United States or Montserrat ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The basket was left down and Gilveen began to tell MacStairn's wife how she wanted them cut, stitched and embroidered. Morag took up the crimson doth and let her scissors the scissors that the Queen of Senlabor gave her run through it. It cut out the pattern exactly. "What a wonderful scissors," said Gilveen.
Then the Spae-Woman stood up and said the blessing of the journey over Morag: May the Olden One, whom Fairy Women nurtured Through seven ages, Bring you seven Waves of fortune. Morag gave her the clasp of farewell then, and went on her way with the Little Red Hen under her arm and the three presents that the Queen of Senlabor gave her in her pouch.
The Spae-Woman has sent a message to your mother, and you must be here to meet her when she comes. A happy meeting to her and you, O Flann of my heart. And I shall leave you a token to give to her. So to-morrow I go to the Queen of Senlabor with the Rowan Berry and I shall bring my Little Red Hen for company, and shall stay only until my sisters are wed to Dermott and Downal, your brothers."
We'll let you, brother, do all that. We're going to learn the trade of a sword-smith. We would make fine swords. And with the King of Senlabor there is a famous sword-smith, and we are going to learn the trade from him." The four went to the Red Castle, and they were brought in and they went and sat on the benches to wait for the King's Steward who would receive them.
There was a famous sword-smith with the King of Senlabor and these two came to learn the trade from him. And my two foster-sisters fell so deeply in love with the two youths that every night the pillow on each side of me was wet with their tears. I went to work in the King's kitchen.
Morag grew pale when she saw that, but she stood steadily and she did not wail. "Should I go to the King's Castle, fosterer?" said she. "No," said the Spae-Woman, "but to the woodman's hut that is near the King's Castle. And take your Little Red Hen with you, my daughter," said she, "and do not forget the three presents that the Queen of Senlabor gave you."
But still the Fairy Rowan Tree is well guarded. The Bull that is called the Bull of the Mound is on guard near by, and twenty-four fierce yellow cats watch the tree night and day. The Queen of Senlabor and many another woman besides desires a berry from the Fairy Rowan Tree that stands in Crom Duv's courtyard.
The King questioned his druid as to when it would be well to have marriages made in his Castle and the druid said it would be well not to make them until the next appearance of the full moon. As for Morag she went by track and path, by boher and bohereen, through fords in rivers and over stepping-stones across them, until at last she came to the country of Senlabor and to the Castle of the King.
And by the way she laughed I knew she was hard of heart." "Yet seven drops of heart's blood are hard to give," said Morag sadly. "But the maiden who loves can give them," said the Spae-Woman who was behind. "It is true, foster-mother," said Morag. That evening Morag said, "To-morrow I must pre-pare for my journey to the Queen of Senlabor. You, Flann, may not come with me.
Morag, with the three gifts that the Queen of Senlabor gave her, came again to the Spae-Woman's house. Her Little Red Hen was in the courtyard, and she fluttered up to meet her. But there was no sign of any other life about the place. Then, below at the washing-stream she found the Spae-Woman rinsing clothes. She was standing on the middle-stones, clapping her hands as if in great trouble.
Word Of The Day