Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/251

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THE NINE-LEGGED STEED.

Narrator, P. Minahan, Malinmore, co. Donegal.

THERE was a king and a queen. They had but one son. The queen died. He married another queen. The queen was good to the child. She took care of him till he was a young man. She sent him away to learn chivalry. When he came home there was great joy on the queen. When he had rested at home, he and the huntsman went hunting on the mountain. They found no game at all. They came to the lake. They sat down on a height beside the lake. They saw three swans coming towards the height. They rested on the lake. They swam in under the place where they were sitting. They came on the shore. They threw off them the transforming caps. They arose the three maidens. One woman of them was very comely. They came up to the young men. The comely woman was there. She and the king's son were talking until night. When they were going she asked him would he

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