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Then she went to the henwife's house. The old woman put on the cloak of |
darkness, got everything for her she had the first Sunday at church, |
and put her on the white mare in the same fashion. Then Trembling rode |
along the highway to the front of the house. All who saw her the first |
time said: "This is the lady we saw at church." |
Then she went away a second time, and a second time came back on the |
black mare in the second dress which the henwife gave her. All who saw |
her the second Sunday said: "That is the lady we saw at church." |
A third time she asked for a short absence, and soon came back on the |
third mare and in the third dress. All who saw her the third time said: |
"That is the lady we saw at church." Every man was satisfied, and knew |
that she was the woman. |
Then all the princes and great men spoke up, and said to the son of the |
king of Emania: "You'll have to fight now for her before we let her go |
with you." |
"I'm here before you, ready for combat," answered the prince. |
Then the son of the king of Lochlin stepped forth. The struggle began, |
and a terrible struggle it was. They fought for nine hours; and then |
the son of the king of Lochlin stopped, gave up his claim, and left the |
field. Next day the son of the king of Spain fought six hours, and |
yielded his claim. On the third day the son of the king of Nyerfoi |
fought eight hours, and stopped. The fourth day the son of the king of |
Greece fought six hours, and stopped. On the fifth day no more strange |
princes wanted to fight; and all the sons of kings in Erin said they |
would not fight with a man of their own land, that the strangers had |
had their chance, and, as no others came to claim the woman, she |
belonged of right to the son of the king of Emania. |
The marriage-day was fixed, and the invitations were sent out. The |
wedding lasted for a year and a day. When the wedding was over, the |
king's son brought home the bride, and when the time came a son was |
born. The young woman sent for her eldest sister, Fair, to be with her |
and care for her. One day, when Trembling was well, and when her |
husband was away hunting, the two sisters went out to walk; and when |
they came to the seaside, the eldest pushed the youngest sister in. A |
great whale came and swallowed her. |
The eldest sister came home alone, and the husband asked, "Where is |
your sister?" |
"She has gone home to her father in Ballyshannon; now that I am well, I |
don't need her." |
"Well," said the husband, looking at her, "I'm in dread it's my wife |
that has gone." |
"Oh! no," said she; "it's my sister Fair that's gone." |
Since the sisters were very much alike, the prince was in doubt. That |
night he put his sword between them, and said: "If you are my wife, |
this sword will get warm; if not, it will stay cold." |
In the morning when he rose up, the sword was as cold as when he put it |
there. |
It happened, when the two sisters were walking by the seashore, that a |
little cowboy was down by the water minding cattle, and saw Fair push |
Trembling into the sea; and next day, when the tide came in, he saw the |
whale swim up and throw her out on the sand. When she was on the sand |
she said to the cowboy: "When you go home in the evening with the cows, |
tell the master that my sister Fair pushed me into the sea yesterday; |
that a whale swallowed me, and then threw me out, but will come again |
and swallow me with the coming of the next tide; then he'll go out with |
the tide, and come again with to-morrow's tide, and throw me again on |
the strand. The whale will cast me out three times. I'm under the |
enchantment of this whale, and cannot leave the beach or escape myself. |
Unless my husband saves me before I'm swallowed the fourth time, I |
shall be lost. He must come and shoot the whale with a silver bullet |
when he turns on the broad of his back. Under the breast-fin of the |
whale is a reddish-brown spot. My husband must hit him in that spot, |
for it is the only place in which he can be killed." |
When the cowboy got home, the eldest sister gave him a draught of |
oblivion, and he did not tell. |
Next day he went again to the sea. The whale came and cast Trembling on |
shore again. She asked the boy "Did you tell the master what I told you |
to tell him?" |
"I did not," said he; "I forgot." |
"How did you forget?" asked she. |
"The woman of the house gave me a drink that made me forget." |
"Well, don't forget telling him this night; and if she gives you a |
drink, don't take it from her." |
As soon as the cowboy came home, the eldest sister offered him a drink. |
He refused to take it till he had delivered his message and told all to |
the master. The third day the prince went down with his gun and a |
silver bullet in it. He was not long down when the whale came and threw |
Trembling upon the beach as the two days before. She had no power to |
speak to her husband till he had killed the whale. Then the whale went |