Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-03-23
On the White Horse of Magic

tree. By that you may know what the
others were like. Many's the fine
song has been made up about them by
the ancient bards of Ireland.
On a day at the court of Teamhair
in the presence of the four kings and
the four queens of Ireland the three
caskets of honor were given without
lessening to Oisin by Cormac, the
high king. The first casket held the
five silver lilies of courtesy, which
meant kindness to the conquered,
hospitality to the stranger, charity for
the poor and distressed, gentleness to
old men and children, and white hon.
age to women. The second casket con-
tanned the five bronze nuts of learn
ing, which Signified: Skill in fighting,
sleight in wrestling, swiftness in
hunting, caution in chess playing, and
sweet cunning in the making of
melodious songs. And the third cas-
ket held three golden apples which
signif1ed courage in danger, faith in
friendship, and truth in speaking. And
no other man before or since ever got
those three caskets at one time with
out lessening.
So no wonder at all it was that
Niahm of the golden hair, who was
try of the Young, fell into conceit
with the great fame of Oisin and jour
neyed all the way to Ireland for love
of him. And no sooner did Oisin set
eyes on Niahm of the golden hair than
he loved her with every vein of his
body, and it's what he said to her:
From this day out 1 will have
neither ease of mind nor peace of
heart until your life is the same as
my life; and for me there's no other
woman in the world but you, o, wom-
an of the deep shining eyeSi"
For answer Niahm bent down from
the white horse on which she rode
and kissed him on the forehead and
on the eyes, and this is what she said:
There is many a kings son who
has paid court to me, o Oisin of the
comedy brows, but it's to you 1 give
my heart, and to no other. And it's
to take you back with me to my ia
theirs country I have come, bringing
the white horse of magic for our
journey. And if you love me, as you
say, you will come up now and sit
behind me here"
So he did that, and the great white
horse turned his face to the western
sea and the people of the Fianna saw
them no more. And ftl6y went their
way together on the white horse of
magic over the high, tossing sea and
under the dark, running waves and
in the Country of the Young and were
given an hundred thousand welcomes
in the palace of the king itself.
But one day as Oisin and his young
men were coming home from the hunt
on the side of the hi1l before them,
and out of the middle of the cloud a
sweet sounding harp began playing,
and the heart of Oisin stood still, for
he knew it to be Suanach, son of
Senshenn, who was in it playing, and
the song that Suanach sang was the
lament for the death of Oscar
And straightway a sudden famish-
ing for a sight of the wide, green hills
of Ireland and hungry yearning for
a sound of the long forgotten voices
took the strength from Oisin's limbs,
and the enchantment fell from his
eyes.
Oisin never looked back, but went
as swift as the wind over the high,
tossing sea and under the dark rum
ming waves till he came to his own
fair country of Ireland
Now it CHANGED at that hour that
Patrick of the bells, son of Calphrun.
with two of his clerics. was on his