The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-12
THE WEAvER's SON.
myths Of Folk Lore Of IreIand.l


lived at the edge Of a wood; and on a
time when he had nothing to burn he
went out with his daughter to get fagots
for the fire.
They gathered two bundles and were
ready to carry them home, when who
should come along but splendid look
ing stranger on horseback. And he said
to the weaver: "My good man, will you
give me that girl of yoursY'
''Indeed then / will not" said the
weaver.
"Ill give you her weight in gold, said
the stranger, and he put out the gold
there on the ground.
So the weaver went home with the gold
and without the daughter. He buried
the gold in the garden, without letting
his wife know what he had done. When
she asked, "Where is our daughterT' the
weaver said: 81 sent her on an errand
to a neighbours house for things that l
want"
Night came, but no sight of the girl
The next time he went for fagots, the
weaver took his second daughter to the
wood; and when they had two bundles
gathered, and were ready to go home, a
second stranger came on horseback, much
finer than the first, and asked the weaver
would he give him his daughter.
~ will not" said the weaver.
"Well, said the stranger, "I'll give
you her weight in silver if you'll let her
go with me-" and he put the silver down
before him.
The weaver carried home the silver and
buried it in the garden with the gold, and
the daughter went away with the man on
horseback.
When he went again to the wood the
weaver took his third daughter with
him; and when they were ready to go
home third man came on horseback,
gave the weight of the third daughter in
copper, and took her away. The weaver
buried the copper with the gold and sill
yer.
Now, the wife was lamenting and
moaning night and day for her three
daughters, and gave the weaver no rest
till he told the whole story.
Now, a son was born to them; and
when the boy grew up and was going to
school, he heard how his three sisters
had been carried away for their weight
in gold and silver and copper; and every
day when he came home he saw how his
mother was lamenting and wandering
outside in grief through the fields and
pits and bitches, so he asked her what
trouble was on her; but she wouldn't tell
him a word.
At last he came home crying from
school one day, and said: "Pll not sleep
three nights in one house till ! find my
three sisters" Then he said to his mother:
srffake me three loaves of bread, mother,
for am going on Journey"
Next day he asked had she the bread
ready. She said she had, and she was
crying bitterly all the time. "I'm going
to leave you now, mother" said he,
sand I'll come back when have found
my three sisters"
He went away and walked on till he
was tired and hungry, and then he sat
down to eat the bread that his mother
had given him, when a red haired man
came up and asked him for something to
eat. "Sit down here said the boy. He
sat down and the two ate till there was
not crumb Of the bread left
The boy told of the journey he was on;
then the red haired man said: "There
may not be-much use in your going, but
here three things that'll serve you
the sword of sharpness, the cloth of
plenty, and the cloak of darkness. No
man can kill you while that sword is in
your hand; and whenever you are hun
CRY or dry, all you have to do is TO spread
the cloth and ask for what you'd like to
eat or drink, and it will be there before
you. When you put ON the cloak, there
won't be a man or woman or living
thing in the world that'll see you, and
you'll go to whatever place you have set
your mind on quicker than any wind"
The red haired man went his way, and
the boy travelled on. Before evening
great shower came, and he ran for shell
ter to large oak tree. When he got
near the tree his foot slipped, the ground
opened, and down he went through the
earth till he came to another country.
When he was in the other country he
put on the cloak of darkness and went
ahead like blast of wind, and never
stopped till he saw castle in the dis
lance; and soon he was there. But he
found nine gates closed before him, and
20 way to go through. 1t was written
inside the cloak of darkness that his elder
sister lived in that castle.
He was not long at the gate looking in
when a girl came to him and said, go
on out Of that; if you don't you'll be
killed"
"Do you go in" said he to the girl,
land tell my sister, the woman of this
castle, to come out to me-"
The girl ran in; out came the sister,
and asked: "Why are you here, and
what did you come for:"
II have come to this country to find
my three sisters, who were given away
by my father for their weight in gold,
silver and copper; and you are my eld-
est sister"
She knew from what he said that he
was her brother, SO she opened the gates
and brought him in, saying: Don't
wonder at anything you see in this castle.
My husband is enchanted. l see him
only at night. He goes off every morn
ing, stays away all day, and comes home
in the evening"
The sun went down; and while they
were talking, the husband rushed in, and
the noise of him wss terrible. He came
in the form of ram, ran up stairs, and
soon after came down a man.
"Who is this that's with your? asked
he Of the wife.
"Ohl that's my brother, who has come
from Erin to see me" said she.
Next morning, when the man Of the
castle was going off in the form Of a
ram, be turned to the boy and asked,
"Will you stay few days in n,y castlep
You are welcome"
Nothing would please me better"
said the boy; "but l have made a VOW
never to sleep three nights in one house
I'LL have found my three sisters"
well" said the ram, "since you must
30, here is something for you" And pull
Ing out bit of his own wool, he gave it to
the boy, saying: Keep this; and when.
ever trouble is on you, take it out, and
call on what rams are in the world 10
help you"
Away went the ram. The boy took
farewell of his sister, put on the cloak of
darkness, and disappeared. He travelled
till hungry and tired, then he sat down,
took off the cloak of darkness, spread the
cloth of plenty, and asked for meat and
drink. After he had eaten and drunk
his fill, he took up the cloth, put on the
cloak of darkness, and went ahead, pass