Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland. Jeremiah Curtin

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      He went away, and walked on till he was tired and hungry; and then he sat down to eat the bread that his mother had given him, when a red-haired man came up and asked him for something to eat. "Sit down here," said the boy. He sat down, and the two ate till there was not a crumb of the bread left.

      The boy told of the journey he was on; then the red-haired man said: "There may not be much use in your going, but here are three things that 'll serve you—the sword of sharpness, the cloth of plenty, and the cloak of darkness. No man can kill you while that sword is in your hand; and whenever you are hungry or dry, all you have to do is to spread the cloth and ask for what you 'd like to eat or drink, and it will be there before you. When ​you put on the cloak, there won't be a man or a woman or a living thing in the world that 'll see you, and you 'll go to whatever place you have set your mind on quicker than any wind."

      The red-haired man went his way, and the boy travelled on. Before evening a great shower came, and he ran for shelter to a large oak-tree. When he got near the tree his foot slipped, the ground opened, and down he went through the earth till he came to another country. When he was in the other country he put on the cloak of darkness and went ahead like a blast of wind, and never stopped till he saw a castle in the distance; and soon he was there. But he found nine gates closed before him, and no way to go through. It was written inside the cloak of darkness that his eldest sister lived in that castle.

      He was not long at the gate looking in when a girl came to him and said, "Go on out of that; if you don't, you 'll be killed."

      "Do you go in," said he to the girl, "and tell my sister, the woman of this castle, to come out to me."

      The girl ran in; out came the sister, and asked: "Why are you here, and what did you come for?"

      "I have come to this country to find my three sisters, who were given away by my father for their ​weight in gold, silver, and copper; and you are my eldest sister."

      She knew from what he said that he was her brother, so she opened the gates and brought him in, saying: "Don't wonder at anything you see in this castle. My husband is enchanted. I see him only at night. He goes off every morning, stays away all day, and comes home in the evening."

      The sun went down; and while they were talking, the husband rushed in, and the noise of him was terrible. He came in the form of a ram, ran up stairs, and soon after came down a man.

      "Who is this that 's with you?" asked he of the wife.

      "Oh! that 's my brother, who has come from Erin to see me," said she.

      Next morning, when the man of the castle was going off in the form of a ram, he turned to the boy and asked, "Will you stay a few days in my castle? You are welcome."

      "Nothing would please me better," said the boy; "but I have made a vow never to sleep three nights in one house till I have found my three sisters."

      "Well," said the ram, "since you must go, here is something for you." And pulling out a bit of his own wool, he gave it to the boy, saying: "Keep ​this; and whenever a trouble is on you, take it out, and call on what rams are in the world to help you."

      Away went the ram. The boy took farewell of his sister, put on the cloak of darkness, and disappeared. He travelled till hungry and tired, then he sat down, took off the cloak of darkness, spread the cloth of plenty, and asked for meat and drink. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he took up the cloth, put on the cloak of darkness, and went ahead, passing every wind that was before him, and leaving every wind that was behind.

      About an hour before sunset he saw the castle in which his second sister lived. When he reached the gate, a girl came out to him and said: "Go away from that gate, or you 'll be killed."

      "I 'll not leave this till my sister who lives in the castle comes out and speaks to me."

      The girl ran in, and out came the sister. When she heard his story and his father's name, she knew that he was her brother, and said: "Come into the castle, but think nothing of what you 'll see or hear. I don't see my husband from morning till night. He goes and comes in a strange form, but he is a man at night."

      About sunset there was a terrible noise, and in rushed the man of the castle in the form of a tremendous salmon. He went flapping upstairs; ​but he was n't long there till he came down a fine-looking man.

      "Who is that with you?" asked he of the wife. "I thought you would let no one into the castle while I was gone."

      "Oh! this is my brother, who has come to see me," said she.

      "If he 's your brother, he 's welcome," said the man.

      They supped, and then slept till morning. When the man of the castle was going out again, in the form of a great salmon, he turned to the boy and said: "You'd better stay here with us a while."

      "I cannot," said the boy. "I made a vow never to sleep three nights in one house till I had seen my three sisters. I must go on now and find my third sister."

      The salmon then took off a piece of his fin and gave it to the boy, saying: "If any difficulty meets you, or trouble comes on you, call on what salmons are in the sea to come and help you."

      They parted. The boy put on his cloak of darkness, and away he went, more swiftly than any wind. He never stopped till he was hungry and thirsty. Then he sat down, took off his cloak of darkness, spread the cloth of plenty, and ate his fill; when he had eaten, he went on again till near ​sundown, when he saw the castle where his third sister lived. All three castles were near the sea. Neither sister knew what place she was in, and neither knew where the other two were living.

      The third sister took her brother in just as the first and second had done, telling him not to wonder at anything he saw.

      They were not long inside when a roaring noise was heard, and in came the greatest eagle that ever was seen. The eagle hurried upstairs, and soon came down a man.

      "Who is that stranger there with you? "asked he of the wife. (He, as well as the ram and salmon, knew the boy; he only wanted to try his wife.)

      "This is my brother, who has come to see me."

      They all took supper and slept that night. When the eagle was going away in the morning, he pulled a feather out of his wing, and said to the boy: "Keep this; it may serve you. If you are ever in straits and want help, call on what eagles are in the world, and they 'll come to you."

      There was no hurry now, for the third sister was found; and the boy went upstairs with her to examine the country all around, and to look at the sea. Soon he saw a great white hill, and on the top of the hill a castle.

      ​"In that castle on the white hill beyond," said the sister, "lives a giant, who stole from her home the most beautiful young woman in the world. From all parts the greatest heroes and champions and kings' sons are coming to take her away from the giant and marry her. There is not a man of them all who is able to conquer the giant and free the young woman; but the giant conquers them, cuts their heads off, and then eats their flesh. When he has picked the bones clean, he throws them out; and the whole place around the castle is white with the bones of the men that the giant has eaten."

      "I must go," said the boy, "to that castle to know can I kill the giant and bring away the young woman."

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