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It is long since I have seen it . ' |
` All my news is that I am seeking service , ' answered Ardan son of Gorla ; ' I have come from far since sunrise , and glad was I to see the rays of your lamp stream into the darkness . ' ' |
I need someone to herd my three dun cows , which are hornless , ' said the old man . |
` If , for the space of a year , you can bring them back to me each evening before the sun sets , I will make you payment that will satisfy your soul . ' |
But here the girl looked up and answered quickly : ` Ill will come of it if he listens to your offer . ' |
` Counsel unsought is worth nothing , ' replied , rudely , Ardan son of Gorla . |
` It would be little indeed that I am fit for if I can not drive three cows out to pasture and keep them safe from the wolves that may come down from the mountains . |
Therefore , good father , I will take service with you at daybreak , and ask no payment till the new year dawns . ' |
Next morning the bell of the deer was not heard amongst the fern before the maiden with the hair of gold had milked the cows , and led them in front of the cottage where the old man and Ardan son of Gorla awaited them . |
` Let them wander where they will , ' he said to his servant , ` and never seek to turn them from their way , for well they know the fields of good pasture . |
But take heed to follow always behind them , and suffer nothing that you see , and nought that you hear , to draw you into leaving them . |
Now go , and may wisdom go with you . ' |
As he ceased speaking he touched one of the cows on her forehead , and she stepped along the path , with the two others one on each side . |
As he had been bidden , behind them came Ardan son of Gorla , rejoicing in his heart that work so easy had fallen to his lot . |
At the year 's end , thought he , enough money would lie in his pocket to carry him into far countries where his sister might be , and , in the meanwhile , someone might come past who could give him tidings of her . |
Thus he spoke to himself , when his eyes fell on a golden cock and a silver hen running swiftly along the grass in front of him . |
In a moment the words that the old man had uttered vanished from his mind and he gave chase . |
They were so near that he could almost seize their tails , yet each time he felt sure he could catch them his fingers closed on the empty air . |
At length he could run no more , and stopped to breathe , while the cock and hen went on as before . |
Then he remembered the cows , and , somewhat frightened , turned back to seek them . |
Luckily they had not strayed far , and were quietly feeding on the thick green grass . |
Ardan son of Gorla was sitting under a tree , when he beheld a staff of gold and a staff of silver doubling themselves in strange ways on the meadow in front of him , and starting up he hastened towards them . |
He followed them till he was tired , but he could not catch them , though they seemed ever within his reach . |
When at last he gave up the quest his knees trembled beneath him for very weariness , and glad was he to see a tree growing close by lade with fruits of different sorts , of which he ate greedily . |
The sun was by now low in the heavens , and the cows left off feeding , and turned their faces home again , followed by Ardan son of Gorla . |
At the door of their stable the maiden stood awaiting them , and saying nought to their herd , she sat down and began to milk . |
But it was not milk that flowed into her pail ; instead it was filled with a thin stream of water , and as she rose up from the last cow the old man appeared outside . |
` Faithless one , you have betrayed your trust ! ' |
he said to Ardan son of Gorla . |
` Not even for one day could you keep true ! |
Well , you shall have your reward at once , that others may take warning from you . ' |
And waving his wand he touched with it the chest of the youth , who became a pillar of stone . |
Now Gorla of the Flocks and his wife were full of grief that they had lost a son as well as a daughter , for no tidings had come to them of Ardan their eldest born . |
At length , when two years and two days had passed since the maiden had led her kids to feed on the mountain and had been seen no more , Ruais , second son of Gorla , rose up one morning , and said : ` Time is long without my sister and Ardan my brother . |
So I have vowed to seek them wherever they may be . ' |
And his father answered : ` Better it had been if you had first asked my consent and that of your mother ; but as you have vowed so must you do . ' |
Then he bade his wife make a cake , but instead she made two , and offered Ruais his choice , as she had done to Ardan . |
Like Ardan , Ruais chose the large , unblessed cake , and set forth on his way , doing always , though he knew it not , that which Ardan had done ; so , needless is it to tell what befell him till he too stood , a pillar of stone , on the hill behind the cottage , so that all men might see the fate that awaited those w... |
Another year and a day passed by , when Covan the Brown-haired , youngest son of Gorla of the Flocks , one morning spake to his parents , saying : ` It is more than three years since my sister left us . |
My brothers have also gone , no one know whither , and of us four none remains but I. No , therefore , I long to seek them , and I pray you and my mother to place no hindrance in my way . ' |
And his father answered : ` Go , then , and take our blessing with you . ' |
So the wife of Gorla of the Flocks baked two cakes , one large and one small ; and Covan took the small one , and started on his quest . |
In the wood he felt hungry , for he had walked far , and he sat down to eat . |
Suddenly a voice behind him cried : ' A bit for me ! |
a bit for me ! ' |
And looking round he beheld the black raven of the wilderness . |
` Yes , you shall have a bit , ' said Covan the Brown-haired ; and breaking off a piece he stretched it upwards to the raven , who ate it greedily . |
Then Covan arose and went forward , till he saw the light from the cottage streaming before him , and glad was he , for night was at hand . |
` Maybe I shall find some work there , ' he thought , ` and at least I shall gain money to help me in my search ; for who knows how far my sister and my brothers may have wandered ? ' |
The door stood open and he entered , and the old man gave him welcome , and the golden-haired maiden likewise . |
As happened before , he was offered by the old man to herd his cows ; and , as she had done to his brothers , the maiden counselled him to leave such work alone . |
But , instead of answering rudely , like both Ardan and Ruais , he thanked her , with courtesy , though he had no mind to heed her ; and he listened to the warnings and words of his new master . |
Next day he set forth at dawn with the dun cows in front of him , and followed patiently wherever they might lead him . |
On the way he saw the gold cock and silver hen , which ran even closer to him than they had done to his brothers . |
Sorely tempted , he longed to give them chase ; but , remembering in time that he had been bidden to look neither to the right nor to the left , with a mighty effort he turned his eyes away . |
Then the gold and silver staffs seemed to spring from the earth before him , but this time also he overcame ; and though the fruit from the magic tree almost touched his mouth , he brushed it aside and went steadily on . |
That day the cows wandered father than ever they had done before , and never stopped till they had reached a moor where the heather was burning . |
The fire was fierce , but the cows took no heed , and walked steadily through it , Covan the Brown-haired following them . |
Next they plunged into a foaming river , and Covan plunged in after them , though the water came high above his waist . |
On the other side of the river lay a wide plain , and here the cows lay down , while Covan looked about him . |
Near him was a house built of yellow stone , and from it came sweet songs , and Covan listened , and his heart grew light within him . |
While he was thus waiting there ran up to him a youth , scarcely able to speak so swiftly had he sped ; and he cried aloud : ` Hasten , hasten , Covan the Brown-haired , for your cows are in the corn , and you must drive them out ! ' |
` Nay , ' said Covan smiling , ` it had been easier for you to have driven them out than to come here to tell me . ' |
And he went on listening to the music . |
Very soon the same youth returned and cried with panting breath : ` Out upon you , Covan son of Gorla , that you stand there agape . |
For our dogs are chasing your cows , and you must drive them off ! ' |
` Nay , then , ' answered Covan as before , ` it had been easier for you to call off your dogs than to come here to tell me . ' |
And he stayed where he was till the music ceased . |
Then he turned to look for the cows , and found them all lying in the place where he had left them ; but when they saw Covan they rose up and walked homewards , taking a different path to that they had trod in the morning . |
This time they passed over a plain so bare that a pin could not have lain there unnoticed , yet Covan beheld with surprise a foal and its mother feeding there , both as fat as if they had pastured on the richest grass . |
Further on they crossed another plain , where the grass was thick and green , but on it were feeding a foal and its mother , so lean that you could have counted their ribs . |
And further again the path led them by the shores of a lake whereon were floating two boats ; one full of gay and happy youths , journeying to the land of the Sun , and another with grim shapes clothed in black , travelling to the land of Night . |
` What can these things mean ? ' |
said Covan to himself , as he followed his cows . |
Darkness now fell , the wind howled , and torrents of rain poured upon them . |
Covan knew not how far they might yet have to go , or indeed if they were on the right road . |
He could not even see his cows , and his heart sank lest , after all , he should have failed to bring them safely back . |
What was he to do ? |
He waited thus , for he could go neither forwards nor backwards , till he felt a great friendly paw laid on his shoulder . |
` My cave is just here , ' said the Dog of Maol-mor , of whom Covan son of Gorla had heard much . |
` Spend the night here , and you shall be fed on the flesh of lamb , and shall lay aside three-thirds of thy weariness . ' |
And Covan entered , and supped , and slept , and in the morning rose up a new man . |
` Farewell , Covan , ' said the Dog of Maol-mor . |
` May success go with you , for you took what I had to give and did not mock me . |
So , when danger is your companion , wish for me , and I will not fail you . ' |
At these words the Dog of Maol-mor disappeared into the forest , and Covan went to seek his cows , which were standing in the hollow where the darkness had come upon them . |
At the sight of Covan the Brown-haired they walked onwards , Covan following ever behind them , and looking neither to the right nor to the left . |
All that day they walked , and when night fell they were in a barren plain , with only rocks for shelter . |
` We must rest here as best we can , ' spoke Covan to the cows . |
And they bowed their heads and lay down in the place where they stood . |
Then came the black raven of Corri-nan-creag , whose eyes never closed , and whose wings never tired ; and he fluttered before the face of Covan and told him that he knew of a cranny in the rock where there was food in plenty , and soft moss for a bed . |
` Go with me thither , ' he said to Covan , ` and you shall lay aside three-thirds of your weariness , and depart in the morning refreshed , ' and Covan listened thankfully to his words , and at dawn he rose up to seek his cows . |
` Farewell ! ' |
cried the black raven . |
` You trusted me , and took all I had to offer in return for the food you once gave me . |
So if in time to come you need a friend , wish for me , and I will not fail you . ' |
As before , the cows were standing in the spot where he had left them , ready to set out . |
All that day they walked , on and on , and on , Covan son of Gorla walking behind them , till night fell while they were on the banks of a river . |
` We can go no further , ' spake Covan to the cows . |
And they began to eat the grass by the side of the stream , while Covan listened to them and longed for some supper also , for they had travelled far , and his limbs were weak under him . |
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