Up hill and down dale the Enchanter went, but, mounted on the Slight Red
Steed, the King of Ireland’s Son was in hot pursuit. The Enchanter raced
up the side of the seventh hill, and when the King’s Son came to the top
of it he found no one in sight.
He raced on, however, and he passed a dead man hanging from a tree. He
raced on and on, but still the Enchanter was not to be seen. Then the
thought came into his mind that the man who was hanging from the tree
and who he thought was dead was the crafty old Enchanter. He turned the
Slight Red Steed round and raced back. The man that had been hanging
from the tree was there no longer.
The King’s Son turned his horse amongst the trees and began to search
for the Enchanter. He found no trace of him. “I have lost again,” he
said. Then he threw the bridle on the neck of the horse and he said, “Go
your own way now, my Slight Red Steed.”
When he said that the Slight Red Steed twitched its ears and galloped
towards the West. It went through woods and across streams, and when the
crows were flying home and the kites were flying abroad it brought the
King’s Son to a stone house standing in the middle of a bog. “It may be
the Enchanter is in this house,” said the King’s Son. He jumped off the
Slight Red Steed, pushed the door of the house open, and there, seated
on a chair in the middle of the floor with a woman sitting beside him,
was the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands. “So,” said the Enchanter, “my
Slight Red Steed has brought you to me.”
“So,” said the King’s Son, “I have found you, my crafty old Enchanter.”
“And now that you have found me, what do you want of me?” said the
Enchanter.
“Your head,” said the King’s Son, drawing the tarnished Sword of Light.
“Will nothing less than my head content you?” said the Enchanter.
“Nothing less--unless it be what went before, and what comes after the
Unique Tale.”
“The Unique Tale,” said the Enchanter. “I will tell you what I know of
it.” Thereupon he began
I was a Druid and the Son of a Druid, and I had learned the language of
the birds. And one morning, as I walked abroad, I heard a blackbird and
a robin talking, and when I heard what they said I smiled to myself.
“Now the woman I had just married noticed that I kept smiling, and she
questioned me. ‘Why do you keep smiling to yourself?’ I would not tell
her. ‘Is that not the truth? ‘“ said the Enchanter to a woman who sat
beside him. “It is the truth,” said she.
“On the third day I was still smiling to myself, and my wife questioned
me, and when I did not answer threw dish-water into my face. ‘May
blindness come upon you if you do not tell me why you are smiling,’ said
she. Then I told her why I smiled to myself. I had heard what the birds
said. The blackbird said to the robin, ‘Do you know that just under
where we are sitting are three rods of enchantment, and if one were to
take one of them and strike a man with it, he would be changed to any
creature one named?’ That is what I had heard the birds say and I smiled
because I was the only creature who knew about the rods of enchantment.
“My wife made me show her where the rods were. She cut one of them when
I went away. That evening she came behind me and struck me with a rod.
‘Go out now and roam as a wolf,’ she said, and there and then I was
changed into a wolf. ‘Is that not true?’” said he to the woman. “It is
true,” she said.
“And being changed into a wolf, I went through the woods seeking wolf’s
meat. And now you must ask my wife to tell you more of the story.” The
King of Ireland’s Son turned to the woman who sat on the seat next the
Enchanter, and asked her to tell him more of the story. And thereupon
she began
Before all that happened I was known as the Maid of the Green Mantle.
One day a King rode up a mountain with five score followers and a mist
came on them as they rode. The King saw his followers no more. He called
out after a while and four score answered him. And he called out again
after another while and two score answered him. And after another while
he called out again and only a score answered him through the mist, and
when he called out again no one answered him at all.
“The King went up the mountain until he came to the place where I lived
with the Druids who reared me. He stayed long in that place. The King
loved me for a while and I loved the King, and when he went away I
followed him.
“Because he would not come back to me I enchanted him so that there
were times when he was left between life and death. Once when he was
seemingly dead a girl watched by him, and she followed his spirit into
many terrible places and so broke my enchantment.”
“Sheen was the girl’s name,” said the King of Ireland’s Son.
“Sheen was her name,” said the woman. “He brought her to his Kingdom,
and made her his queen. After that I married the man who is here
now--the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands, the Son of the Druid of the
Gray Rock. Ask him now to tell you the rest of the story.”
When she changed me into a gray wolf,” said the Enchanter, “I went
through the woods searching for what a wolf might eat, but could find
nothing to stay my hunger. Then I came back and stood outside my house
and the woman who had been called the Maid of the Green Mantle came to
me. ‘I will give you back your human form,’ she said, ‘if you do as I
bid you.’
“I promised her I would do as she bade.
“She bade me go to a King’s house where a child had been born. She bade
me steal the child away. I went to the King’s house. I went into the
chamber and I stole the child from the mother’s side. Then I ran through
the woods. But in the end I fell into a trap that the Giant Crom Duv had
set for the wolves that chased his stray cattle.
“For a night I lay in the trap with the child beside me. Then Crom Duv
came and lifted out wolf and child. Three Hags with Long Teeth were
there when he took us out of the trap, and he gave the child to one of
them, telling her to rear it so that the child might be a servant for
him.
“He put me into a sack, promising himself that he would give me a good
beating. He left me on the floor of his house. But while he was gone for
his club I bit my way out of the sack and made my escape. I came back
to my own house, and my wife struck me with the wand of enchantment, and
changed me from a wolf into a man again. ‘Is that not true?’” said he to
the woman.
“It is true,” said she.
“That is all of the Unique Tale that I know,” said the Enchanter of
the Black Back-Lands, “and now that I have told it to you, put up your
sword.”
“I will put up no sword,” said the King of Ireland’s Son, “until you
tell me what King and Queen were the father and mother of the child that
was reared by the Hags of the Long Teeth.”
“I made no promise to tell you that,” said the En-chanter of the Black
Back-Lands. “You have got the story you asked for, and now let me see
your back going through my door.”
“Yes, you have got the story, and be off with you now,” said the woman
who sat by the fire.
He put up his sword; he went to the door; he left the house of the
Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands. He mounted the Slight Red Steed and
rode off. He knew now what went before and what came after the Unique
Tale. The Gobaun Saor would clean the blemish of the blade of the Sword
of Light and would show him how to come to the Land of Mist. Then he
would win back his love Fedelma.
He thought too on the tidings he had for his comrade Flann--Flann was
the Son of the King who was called the Hunter-King and of Sheen whose
brothers had been changed into seven wild geese. He shook his horse’s
reins and went back towards the Town of the Red Castle.
V
Flann thought upon the Princess Flame-of-Wine. He walked through the
town after the King’s Son had ridden after the Enchanter, without
noticing anyone until he heard a call and saw Mogue standing beside a
little tent that he had set up before the Bull’s Field.
Flann went to Mogue and found him very disconsolate on account of the
loss of the horse he had brought into the town. “This is a bad town to
be in,” said Mogue, “and unless I persuade yourself to become partners
with me I shall have done badly in it. Join with me now and we’ll do
some fine feats together.”
“It would not become a King’s Son to join with a robber-captain,” said
Flann.
“Fine talk, fine talk,” said Mogue. He thought that Flann was jesting
with him when he spoke of himself as a King’s Son.
“I want to sell three treasures I have with me,” said Mogue. “I have the
most wonderful things that were ever brought into this town.”
“Show them to me,” said Flann.
Mogue opened one of his packs and took out a box. When he opened this
box a fragrance came such as Flann had never felt before. “What is that
that smells like a garden of sweet flowers?” said Flann.
“It is the Rose of Sweet Smells,” said Mogue, and he took a little rose
out of the box. “It never withers and its fragrance is never any less.
It is a treasure for a King’s daughter. But I will not show it in this
town.”
“And what is that shining thing in the box?”
“It is the Comb of Magnificence. That is another treasure for a King’s
daughter. The maiden who would wear it would look the most queenly woman
in the Kingdom. But I won’t show that either.”
“What else have you, Mogue?”
“A girdle. The woman who wears it would have to speak the truth.” The
Town of
Flann thought he would do much to get the Rose of Sweet Smells or
the Comb of Magnificence and bring them as presents to the Princess
Flame-of-Wine.
He slept in Mogue’s tent, and at the peep of day, he rose up and went
to the House of Hospitality where Dermott and Downal were. With them he
would go to the King’s orchard, and he would see, and perhaps he
would speak to, Flame-of-Wine. But Dermott and Downal were not in the
Brufir’s. Flann wakened their grooms and he and they made search for the
two youths. But there was no trace of Dermott and Downal. It seemed they
had left before daybreak with their horses. Flann went with the grooms
to the gate of the town. There they heard from the watchman that the two
youths had gone through the gate and that they had told the watchman to
tell the grooms that they had gone to take the world for their pillow.
The grooms were dismayed to hear this, and so indeed was Flann. Without
the King’s Son and without Downal and Dermott how would he go to the
King’s Garden? He went back to Mogue’s tent to consider what he
should do. And first he thought he would not go to the Festival of the
Gathering of the Apples, as he knew that Flame-of-Wine had only asked
him with his comrades. And then he thought that whatever else happened
he would go to the King’s orchard and see Flame-of-Wine.
If he had one of the wonderful things that Mogue had shown him--the Rose
of Sweet Smells or the Comb of Magnificence! These would show her that
he was of some consequence. If he had either of these wonderful things
and offered it to her she might be pleased with him!
He sat outside the tent and waited for Mogue to return. When he came
Flann said to him, “I will go with you as a servant, and I will serve
you well although I am a King’s Son, if you will give me something now.”
“What do you want from me?” said Mogue.
“Give me the Rose of Sweet Smells,” said Flann.
“Sure that’s the finest thing I have. I couldn’t give you that.”
“I will serve you for two years if you will give it to me,” said Flann.
“No,” said Mogue.
“I will serve you for three years if you will give it to me,” said
Flann.
“I will give it to you if you will serve me for three years.” Thereupon
Mogue opened his pack and took the box out. He opened it and put the
Rose of Sweet Smells into Flann’s hand.
At once Flann started off for the King’s orchard. The Steward who had
seen him the day before signed to the servants to let him pass through
the gate. He went into the King’s orchard.
Maidens were singing the “Song for the Time of the Blossoming of the
Apple-trees” and all that day and night Flann held their song in his
mind
The touch of hands that drew it down
Kindled to blossom all the bough
O breathe the wonder of the branch,
And let it through the darkness go!
Youths were gathering apples, and the Princess Flame-of-Wine walked by
herself on the orchard paths.
At last she came to where Flann stood and lifting her eyes she looked at
him. “I had companions,” said Flann, “but they have gone away.”
“They are unmannerly,” said Flame-of-Wine with anger, and she turned
away.
Flann took the rose from under his cloak. Its fragrance came to
Flame-of-Wine and she turned to him again.
“This is the Rose of Sweet Smells,” said Flann. “Will you take it from
me, Princess?”
She came back to him and took the rose in her hand, and there was wonder
in her face.
“It will never wither, and its fragrance will never fail,” said Flann.
“It is the Rose of Sweet Smells. A King’s daughter should have it.”
Flame-of-Wine held the rose in her hand, and smiled on Flann. “What is
your name, King’s Son?” said she, with bright and friendly eyes.
“Flann,” he said.
“Walk with me, Flann,” said she. They walked along the orchard paths,
and the youths and maidens turned towards the fragrance that the Rose of
Sweet Smells gave. Flame-of-Wine laughed, and said, “They all wonder at
the treasure you have brought me, Flann. If you could hear what I shall
tell them about you! I shall tell them that you are the son of a King of
Arabia--no less. They will believe me because you have brought me such a
treasure! I suppose there is nothing more wonderful than this rose!”
Then Flann told her about the other wonderful thing he had seen--the
Comb of Magnificence. “A King’s daughter should have such a treasure,”
said Flame-of-Wine. “Oh, how jealous I should be if someone brought the
Comb of Magnificence to either of my two sisters--to Bloom-of-Youth
or Breast-of-Light. I should think then that this rose was not such a
treasure after all.”
When he was leaving the orchard she plucked a flower and gave it to him.
“Come and walk in the orchard with me to-morrow,” she said.
“Surely I will come,” said Flann.
“Bring the Comb of Magnificence to me too,” said she. “I could not be
proud of this rose, and I could not love you so well for bringing it
to me if I thought that any other maiden had the Comb of Magnificence.
Bring it to me, Flann.”
“I will bring it to you,” said Flann.