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IN old times, when all kinds of wonderful things happened in Brittany, there lived in the village of Lanillis a young man named Houarn Pogamm and a girl called Bellah Postik. They were cousins, and as their mothers were great friends, and constantly in and out of each other's houses, they had often been laid in the same cradle, and had played and fought over their games.
Bellah only drew it the tighter, and, flinging the sorceress into a pit, she rolled a great stone across the mouth, and left her. As she drew near the pond she saw a great procession of fishes advancing to meet her, crying in hoarse tones: 'This is our lord and master, who has saved us from the net of steel and the pot of gold!
Something seemed to have gone wrong, and then he suddenly remembered Bellah. 'Is it possible I can have forgotten her so soon? What a wretch I am! he thought to himself; and he remained apart and watched the Groac'h while she emptied the fish into a plate, and bade him eat his dinner while she fetched wine from her cellar in a cave.
and when she had finished, the horse's fore legs grew shorter and spread into wings, his hind legs became claws, feathers sprouted all over his body, and she sat on the back of a great bird, which bore her to the summit of the rock. Here she found a nest made of clay and lined with dried moss, and in the centre a tiny man, black and wrinkled, who gave a cry of surprise at the sight of Bellah.
'Ah! you are the pretty girl who was to come and save me! 'To save you! repeated Bellah. 'But who are you, my little friend? 'I am the husband of the Groac'h of the isle of Lok, and it is owing to her that I am here. 'But what are you doing in this nest? 'I am sitting on six eggs of stone, and I shall not be set free till they are hatched. On hearing this Bellah began to laugh.
'And who will restore you to your proper shapes, said Bellah, drawing the knife from her pocket. But just as she was going to touch the foremost fish, her eyes fell on a green frog on his knees beside her, his little paws crossed over his little heart. Bellah felt as if fingers were tightening round her throat, but she managed to cry: 'Is this you, my Houarn? Is this you?
It was at this very moment that Bellah, who was skimming the milk in the farm dairy, heard the fairy bell tinkle violently. At the sound she grew pale, for she knew it meant that Houarn was in danger; and, hastily, changing the rough dress she wore for her work, she left the farm with the magic stick in her hand.
'Yes, answered Bellah, with a deep sigh; 'but we live in such hard times, and at the last fair the price of pigs had risen again. 'We shall have long to wait, that is quite clear, replied Houarn, turning away to his work.
In the twinkling of an eye the four hairs changed into four tailors, of whom the first carried a cabbage, the second a pair of scissors, the third a needle, and the fourth an iron. Without waiting for orders, they sat down in the nest and, crossing their legs comfortably, began to prepare the suit of clothes for Bellah.
Bellah took the net which the Groac'h held out, and, turning rapidly, flung it over the witch's head. 'Become in body what you are in soul! cried she, and in an instant the lovely fairy of the sea was a toad, horrible to look upon. She struggled hard to tear the net asunder, but it was no use.
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