Year: 1877

about his ring" And she put it in hel
box and wished she were as rich as 6
kings daughter, that so the kings sor
might marry her; and, behold! the boz
filled up with gold, so that she could moi
shut it; and she put it from her intc
another box, and that filled also; anG
then she was frightened at the ring, and
put it at last in her pocket as the safes
place.


But when Towtas awoke and missed
his ring, his heart was grieved.


"Now, indeed" he said, "my luck il
goneW


And he inquired of all the servants
and then of the lords daughter, and she
laughed, by which he knew she had it
but no coaxing would get it from her, SC
when all was useless he went away, and
set out again to reach his old home.


And he was very mournful, and threw
himself down on the ferns near an old
fort, waiting till night came on, for he
feared to go home in the daylight lest
the people should laugh at him for his
folly. And about dusk three cats came
out of the fort talking to each other.


Chow long our cook is away" said
one.


"What could have happened to him p
said another.


And as they were cabling fourth
cat came up.


"What delayed your" they all asked
angrily.


Then he told his story-how he had
metTowtas and given him the ring. "And
1 Just went" he said, "to the lords pal
ace, to see how the young man behaved
and was leaping over the dinner table
when the lords knife struck my tail and
three drops of blood fell upon his plate,
but he never saw it and swallowed il
with his meat. So now he has three kit
tens inside of him, and is dying Of
agony, and can never be cured until he
drinks three draughts of the water OF
the well of Ballytowtas."


So when young Towtas heard the cats
talk, he sprang up and went and told his
mother to give him three bottles full Of
the water of the Towtas well, and he
would go to the lord disguised as a doc
tor and cure him. So off he went to
Dublin. And all the doctors in Ireland
were around the lord, but none of them
could tell what allied him, or how to cure
him. Then Towtas came in and said
I will cure him." So they gave him
entertainment and lodging, and when
he was refreshed he gave of the we'll.
water three draughts to his lordship,
when out jumped the three kittens.
And there was great rejoicing, and they
treated Towtas like prince. But all
the same he could not get the ring from
the lords daughter, so he set off home
again quite disheartened, and thought to
himself: "If 1 could only meet the man
again that gave me the ring, who knows
what luck might havew And he sat
down to rest in wood, and saw there
not far off three boys fighting under an
oak tree.


"Shame on We to fight SC" he said to
them. "What is the fight about?"


Then they told him. sour father"
they said, "before he died, buried under
this oak tree ring by which you can be
in any place in two minutes If you only
wish it; goblet that is always full
when standing, and empty only when on
its side; and harp that plays any tune
of itself that you name or wish for"


"I want to divide the things" said
the youngest boy, "and let us all go and
seek our fortunes as we can."


"But have a right to the whole, u
said the eldest.


And they went on fighting, till al
length Towtas said: "Pll tell you how
to settle the matter. ALI of you come
here tomorrow, and I'll think over the
matter tonight, and l engage that you
will have nothing more to quarrel about
when you come in the morning"


So the boys promised to keep good
friends till they met in the morning, anc
went away.


When Towtas saw them clear off, ht
dug up the ring, the goblet, and the
harp, and now said he, "Pm all right
and they won't have anything to fght
about in the morning"


Off he set back again to the lord'i
castle with the ring, the goblet, and thC
harp; but he soon bethought himself o
the power of the ring, and in two min
utes he was in the great hall where al
the great lords and ladies we're just sit
ting down to dinner; and the har]
played the sweetest music, and they al
listened in delight; and he drank out o
the goblet which was never empty, ant
then when his head began to grow
little light, at is enough" he said
and putting his arm round the waist o
the lords daughter, he took his harl
and goblet in the other hand, and mur
muring, az wish we were at the old for
by the side of the wood" in two minute
they were both at the desired spot. Blu
his head was heavy with the wine, an
he laid down the harp beside him an
fell asleep. And when she saw hir
she took the ring off his finger, and tn
harp and the goblet from the ground
and was back home in her fathers castl
before two minutes had passed by.


When Towtas awoke and found hi
prize gone, and all his treasure besides
he was like one mad, and roamed abou
the country till he came by an orchart
where he saw tree covered with brigt
rosy apples. Being hungry and thirst.
he plucked one and ate it, but no soone
had he done so than horns began
sprout from his forehead, and gre
larger and longer till he knew he locke
like goat. and all he could do, the
would not come off Now, indeed,
was driven out of his mind, and thougl
how all the neighbors would laugh ;
him; and as he ragged and roared wit
shame, he spied another tree with apple
still brighter, of ruddy gold.


eff were to have fifty pair of horl


1 must have one of those" he said; an


seizing one, he had no sooner tasted


than the horns fell off, and he felt tn
he was looking stronger and handsom
than ever.


"Now, I have her, at last" he e
claimed. cpl put horns on them a
and will never take them off until the
, give her to me as my bride before Il
, whole court"


Without further delay he set off


the lords palace, carrying with him
many of the apples as he could bring
the two trees. And when they saw Il
beauty of the fruit they longed for i
and he gave them to all, so that at la
; there was not a head to be seen witho
5 horns in the whole dining-room. Th,
they cried out and prayed to have t
: horns taken off, but Towtas said: "N