Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/261

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The Nine-Legged Steed.
229

She rubbed the water then on every part of his body. He was as well as he ever was. He had nothing to put on him but old clothes. There was a butler in the great house. He saw the king's son falling. He ran to the place. He took away his clothes. He threw him his own clothes. The king's son had nothing to put on him but the butler's clothes. He went to the house of the king, and he was at work like the butler. The butler was in the king's house in the place of the son of the King of Erin. The king thought it was the son of the King of Erin that was with him. He published word through the island to come to the wedding. The gentlemen were gathered the next day. They went fowling. The king's son was carrying the dogs' food. There came a mist on the hill, and they lost their way. They said they would be lost. The man who was carrying the dogs' food said to the king that if he would give him his daughter in marriage he would save them all till morning. The king said his daughter was given to a gentleman who had come there. The gentlemen then said that they would all be dead in the morning, and it was better for him to tell a lie and to save them.

“Well! I will give you my daughter if you save us,” said the king.

He threw down the bag with the dogs' food.