"Look again, O king! Is anyone coming now?"
"A swarm of black horses, and one has a white face, and on that horse a man is seated. He is the king of the oak windows."
"That is my brother, and swifter still than I," said the horse, "and he will fly past me with a rush. Then you must have your sword ready, and take off the head of the man who sits on him, as he turns and looks at you. And there is no sword in the world that will cut off his head, save only that one."
"I will do it," replied the king, and he listened with all his might, till he judged that the white-faced horse was close to him. Then he sat up very straight and made ready.
The next moment there was a rushing noise as of a mighty tempest, and the young man caught a glimpse of a face turned toward him. Almost blindly he struck, not knowing whether he had killed or only wounded the rider. But the head rolled off, and was caught in the brown horse"s mouth.
"Jump on my brother, the black horse, and go home as fast as you can, and I will follow as quickly as I may," cried the brown horse; and leaping forward the king alighted on the back of the black horse, but so near the tail that he almost fell off again. But he stretched out his arm and clutched wildly at the mane and pulled himself into the saddle.
Before the sky was streaked with red he was at home again, and the queen was sitting waiting till he arrived, for sleep was far from her eyes.
Glad was she to see him enter, but she said little, only took her harp and sang softly the songs which he loved, till he went to bed, soothed and happy.
It was broad day when he woke, and he sprang up saying,
"Now I must go to the Gruagach, to find out if the spells he laid on me are loose."
"Have a care," answered the queen, "for it is not with a smile as on the other days that he will greet you. Furiously he will meet you, and will ask you in his wrath if you have got the sword, and you will reply that you have got it. Next he will want to know how you got it, and to this you must say that but for the k.n.o.b you had not got it at all. Then he will raise his head to look at the k.n.o.b, and you must stab him in the mole which is on the right side of his neck; but take heed, for if you miss the mole with the point of the sword, then my death and your death are certain. He is brother to the king of the oak windows, and sure will he be that the king must be dead, or the sword would not be in your hands." After that she kissed him, and bade him good speed.
"Didst thou get the sword?" asked the Gruagach, when they met in the usual place.
"I got the sword."
"And how didst thou get it?"
"If it had not had a k.n.o.b on the top, then I had not got it," answered the king.
"Give me the sword to look at," said the Gruagach, peering forward; but like a flash the king had drawn it from under his nose and pierced the mole, so that the Gruagach rolled over on the ground.
"Now I shall be at peace," thought the king. But he was wrong, for when he reached home he found his servants tied together back to back, with cloths bound round their mouths, so that they could not speak. He hastened to set them free, and he asked who had treated them in so evil a manner.
"No sooner had you gone than a great giant came, and dealt with us as you see, and carried off your wife and your two horses," said the men.
"Then my eyes will not close nor will my head lay itself down till I fetch my wife and horses home again," answered he, and he stooped and noted the tracks of the horses on the gra.s.s, and followed after them till he arrived at the wood when the darkness fell.
"I will sleep here," he said to himself, "but first I will make a fire."
And he gathered together some twigs that were lying about, and then took two dry sticks and rubbed them together till the fire came, and he sat by it.
The twigs crackled and the flame blazed up, and a slim yellow dog pushed through the bushes and laid his head on the king"s knee, and the king stroked his head.
"Wuf, wuf," said the dog. "Sore was the plight of thy wife and thy horses when the giant drove them last night through the forest."
"That is why I have come;" answered the king, and suddenly his heart seemed to fail him and he felt that he could not go on."
"I cannot fight that giant," he cried, looking at the dog with a white face. "I am afraid, let me turn homewards."
"No, don"t do that," replied the dog. "Eat and sleep, and I will watch over you." So the king ate and lay down, and slept till the sun waked him.
"It is time for you to start on your way," said the dog, "and if danger presses, call on me, and I will help you."
"Farewell, then," answered the king; "I will not forget that promise,"
and on he went, and on, and on, till he reached a tall cliff with many sticks lying about.
"It is almost night," he thought; "I will make a fire and rest," and thus he did, and when the flames blazed up, the h.o.a.ry hawk of the grey rock flew on to a bough above him.
"Sore was the plight of thy wife and thy horses when they pa.s.sed here with the giant," said the hawk.
"Never shall I find them," answered the king, "and nothing shall I get for all my trouble."
"Oh, take heart," replied the hawk, "things are never so bad but what they might be worse. Eat and sleep and I will watch thee," and the king did as he was bidden by the hawk, and by the morning he felt brave again.
"Farewell," said the bird, "and if danger presses call to me, and I will help you."
On he walked, and on, and on, till as the dusk was falling he came to a great river, and on the bank there were sticks lying about.
"I will make myself a fire," he thought, and thus he did, and by and bye a smooth brown head peered at him from the water, and a long body followed it.
"Sore was the plight of thy wife and thy horses when they pa.s.sed the river last night," said the otter.
"I have sought them and not found them," answered the king, "and nought shall I get for my trouble."
"Be not so downcast," replied the otter; "before noon to-morrow thou shalt behold thy wife. But eat and sleep and I will watch over thee." So the king did as the otter bid him, and when the sun rose he woke and saw the otter lying on the bank.
"Farewell," cried the otter as he jumped into the water, "and if danger presses, call to me and I will help you."
For many hours the king walked, and at length he reached a high rock, which was rent in two by a great earthquake. Throwing himself on the ground he looked over the side, and right at the very bottom he saw his wife and his horses. His heart gave a great bound, and all his fears left him, but he was forced to be patient, for the sides of the rock were smooth, and not even a goat could find foothold. So he got up again, and made his way round through the wood, pushing by trees, scrambling over rocks, wading through streams, till at last he was on flat ground again, close to the mouth of the cavern.
His wife gave a shriek of joy when he came in, and then burst into tears, for she was tired and very frightened. But her husband did not understand why she wept, and he was tired and bruised from his climb, and a little cross too.
"You give me but a sorry welcome," grumbled he, "when I have half-killed myself to get to you."
"Do not heed him," said the horses to the weeping woman, "put him in front of us, where he will be safe, and give him food for he is weary."
And she did as the horses told her, and he ate and rested, till by and bye a long shadow fell over them, and their hearts beat with fear, for they knew that the giant was coming.
"I smell a stranger," cried the giant, as he entered, but it was dark inside the chasm, and he did not see the king, who was crouching down between the feet of the horses.
"A stranger, my lord! no stranger ever comes here, not even the sun!"
and the king"s wife laughed gaily as she went up to the giant and stroked the huge hand which hung down by his side.