English Fairy Tales / Английские сказки

�Why, there are twenty others in the house, and each fairer than she!’ exclaimed the Gruagach.

�Fairer they may be, but it is she whom I wish for my wife, and none other,’ and the Gruagach saw that the king’s mind was set upon her, so he entered his house, and bade all the maidens in it come out one by one, and pass before the king.

One by one they came; tall and short, dark and fair, plump and thin, and each said �I am she whom you want. You will be foolish indeed if you do not take me.

But he took none of them, neither short nor tall, dark nor fair, plump nor thin, till at the last the crop-headed girl came out.

�This is mine,’ said the king, though she was so ugly that most men would have turned from her. �We will be married at once, and I will carry you home.’ And married they were, and they set forth across a meadow to the king’s house. As they went, the bride stooped and picked a sprig of shamrock, which grew amongst the grass, and when she stood upright again her ugliness had all gone, and the most beautiful woman that ever was seen stood by the king’s side.

The next day, before the sun rose, the king sprang from his bed, and told his wife he must have another game with the Gruagach.

�If my father loses that game, and you win it,’ said she, �accept nothing for your prize but the shaggy young horse with the stick saddle.’

�I will do that,’ answered the king, and he went.

�Does your bride please you?’ asked the Gruagach, who was standing at his own door.

�Ah! does she not!’ answered the king quickly. �Otherwise I should be hard indeed to please. But will you play a game today?’

�I will,’ replied the Gruagach, and they played, and sometimes it seemed as if one would win, and sometimes the other, but in the end the king was the winner.

�What is the prize that you will choose?’ asked the Gruagach.

�The shaggy young horse with the stick saddle,’ answered the king, but he noticed that the Gruagach held his peace, and his brow was dark as he led out the horse from the stable.

On the third morning the king got up as usual before dawn, and as soon as he had eaten food he prepared to go out, when his wife stopped him.