are the particulars:-- Tomas Moris, Ty'n-y-Pant, returning home one delightful summe... The Fairies Of Merlin's Craig
Early in the seventeenth century, John Smith, a barn-man at a farm, was sent by his master to cast divots (turf) on the green immediately behind Merlin's Craig. After having laboured for a considerable time, there came round from the front of the... The Fairies Placing Money On The Ground For A Poor Man
The following tale was told me by Thomas Jones, a small mountain farmer, who occupies land near Pont Petrual, a place between Ruthin and Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr. Jones informed me that he was acquainted with all the parties mentioned in the tale.... The Fairies Rewarding A Woman For Taking Care Of Their Dog
Mention has already been made of Fairy Dogs. It would appear that now and again these dogs, just like any other dogs, strayed from home; but the Fairies were fond of their pets, and when lost, sought for them, and rewarded those mortals who had s... The Fairies Threw Dust Into A Man's Eyes Who Saw Them Dance
This tale is taken from Cymru Fu, p. 176, and is from the pen of Glasynys. I give it in English. William Ellis, of Cilwern, was once fishing in Llyn Cwm Silin on a dark cloudy day, when he observed close by, in the rushes, a great number of me... The Fairies' Dancing-place
BY WILLIAM CARLETON Lanty M'Clusky had married a wife, and, of course, it was necessary to have a house in which to keep her. Now, Lanty had taken a bit of a farm, about six acres; but as there was no house on it, he resolved to build one; and ... The Fairies' Well
Tale, tale, mate; a black little bird flew on the tree; it broke one of its legs; a new cloak, a shabby old cloak; it put it on. Well, to commence! there was in the world a king, who was called the "Green King," and who had three daughters. He d... The Fairy Boy Of Leith
"About fifteen years since, having business that detained me for some time at Leith, which is near Edinburgh, in the kingdom of Scotland, I often met some of my acquaintance at a certain house there, where we used to drink a glass of wine for ou... The Fairy Cow
There are many traditions afloat about a wonderful cow, that supplied whole neighbourhoods with milk, which ceased when wantonly wasted. In some parts of England this is called the Dun Cow; in Shropshire she becomes also the White Cow; in Wales s... The Fairy Greyhound
Paddy M'Dermid was one of the most rollicking boys in the whole county of Kildare. Fair or pattern[3] wouldn't be held barring he was in the midst of it. He was in every place, like bad luck, and his poor little farm was seldom sowed in season; an... The Fairy Shilling
The Rev. Owen Jones, Pentrevoelas, whom I have already mentioned as having supplied me with the Folk-lore of his parish, kindly gave me the following tale:-- There was a clean, tidy, hardworking woman, who was most particular about keeping her ... The Fairy Tree Of Dooros
Once upon a time the fairies of the west, going home from a hurling-match with the fairies of the lakes, rested in Dooros Wood for three days and three nights. They spent the days feasting and the nights dancing in the light of the moon, and they ... The Faithful Husband
Upon a day in years long since gone by, Chow[10] Soo Tome, wearied of the talking of his slaves, wandered into the forest. As he walked in an unfrequented path, he came to a lake where seven beautiful winged nymphs were disporting themselves in the ... The Faithful Wife
The young and beautiful son of a head chow sought of a wise man what manner of wife should be his. "As you walked by the way, whom did you meet?" asked the wizard. "No one," replied the young man. "Nay, my son, you saw a slave of your father'... The Faithlessness Of Sinogo
Somewhere off the northern coast of Mindanao a strong current begins to travel northward. It runs to the island of Siquijor and then, turning slightly to the east, goes racing between the islands of Cebu and Negros. At the narrow entrance between Sa... The Fall Of Polobulac
This is a tale from Panay. It probably originated with the Spanish fathers, who wished to impress the doctrine of the Seven Deadly Sins on the natives. The islands are just off Iloilo. A little way from Iloilo there once was a beautiful island cal... The Falls At Cohoes
When Occuna, a young Seneca, fell in love with a girl whose cabin was near the present town of Cohoes, he behaved very much as Americans of a later date have done. He picked wild flowers for her; he played on the bone pipe and sang sentimental songs... The Fatal Forget-me-not
Three miles out from the Nahant shore, Massachusetts, rises Egg Rock, a dome of granite topped by a light-house. In the last century the forget-me-nots that grew in a little marsh at its summit were much esteemed, for it was reported that if a girl ...