The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-05-03
The Quest of the Quicken Berries.
OLD IRISH,

Long time they fingered In the Lonely Land,
Where Dermat built a cottage for his love,
And In the kindness Of her eyes forgot
sorrow for his comrades and the court
And the great life of youth; and time went by
In that sad land as lightly as 1T goes
In green and aowery gardens Of the world
And painted walls Of palaces.
At length
1t came to pass upon an evil day
That Grania sickened very g%tievously;
And, while the evil brooded, moaned and
cried,
Scarce knowing what she spake, for the red
fruit
That stars the branches of the quicken tree.
Then Dermat rose and left her, and went out
With a grave face into the haunted wood
To seek the giant and beeeech Of him
Some Of that fruit he watched SO jealousy:
And as he trod the mutiled woodland ways
He started, hearing voices, and beheld
Two knights, all armed, approaching, and
the knights,
Beholding Dermat, paused, and Dermat cried
WHO and what are yea"
And the knights replied:
1--WE are the cons OF Norma, Angus, Aed,
Aspirants to the Fenian chlvalry,
Whom, ere our names be written on the roll,
Finn has cent forth into the Lonely Land
To bring back one or other Of two things:
A handful of that magic scarlet fruit
That stars the branches of the quicken tree
That giant Sharvan guards; the other is
Dermat O'Dyns's head.''
Then Dermat laughed
A cruel laugh, and saidi
"Grave news for me,
For l am that same Dermat whom you seek,
And, by my troth, l like my head too well
To give you gift thereof, aud ye will find
IT'S hard to take upgiyen; and your quest
OF berries from the guarded quicken tree
Is hard to gain. But here your quest is mine
For l must gain some berries from that tire,
Or lose my life. Come with me If you will,
And after VIC can battle for my head,
II so 1t please you"
And the knights agreed,
And went with Dermat to the open space
Where Sharvan watched the goodly quicker
tree;
Then Dermat babe the sons OF Norma ride
Within the wood,
For never in my life."
Said Dermst,
"Have l done a deed Of arms
Save by myself"
Straight way he sped to where
The giant slept, and stopped and struck hiu
thrice
Upon the shoulder with his open palm;
And Sharvan stirred, and yawned, and shool
himself,
And glared at Dermat with red, wrathfuleye
And Dermat said:
50, Sharvan, there has been
Between us peace since IN the Lonely Land
l made my shelter, and my heart is fain
To let that peace endure. But for the sake
OF one who is more dear to Inc han life,
Now sick with erievous sickness, l entreat
Some scarlet berries of your quicken tree,
A little handful that my love may live"
Then Sharvan scrambled to his feet, an
shrieked:
"If but one berry would preserve her life
L OSuAd " JiNla' SdaS L IAouEA OIL
die!n
Then Dermat cried his cry, and, crouchint
leapcd
AS leaps a Wild cat at the giants throat,
And gripped it with a hoopof choking hands
And sharvan stumbled and fell,
And quick as thought the sword OF Derms
CLEANED
And vanished in the monstrous throat, an
came
All crimson to the air, and sped again
Deep in the mighty bulk, and sharvan diet
Then Dermat gathered from the quicken TIRE
Great store Of scarlet fruit, and turning, ra
Swifter than summer wind unto the hut
Where Grania lay, and put them to her lip
And 10! the sickness left her, and she smiled
United Ireland.