merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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out, turned over once on the broad of his back, and showed the spot for
a moment only. That moment the prince fired. He had but the one chance,
and a short one at that; but he took it, and hit the spot, and the
whale, mad with pain, made the sea all around red with blood, and died.

That minute Trembling was able to speak, and went home with her
husband, who sent word to her father what the eldest sister had done.
The father came, and told him any death he chose to give her to give
it. The prince told the father he would leave her life and death with
himself. The father had her put out then on the sea in a barrel, with
provisions in it for seven years.

In time Trembling had a second child, a daughter. The prince and she
sent the cowboy to school, and trained him up as one of their own
children, and said: "If the little girl that is born to us now lives,
no other man in the world will get her but him."

The cowboy and the prince's daughter lived on till they were married.
The mother said to her husband "You could not have saved me from the
whale but for the little cowboy; on that account I don't grudge him my
daughter."

The son of the king of Emania and Trembling had fourteen children, and
they lived happily till the two died of old age.




JACK AND HIS MASTER

A poor woman had three sons. The eldest and second eldest were cunning
clever fellows, but they called the youngest Jack the Fool, because
they thought he was no better than a simpleton. The eldest got tired of
staying at home, and said he'd go look for service. He stayed away a
whole year, and then came back one day, dragging one foot after the
other, and a poor wizened face on him, and he as cross as two sticks.
When he was rested and got something to eat, he told them how he got
service with the Gray Churl of the Townland of Mischance, and that the
agreement was, whoever would first say he was sorry for his bargain,
should get an inch wide of the skin of his back, from shoulder to hips,
taken off. If it was the master, he should also pay double wages; if it
was the servant, he should get no wages at all. "But the thief," says
he, "gave me so little to eat, and kept me so hard at work, that flesh
and blood couldn't stand it; and when he asked me once, when I was in a
passion, if I was sorry for my bargain, I was mad enough to say I was,
and here I am disabled for life."

Vexed enough were the poor mother and brothers; and the second eldest
said on the spot he'd go and take service with the Gray Churl, and
punish him by all the annoyance he'd give him till he'd make him say he
was sorry for his agreement. "Oh, won't I be glad to see the skin
coming off the old villain's back!" said he. All they could say had no
effect: he started off for the Townland of Mischance, and in a
twelvemonth he was back just as miserable and helpless as his brother.

All the poor mother could say didn't prevent Jack the Fool from
starting to see if he was able to regulate the Gray Churl. He agreed
with him for a year for twenty pounds, and the terms were the same.

"Now, Jack," said the Gray Churl, "if you refuse to do anything you are
able to do, you must lose a month's wages."

"I'm satisfied," said Jack; "and if you stop me from doing a thing
after telling me to do it, you are to give me an additional month's
wages."

"I am satisfied," says the master.

"Or if you blame me for obeying your orders, you must give the same."

"I am satisfied," said the master again.

The first day that Jack served he was fed very poorly, and was worked
to the saddleskirts. Next day he came in just before the dinner was
sent up to the parlour. They were taking the goose off the spit, but
well becomes Jack he whips a knife off the dresser, and cuts off one
side of the breast, one leg and thigh, and one wing, and fell to. In
came the master, and began to abuse him for his assurance. "Oh, you
know, master, you're to feed me, and wherever the goose goes won't have
to be filled again till supper. Are you sorry for our agreement?"

The master was going to cry out he was, but he bethought himself in
time. "Oh no, not at all," said he.

"That's well," said Jack.

Next day Jack was to go clamp turf on the bog. They weren't sorry to
have him away from the kitchen at dinner time. He didn't find his
breakfast very heavy on his stomach; so he said to the mistress, "I
think, ma'am, it will be better for me to get my dinner now, and not
lose time coming home from the bog."

"That's true, Jack," said she. So she brought out a good cake, and a
print of butter, and a bottle of milk, thinking he'd take them away to
the bog. But Jack kept his seat, and never drew rein till bread,
butter, and milk went down the red lane.

"Now, mistress," said he, "I'll be earlier at my work to-morrow if I
sleep comfortably on the sheltery side of a pile of dry peat on dry
grass, and not be coming here and going back. So you may as well give

out, turned over once on the broad of his back, and showed the spot for

a moment only. That moment the prince fired. He had but the one chance,

and a short one at that; but he took it, and hit the spot, and the

whale, mad with pain, made the sea all around red with blood, and died.

That minute Trembling was able to speak, and went home with her

husband, who sent word to her father what the eldest sister had done.

The father came, and told him any death he chose to give her to give

it. The prince told the father he would leave her life and death with

himself. The father had her put out then on the sea in a barrel, with

provisions in it for seven years.

In time Trembling had a second child, a daughter. The prince and she

sent the cowboy to school, and trained him up as one of their own

children, and said: "If the little girl that is born to us now lives,

no other man in the world will get her but him."

The cowboy and the prince's daughter lived on till they were married.

The mother said to her husband "You could not have saved me from the

whale but for the little cowboy; on that account I don't grudge him my

daughter."

The son of the king of Emania and Trembling had fourteen children, and

they lived happily till the two died of old age.

JACK AND HIS MASTER

A poor woman had three sons. The eldest and second eldest were cunning

clever fellows, but they called the youngest Jack the Fool, because

they thought he was no better than a simpleton. The eldest got tired of

staying at home, and said he'd go look for service. He stayed away a

whole year, and then came back one day, dragging one foot after the

other, and a poor wizened face on him, and he as cross as two sticks.

When he was rested and got something to eat, he told them how he got

service with the Gray Churl of the Townland of Mischance, and that the

agreement was, whoever would first say he was sorry for his bargain,

should get an inch wide of the skin of his back, from shoulder to hips,

taken off. If it was the master, he should also pay double wages; if it

was the servant, he should get no wages at all. "But the thief," says

he, "gave me so little to eat, and kept me so hard at work, that flesh

and blood couldn't stand it; and when he asked me once, when I was in a

passion, if I was sorry for my bargain, I was mad enough to say I was,

and here I am disabled for life."

Vexed enough were the poor mother and brothers; and the second eldest

said on the spot he'd go and take service with the Gray Churl, and

punish him by all the annoyance he'd give him till he'd make him say he

was sorry for his agreement. "Oh, won't I be glad to see the skin

coming off the old villain's back!" said he. All they could say had no

effect: he started off for the Townland of Mischance, and in a

twelvemonth he was back just as miserable and helpless as his brother.

All the poor mother could say didn't prevent Jack the Fool from

starting to see if he was able to regulate the Gray Churl. He agreed

with him for a year for twenty pounds, and the terms were the same.

"Now, Jack," said the Gray Churl, "if you refuse to do anything you are

able to do, you must lose a month's wages."

"I'm satisfied," said Jack; "and if you stop me from doing a thing

after telling me to do it, you are to give me an additional month's

wages."

"I am satisfied," says the master.

"Or if you blame me for obeying your orders, you must give the same."

"I am satisfied," said the master again.

The first day that Jack served he was fed very poorly, and was worked

to the saddleskirts. Next day he came in just before the dinner was

sent up to the parlour. They were taking the goose off the spit, but

well becomes Jack he whips a knife off the dresser, and cuts off one

side of the breast, one leg and thigh, and one wing, and fell to. In

came the master, and began to abuse him for his assurance. "Oh, you

know, master, you're to feed me, and wherever the goose goes won't have

to be filled again till supper. Are you sorry for our agreement?"

The master was going to cry out he was, but he bethought himself in

time. "Oh no, not at all," said he.

"That's well," said Jack.

Next day Jack was to go clamp turf on the bog. They weren't sorry to

have him away from the kitchen at dinner time. He didn't find his

breakfast very heavy on his stomach; so he said to the mistress, "I

think, ma'am, it will be better for me to get my dinner now, and not

lose time coming home from the bog."

"That's true, Jack," said she. So she brought out a good cake, and a

print of butter, and a bottle of milk, thinking he'd take them away to

the bog. But Jack kept his seat, and never drew rein till bread,

butter, and milk went down the red lane.

"Now, mistress," said he, "I'll be earlier at my work to-morrow if I

sleep comfortably on the sheltery side of a pile of dry peat on dry

grass, and not be coming here and going back. So you may as well give