Evaleen Stein

“ Now at this time, in one of the smallest of the wattled houses, lived a poor woman named Bridget, and her only child, a bright-eyed boy called Nial. They had no torques or bracelets, and their clothes were old and ragged; but they had a little bee-hive, and a cow, and a tiny bit of ground where they raised a few oats for porridge. A peat bog was near, so they always had a fire on the hearth; and that contented they were, Bridget would sing over her work and Nial whistle as merrily as if he were a king's son.
Every day Nial took the cow to pasture ”

“ When the lad was brought into the palace, the King commanded that a large chest be placed before him, and then told him to lift the lid. When Nial did so, he opened his eyes wide, for it was filled with the finest golden torques and bracelets, besides bags of gold and jewels. "Nial," said the King, "if you free me from my promise to betroth the Princess, the chest is yours. But I will tell you plainly, lad," and here the King frowned, "if 'tis the Princess you are set on having, not a penny goes with her, and 'tis only a wife to support you will be getting." ”

“ Why, lad, our bees must be bewitched!"
Nial, who had roused up, laughed to himself, but said nothing of how near the truth she had guessed.
"Why," went on Bridget, "'tis honey fit for a king!" Then, her words putting an idea into the good woman's head, "Bedad, now," she said, "'tis just stepping up to the King's palace I'll be to carry a bit for the porridge of the young Princess!" For all the Irish folk knew that the Princess was exceedingly fond of honey. ”

“ Nobody could understand what had become of them, and they did not see how they could get along without their favorite food. The high chamberlain, thinking Nial must have something to do with the matter, sent and had him brought before the King. But to all their questions and threats the lad answered so bravely and fearlessly, and declared so truthfully that he knew nothing about it (for he did not know the fairy queen had sent the bees away) , that they were obliged to let him go; though the high chamberlain took away the milk cow, just for spite, and poor Bridget wrung her hands in vain. ”

“ The lad looked so very brave and bold, that the fairy Queen smiled. "No," she said, "'tis not to France you must be going, but to the Northland. So get your knapsack ready for a journey. Put in it some oat-cakes, this ball of silver cord (and she handed Nial a glittering ball) , and a cage large enough for two birds; you can make this yourself from the osiers by the brook. Then carry a spade over your shoulder, and set out for the seashore. There you must take ship for the Northland. When you get there, walk inland till you come to a green meadow where a small silver birch tree is growing. ”

“ So one morning, as breakfast was being served to the royal family, the chamberlain made bold to go before the King. "Your Highness," he said, bowing very low, "though your dishes are gold and silver, the food they hold is the same as the common people have, and they will think you no better than they. ”

“ But the truth could not be kept back, for too many people had seen what Nial had done; and his friends soon found means to tell the King. They told him also how wicked the high chamberlain was, and the King was very angry and commanded the hive of bewitched bees and the milk cow to be restored at once to Bridget, together with the purse of gold which the chamberlain had kept from her. Then he banished the high chamberlain himself to a wattled hut in a far-off corner of the kingdom, and ordered that he was to have nothing but thin porridge and water to live on the rest of his life. ”

“ Often, on moonlight nights, they would come out to dance and frolic in the meadows; though always they kept out of sight of grown folks, for they had not forgotten that it was grown folks who conquered them in war. ”

“ These fairies, who had once been mortals like the rest, had been conquered in war and about to be sold into slavery, but, being wise in magic, had been able to cast a spell over themselves, so that they became smaller and smaller, and at last turned into fairies. ”

“ When he had finished, the Queen frowned a bit, for she remembered sending away the bees without thinking what mischief it would do; for the fairies are fickle little folks, and do not greatly trouble themselves about the affairs of mortals. She was sorry for Nial, though, and determined to help him. So she thought a minute, and then she said, "Well, lad, it was I who sent off the bees to the meadows of the King of France ”