The Secret of Labra
In very ancient days there was a King in Ireland named Labra, who was
called Labra the Sailor for a certain voyage that he made. Now Labra
was never seen save by one man, once a year, without a hood that
covered his head and ears. But once a year it was his habit to let his
hair be cropped, and the person to do this was chosen by lot, for the
King was accustomed to put to death instantly the man who had cropped
him. And so it happened that on a certain year the lot fell on a young
man who was the only son of a poor widow, who dwelt near by the palace
of the King. When she heard that her son had been chosen she fell on
her knees before the King and besought him, with tears, that her son,
who was her only support and all she had in the world, might not
suffer death as was customary. The King was moved by her grief and her
entreaties, and at last he consented that the young man should not be
slain provided that he vowed to keep secret to the day of his death
what he should see. The youth agreed to this and he vowed by the Sun
and the Wind that he would never, so long as he lived, reveal to man
what he should learn when he cropped the King's hair.
So he did what was appointed for him and went home. But when he did so
he had no peace for the wonder of the secret that he had learned
preyed upon his mind so that he could not rest for thinking of it and
longing to reveal it, and at last he fell into a wasting sickness from
it, and was near to die. Then there was brought to see him a wise
druid, who was skilled in all maladies of the mind and body, and after
he had talked with the youth he said to his mother, "Thy son is dying
of the burden of a secret which he may not reveal to any man, but
until he reveals it he will have no ease. Let him, therefore, walk
along the high way till he comes to a place where four roads meet. Let
him then turn to the right, and the first tree that he shall meet on
the roadside let him tell the secret to it, and so it may be he shall
be relieved, and his vow will not be broken."
The mother told her son of the druid's advice, and next day he went
upon his way till he came to four cross roads, and he took the road
upon the right, and the first tree he found was a great willow-tree.
So the young man laid his cheek against the bark, and he whispered the
secret to the tree, and as he turned back homeward he felt lightened
of his burden, and he leaped and sang, and ere many days were past he
was as well and light hearted as ever he had been in his life.
Some while after that it happened that the King's harper, namely
Craftiny, broke the straining-post of his harp and went out to seek
for a piece of wood wherewith to mend it. And the first timber he
found that would fit the purpose was the willow-tree by the cross
roads. He cut it down, therefore, and took as much as would give him a
new straining-post, and he bore it home with him and mended his harp
with it. That night he played after meat before the King and his lords
as he was wont, but whatever he played and sang the folk that listened
to him seemed to hear only one thing, "Two horse's ears hath Labra the
Sailor."
Then the King plucked off his hood, and after that he made no secret
of his ears and none suffered on account of them thenceforward.