New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-30

10 kill them. She found that she herseif
could not do the awful DECD either e'
rid Of them she must however, so she sum-
moned her magic powers and chahseu .le
four children into four beautiful white
| swans, casting a spell upon theih 50 ''a'
| they were TO live for three hundred years
upon the waters of this mountain idNe
where they had stopped TO rest; three nun
! dred years upon the Straits OF Mogie'
tween ireland and Scotland. and three nun
| dred upon the Atlantic Ocean. TINS a"lu'
| enaIl would be broken only when some
princess Of the South country marrieu
chief Of the North country. Ana th's ""'
a very difficult condition, because the couh-
try of ireland is large, and In those udS9
| travelling was not as easy as II - ho"'
Then. too the North Of Ireland people were
not always very good friends VIVID '"e
| southern folk So this spell the Wlckeo
stepmother cast over the four chiidreh hau
| a mighty meaning.
| Two things she forgot. however ohe
was TO DEPRIVE the children of their power
of speech and song, so that they couid ten
| apvbodv who came 80 the lake just what
had happened to them. The other INNS
che rorrot was that when she arrived at
her Journeys end the old kinS "ouiu I'M
mediately ask where his beloved children
were. and so her crime would De u's'o>
! cred.
| This is exactly what happened. Inc ola
king went for many hours, and all the
court wept with him. while the "re'cheu
/ queen trcmbIcd in a corner FINALLY the
king turned to her. Al her magic arts
could not protect her from his wrath lie
waved his hand four times. then pointed
out OF the window, crying in feariui
voice:
"r1y away 20 the realms Of niGhi' where
evil things live"
! The beautiful queen was changed irnme-
diate,y into a horrible flying dragon VINO
rose. sh.ieking into the air anC few away
never TO b. ncard from AGAIN.
SIS and Bob then travelled back TO the
mountain lake. to seek out the swan chill
/ dren. and their grief was somewhat as
/ suaced by the discovery that the children
had retained their power OF speech ana
| their wonderful gift Of song. 50, hoathg
mon the silver water the four swans COM
| forted their sorrowiug father and promised
| to sing 10 him every day at sunset. Inc
| fame of this spread far and Wide through
| the land. so that all the people OF lrelanu
| iourneyed thither TO see and near the
wondrous creatures. The three huh1Ted
wears OF their first period OF enchdntment
passed In this wise, and during TINS tiine
a great peace and gentleness pervaded the
| land.
| Rut at last the day came for the swans
70 leave the pleasant home Of their fathers
kingdom and TO take up their abode by the
| wild cliffs in the angry sea. There they
/ suffered the worst kind Of loneliness, In the
| cold and storm Forbidden by the enchant-
| ment TO rest on the land, their feathers
| froze 10 the wet rocks on winter nights
and they were often lost and separated in
the binding storms Their song changed
| 10 a sad wall, the words Of which were
| Our bath is the frothing brine.
| In bays by red rocks guarded.
| For mead at our fathers table
We drink OF the salt blue sea
Three CONS and a single daughter,
! In clefts OF cold rocks dwelling
The hard rocks. cruel 10 nortals
We are full OF keening Tonight
Fionuala the eldest of the four, moth
cred her little brothers as best she could
| in these terrible times, wrapping her wings
around them on the cruel, frosty nights
and the sad little party did everything
they could TO comfort each other.
After years and years OF this suffering
the time came for them to enter upon their
life or the Atlantic Coast. but the sorcer-
ers power was dying out now. and their
lot was easier. After a time young
farmer named Evric. who dwelt beside the
sea. found out who the magic talking
swans were. and befriended them by guild
| thagr hanl haIr
fathers kingdom. With Joy In their hearts,