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

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sure), and he knocked off one grain. A mouse came out and she eats that.

"I'll trouble you not to do that again," said the wren.

He struck again, and he struck off two grains. Out came the mouse and
she eats them. So they arranged a contest to see who was strongest, and
the wren brings his twelve birds, and the mouse her tribe.

"You have your tribe with you," said the wren.

"As well as yourself," said the mouse, and she struck out her leg
proudly. But the wren broke it with his flail, and there was a pitched
battle on a set day.

When every creature and bird was gathering to battle, the son of the
king of Tethertown said that he would go to see the battle, and that he
would bring sure word home to his father the king, who would be king of
the creatures this year. The battle was over before he arrived all but
one fight, between a great black raven and a snake. The snake was
twined about the raven's neck, and the raven held the snake's throat in
his beak, and it seemed as if the snake would get the victory over the
raven. When the king's son saw this he helped the raven, and with one
blow takes the head off the snake. When the raven had taken breath, and
saw that the snake was dead, he said, "For thy kindness to me this day,
I will give thee a sight. Come up now on the root of my two wings." The
king's son put his hands about the raven before his wings, and, before
he stopped, he took him over nine Bens, and nine Glens, and nine
Mountain Moors.

"Now," said the raven, "see you that house yonder? Go now to it. It is
a sister of mine that makes her dwelling in it; and I will go bail that
you are welcome. And if she asks you, Were you at the battle of the
birds? say you were. And if she asks, 'Did you see any one like me,'
say you did, but be sure that you meet me to-morrow morning here, in
this place." The king's son got good and right good treatment that
night. Meat of each meat, drink of each drink, warm water to his feet,
and a soft bed for his limbs.

On the next day the raven gave him the same sight over six Bens, and
six Glens, and six Mountain Moors. They saw a bothy far off, but,
though far off, they were soon there. He got good treatment this night,
as before--plenty of meat and drink, and warm water to his feet, and a
soft bed to his limbs--and on the next day it was the same thing, over
three Bens and three Glens, and three Mountain Moors.

On the third morning, instead of seeing the raven as at the other
times, who should meet him but the handsomest lad he ever saw, with
gold rings in his hair, with a bundle in his hand. The king's son asked
this lad if he had seen a big black raven.

Said the lad to him, "You will never see the raven again, for I am that
raven. I was put under spells by a bad druid; it was meeting you that
loosed me, and for that you shall get this bundle. Now," said the lad,
"you must turn back on the self-same steps, and lie a night in each
house as before; but you must not loose the bundle which I gave ye,
till in the place where you would most wish to dwell."

The king's son turned his back to the lad, and his face to his father's
house; and he got lodging from the raven's sisters, just as he got it
when going forward. When he was nearing his father's house he was going
through a close wood. It seemed to him that the bundle was growing
heavy, and he thought he would look what was in it.

When he loosed the bundle he was astonished. In a twinkling he sees the
very grandest place he ever saw. A great castle, and an orchard about
the castle, in which was every kind of fruit and herb. He stood full of
wonder and regret for having loosed the bundle--for it was not in his
power to put it back again--and he would have wished this pretty place
to be in the pretty little green hollow that was opposite his father's
house; but he looked up and saw a great giant coming towards him.

"Bad's the place where you have built the house, king's son," says the
giant.

"Yes, but it is not here I would wish it to be, though it happens to be
here by mishap," says the king's son.

"What's the reward for putting it back in the bundle as it was before?"

"What's the reward you would ask?" says the king's son.

"That you will give me the first son you have when he is seven years of
age," says the giant.

"If I have a son you shall have him," said the king's son.

In a twinkling the giant put each garden, and orchard, and castle in
the bundle as they were before.

"Now," says the giant, "take your own road, and I will take mine; but
mind your promise, and if you forget I will remember."

The king's son took to the road, and at the end of a few days he
reached the place he was fondest of. He loosed the bundle, and the
castle was just as it was before. And when he opened the castle door he
sees the handsomest maiden he ever cast eye upon.

"Advance, king's son," said the pretty maid; "everything is in order
for you, if you will marry me this very day."

sure), and he knocked off one grain. A mouse came out and she eats that.

"I'll trouble you not to do that again," said the wren.

He struck again, and he struck off two grains. Out came the mouse and

she eats them. So they arranged a contest to see who was strongest, and

the wren brings his twelve birds, and the mouse her tribe.

"You have your tribe with you," said the wren.

"As well as yourself," said the mouse, and she struck out her leg

proudly. But the wren broke it with his flail, and there was a pitched

battle on a set day.

When every creature and bird was gathering to battle, the son of the

king of Tethertown said that he would go to see the battle, and that he

would bring sure word home to his father the king, who would be king of

the creatures this year. The battle was over before he arrived all but

one fight, between a great black raven and a snake. The snake was

twined about the raven's neck, and the raven held the snake's throat in

his beak, and it seemed as if the snake would get the victory over the

raven. When the king's son saw this he helped the raven, and with one

blow takes the head off the snake. When the raven had taken breath, and

saw that the snake was dead, he said, "For thy kindness to me this day,

I will give thee a sight. Come up now on the root of my two wings." The

king's son put his hands about the raven before his wings, and, before

he stopped, he took him over nine Bens, and nine Glens, and nine

Mountain Moors.

"Now," said the raven, "see you that house yonder? Go now to it. It is

a sister of mine that makes her dwelling in it; and I will go bail that

you are welcome. And if she asks you, Were you at the battle of the

birds? say you were. And if she asks, 'Did you see any one like me,'

say you did, but be sure that you meet me to-morrow morning here, in

this place." The king's son got good and right good treatment that

night. Meat of each meat, drink of each drink, warm water to his feet,

and a soft bed for his limbs.

On the next day the raven gave him the same sight over six Bens, and

six Glens, and six Mountain Moors. They saw a bothy far off, but,

though far off, they were soon there. He got good treatment this night,

as before--plenty of meat and drink, and warm water to his feet, and a

soft bed to his limbs--and on the next day it was the same thing, over

three Bens and three Glens, and three Mountain Moors.

On the third morning, instead of seeing the raven as at the other

times, who should meet him but the handsomest lad he ever saw, with

gold rings in his hair, with a bundle in his hand. The king's son asked

this lad if he had seen a big black raven.

Said the lad to him, "You will never see the raven again, for I am that

raven. I was put under spells by a bad druid; it was meeting you that

loosed me, and for that you shall get this bundle. Now," said the lad,

"you must turn back on the self-same steps, and lie a night in each

house as before; but you must not loose the bundle which I gave ye,

till in the place where you would most wish to dwell."

The king's son turned his back to the lad, and his face to his father's

house; and he got lodging from the raven's sisters, just as he got it

when going forward. When he was nearing his father's house he was going

through a close wood. It seemed to him that the bundle was growing

heavy, and he thought he would look what was in it.

When he loosed the bundle he was astonished. In a twinkling he sees the

very grandest place he ever saw. A great castle, and an orchard about

the castle, in which was every kind of fruit and herb. He stood full of

wonder and regret for having loosed the bundle--for it was not in his

power to put it back again--and he would have wished this pretty place

to be in the pretty little green hollow that was opposite his father's

house; but he looked up and saw a great giant coming towards him.

"Bad's the place where you have built the house, king's son," says the

giant.

"Yes, but it is not here I would wish it to be, though it happens to be

here by mishap," says the king's son.

"What's the reward for putting it back in the bundle as it was before?"

"What's the reward you would ask?" says the king's son.

"That you will give me the first son you have when he is seven years of

age," says the giant.

"If I have a son you shall have him," said the king's son.

In a twinkling the giant put each garden, and orchard, and castle in

the bundle as they were before.

"Now," says the giant, "take your own road, and I will take mine; but

mind your promise, and if you forget I will remember."

The king's son took to the road, and at the end of a few days he

reached the place he was fondest of. He loosed the bundle, and the

castle was just as it was before. And when he opened the castle door he

sees the handsomest maiden he ever cast eye upon.

"Advance, king's son," said the pretty maid; "everything is in order

for you, if you will marry me this very day."