Celtic Fairy Tales: Title Page

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But when he came back with the gloves, he found she had not gone for the horses; so he tapped her lightly on the shoulder with the gloves, and said, "Go, go." "That's one," said she. Another time they were at a wedding, when suddenly the lake-maiden fell a-sobbing and a-weeping, amid the joy and mirth of all around her. Her husband tapped her on the shoulder, and asked her, "Why do you weep?" "Because they are entering into trouble; and trouble is upon you; for that is the second causeless blow you have given me. Be careful; the third is the last." The husband was careful never to strike her again. But one day at a funeral she suddenly burst out into fits of laughter. Her husband forgot, and touched her rather roughly on the shoulder, saying, "Is this a time for laughter?" "I laugh," she said, "because those that die go out of trouble, but your trouble has come. The last blow has been struck; our marriage is at an end, and so farewell." And with that she rose up and left the house and went to their home. Then she, looking round upon her home, called to the cattle she had brought with her: p. 60 Brindle cow, white speckled, Spotted cow, bold freckled, Old white face, and gray Geringer, And the white bull from the king's coast, Grey ox, and black calf, All, all, follow me home, Now the black calf had just been slaughtered, and was hanging on the hook; but it got off the hook alive and well and followed her; and the oxen, though they were ploughing, trailed the plough with them and did her bidding. So she fled to the lake again, they following her, and with them plunged into the dark waters. And to this day is the furrow seen which the plough left as it was dragged across the mountains to the tarn. Only once did she come again, when her sons were grown to manhood, and then she gave them gifts of healing by which they won the name of Meddygon Myddvai, the physicians of Myddvai. p. 61 Celtic Fairy Tales: Title Page The Sprightly Tailor file:///I|/mythology/celtic/39/39.html (28 of 109) [01/22/2004 12:47:14 PM]
SPRIGHTLY tailor was employed by the great Macdonald, in his castle at Saddell, in order to make the laird a pair of trews, used in olden time. And trews being the vest and breeches united in one piece, and ornamented with fringes, were very comfortable, and suitable to be worn in walking or dancing. And Macdonald had said to the tailor, that if he would make the trews by night in the church, he would get a handsome reward. For it was thought that the old ruined church was haunted, and that fearsome things were to be seen there at night. The tailor was well aware of this; but he was a sprightly man, and when the laird dared him to make the trews by p. 62 night in the church, the tailor was not to be daunted, but took it in hand to gain the prize. So, when night came, away he went up the glen, about half a mile distance from the castle, till he came to the old church. Then he chose him a nice gravestone for a seat and he lighted his candle, and put on his thimble, and set to work at the trews plying his needle nimbly, and thinking about the hire that the laird would have to give him. For some time he got on pretty well, until he felt the floor all of a tremble under his feet; and looking about him, but keeping his fingers at work, he saw the appearance of a great human head rising up through the stone pavement of the church. And when the head had risen above the surface, there came from it a great, great voice. And the voice said: " Do you see this great head of mine?" "I see that, but I'll sew this!" replied the sprightly tailor; and he stitched away at the trews. Then the head rose higher up through the pavement, until its neck appeared. And when its neck was shown, the thundering voice came again and said: "Do you see this great neck of mine?" "I see that, but I'll sew this!" said the sprightly tailor and he stitched away at his trews. Then the head and neck rose higher still, until the great shoulders and chest were shown above the ground. And again the mighty voice thundered: "Do you see this great chest of mine?" And again the sprightly tailor replied: "I see that, but I'll sew this!" and stitched away at his trews. And still it kept rising through the pavement, until it p. 63 shook a great pair of arms in the tailor's face, and said Do you see these great arms of mine?" "I see those, but I'll sew this! " answered the tailor; and he stitched hard at his trews, for he knew that he had no time to lose. The sprightly tailor was taking the long stitches, when he saw it gradually rising and rising through the floor, until it lifted out a great leg, and stamping with it upon the pavement, said in a roaring voice "Do you see this great leg of mine?" "Aye, aye: I see that, but I'll sew this!" cried the tailor; and his fingers flew with the needle, and he took such long stitches, that he was just come to the end of the trews, when it was taking up its other leg. But before it could pull it out of the pavement, the sprightly tailor had finished his task; and, blowing out his candle, and springing from off his gravestone, he buckled up, and ran out of the church with the trews under his arm. Then the fearsome thing gave a loud roar, and stamped with both his feet upon the pavement, and out of the church he went after the sprightly tailor. Down the glen they ran, faster than the stream when the flood rides it; but the tailor had got the start and a nimble pair of legs, and he did not choose to lose the laird's reward. And though the thing roared to him to stop, yet the sprightly tailor was not the man to be beholden to a monster. So he held his trews tight, and let no darkness grow under his feet, until he had reached Saddell Castle. He had no sooner got inside the gate, and shut it, than the apparition came up to it; and, enraged at losing his prize, struck the wall above the gate, and left there the mark of p. 64 his five great fingers. Ye may see them plainly to this day, if ye'll only peer close enough. But the sprightly tailor gained his reward: for Macdonald paid him handsomely for the trews, and never discovered that a few of the stitches were somewhat long. p. 65 Celtic Fairy Tales: Title Page file:///I|/mythology/celtic/39/39.html (29 of 109) [01/22/2004 12:47:14 PM]
Page 1 and 2: Celtic Fairy Tales: Title Page file
Page 3 and 4: p. viii In making my selection I ha
Page 5 and 6: XVI. The Story Teller at Fault 131
Page 7 and 8: p. 3 "'Tis a glorious place, forsoo
Page 9 and 10: feast as there was that day had not
Page 11 and 12: Did I not hear you speaking to the
Page 13 and 14: said another voice. "That's true fo
Page 15 and 16: well as ever, and Guleesh was great
Page 17 and 18: p. 31 The Horned Women RICH woman s
Page 19 and 20: children and the children of his ki
Page 21 and 22: p. 42 he should heat the water, so
Page 23 and 24: other. p. 47 Hudden and Dudden and
Page 25 and 26: voices: ' Hides to sell! hides to s
Page 27: p. 57 The Shepherd of Myddvai P in
Page 31 and 32: thing, she did not wish her to have
Page 33 and 34: "No! yonder is a woman's cry of dis
Page 35 and 36: tigers, brown eagle and harrying ha
Page 37 and 38: Munachar and Manachar HERE once liv
Page 39 and 40: p. 88 Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree NCE
Page 41 and 42: Silver-tree came ashore. "Come down
Page 43 and 44: "But will you gi'e me all the groun
Page 45 and 46: They journeyed on till they came to
Page 47 and 48: And the Ousel answered, "When I fir
Page 49 and 50: Jack and His Comrades NCE there was
Page 51 and 52: "I was obliged to drop a fine pig's
Page 53 and 54: him, his father and mother would ne
Page 55 and 56: Then the cowboy said to the Gruagac
Page 57 and 58: "Sure I was won," said she. "You wo
Page 59 and 60: "Seest thou my two ears! One I'll m
Page 61 and 62: "Now," said the lank grey beggarman
Page 63 and 64: ut when the General saw this terror
Page 65 and 66: Now, there was no way of getting to
Page 67 and 68: moreover, he was very much resemble
Page 69 and 70: "I admit fairly that I'm not a matc
Page 71 and 72: p. 173 "I'll get you any dress you
Page 73 and 74: A third time she asked for a short
Page 75 and 76: "I am satisfied," says the master.
Page 77 and 78: Next morning, says the master, "Jac
Page 79 and 80:
p. 195 The Tale of Ivan HERE were f
Page 81 and 82:
Then he thought of his old master's
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"Andrew Coffey, Andrew Coffey, tell
Page 85 and 86:
Said the queen to the king, "We'll
Page 87 and 88:
p. 215 Celtic Fairy Tales: Title Pa
Page 89 and 90:
"I will leave the axe and the wood
Page 91 and 92:
Brewery of Eggshells N Treneglwys t
Page 93 and 94:
heard over all the yard. "King of D
Page 95 and 96:
p. 235 ten times more of him now; b
Page 97 and 98:
he gives a list of 791 tales, &c.,
Page 99 and 100:
characteristic Celtic conceptions,
Page 101 and 102:
Ali Baba. (Cf. Cosquin, l.c., i. 22
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Source.--S. Lover's Stories and Leg
Page 105 and 106:
The passages in verse from pp. 137,
Page 107 and 108:
Gur a laddodd ei Vilgi ("I repent a
Page 109:
p. 266 Mr. Lang's variant in Revue
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