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In the evening, as she ate her bread and drank her milk for supper, under the trees in the garden, a cat came creeping up to lick the drops of milk that fell from the basin.
“Oh, poor puss!” said she, “you’re thirsty and that’s not much milk for you. Here,” said she, giving the half-finished basin to the creature—“Here is a drop for you, for you’re thirstier than me, and I can easily do without it.”
When the cat had finished the milk, “Miaow! Miaow!” it said, “put out your foot fair lady, till I lick half the blood off it.”
“There it is, good cat,” said she, putting it out, “but when I couldn’t wash it off myself, I fear you won’t be able.”
But in a few moments the cat licked off half the blood. She thanked it very much and it went away, leaving her eating her bread.
Soon the robin redbreast came hopping up to pick the crumbs that fell from her.
“Poor robin,” she said, “you are hungry and more in need of this bread than me, for I can easily do without it,” and she laid down her bread till the robin had pecked to satisfaction of it.
“Toowhit! toowhit!” said the robin then—“I can tell you, kind lady, how to take the other half of the blood off your foot, if you do it.”
“Very well, then, good robin,” she said, “I’ll try. But when I wasn’t able to wash it off myself I fear you won’t be able to help me.”
“Pluck ten leaves of the yarrow to-night at midnight,” said the robin. “Throw the tenth away and boil the other nine. Then wash your foot in the boiled juice and the blood will wash off.”
She thanked the little robin, who flew away, and at midnight she went into the garden and plucked ten leaves of the yarrow, throwing the tenth away, and boiling the other nine. In the juice she washed her foot, and every trace of the blood was gone.
When, at the end of the three days, the prince returned, he demanded the keys.
“I hope,” said he, “you haven’t disobeyed me, and opened the forbidden room. Show me your feet.”
She showed him her feet which would shame snow in whiteness.
“I see you have not disobeyed me,” he said, “and I am glad, for I would not like to kill so beautiful a lady. Your two sisters whom I took away, and many other beautiful ladies before that, when put to the test, disobeyed me, and I killed them and hung them up by the hair in that very room. You have not disobeyed me, and I will make you my wife, for you have nothing more to fear now that I have found you are without that curiosity which is the great blemish on most women. Here,” he said, handing her a white rod, “is a wand. Go to the secret room, open it, and going in, strike the bodies of your sisters with it.”
She did this, and lo! her sisters came to life once more. The prince then allowed her to bring to life in the same way all the other young ladies who had been killed and hung up in the room, and they were sent to their homes again.
The young princess found herself very much in love with the prince, for he was a most handsome man; and she now gladly agreed to become his wife. Her mother was soon made acquainted with what had happened, and her joy was great at finding her beautiful daughters still alive. She came to the marriage, as did all the other nobility; and it was allowed on all hands that a more beautiful or a happier pair had never before been united. The marriage lasted nine days and nine nights; the last day and night was as good as the first, and the first as good as the last; and the handsome prince and his beautiful princess lived happily ever.
The Old Hag of the Forest
ONCE on a time, long long ago, when there were more kings and queens in Ireland than O’Do