how to tell stories to children-第27节

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　〃Forth　to　the　fight！〃　Then；　when　the　men　came　back　from　the　battle；　weary　and　wounded；　the　Dagda　would　take　his　harp　and　strike　a　few　chords；　and　as　the　magic　music　stole　out　upon　the　air；　every　man　forgot　his　weariness　and　the　smart　of　his　wounds；　and　thought　of　the　honor　he　had　won；　and　of　the　comrade　who　had　died　beside　him；　and　of　the　safety　of　his　wife　and　children。　Then　the　song　would　swell　out　louder；　and　every　warrior　would　remember　only　the　glory　he　had　helped　win　for　the　king；　and　each　man　would　rise　at　the　great　tables　　his　cup　in　his　hand；　and　shout　〃Long　live　the　King！〃

There　came　a　time　when　the　Fomorians　and　the　golden…haired　men　were　at　war；　and　in　the　midst　of　a　great　battle；　while　the　Dagda's　hall　was　not　so　well　guarded　as　usual；　some　of　the　chieftains　of　the　Fomorians　stole　the　great　harp　from　the　wall；　where　it　hung；　and　fled　away　with　it。　　Their　wives　and　children　and　some　few　of　their　soldiers　went　with　them；　and　they　fled　fast　and　far　through　the　night；　until　they　were　a　long　way　from　the　battlefield。　Then　they　thought　they　were　safe；　and　they　turned　aside　into　a　vacant　castle；　by　the　road；　and　sat　down　to　a　banquet；　hanging　the　stolen　harp　on　the　wall。

The　Dagda；　with　two　or　three　of　his　warriors；　had　followed　hard　on　their　track。　And　while　they　were　in　the　midst　of　their　banqueting；　the　door　was　suddenly　burst　open；　and　the　Dagda　stood　there；　with　his　men。　　Some　of　the　Fomorians　sprang　to　their　feet；　but　before　any　of　them　could　grasp　a　weapon；　the　Dagda　called　out　to　his　harp　on　the　wall；　〃Come　to　me；　O　my　harp！〃

The　great　harp　recognized　its　master's　voice；　and　leaped　from　the　wall。　　Whirling　through　the　hall；　sweeping　aside　and　killing　the　men　who　got　in　its　way；　it　sprang　to　its　master's　hand。　　And　the　Dagda　took　his　harp　and　swept　his　hand　across　the　strings　in　three　great；　solemn　chords。　　The　harp　answered　with　the　magic　Music　of　Tears。　As　the　wailing　harmony　smote　upon　the　air；　the　women　of　the　Fomorians　bowed　their　heads　and　wept　bitterly；　the　strong　men　turned　their　faces　aside；　and　the　little　children　sobbed。

Again　the　Dagda　touched　the　strings；　and　this　time　the　magic　Music　of　Mirth　leaped　from　the　harp。　　And　when　they　heard　that　Music　of　Mirth；　the　young　warriors　of　the　Fomorians　began　to　laugh；　they　laughed　till　the　cups　fell　from　their　grasp；　and　the　spears　dropped　from　their　hands；　while　the　wine　flowed　from　the　broken　bowls；　they　laughed　until　their　limbs　were　helpless　with　excess　of　glee。

Once　more　the　Dagda　touched　his　harp；　but　very；　very　softly。　　And　now　a　music　stole　forth　as　soft　as　dreams；　and　as　sweet　as　joy：　it　was　the　magic　Music　of　Sleep。　　When　they　heard　that；　gently；　gently；　the　Fomorian　women　bowed　their　heads　in　slumber；　the　little　children　crept　to　their　mothers'　laps；　the　old　men　nodded；　and　the　young　warriors　drooped　in　their　seats　and　closed　their　eyes：　one　after　another　all　the　Fomorians　sank　into　sleep。

When　they　were　all　deep　in　slumber；　the　Dagda　took　his　magic　harp；　and　he　and　his　golden…haired　warriors　stole　softly　away；　and　came　in　safety　to　their　own　homes　again。



THE　TAILOR　AND　THE　THREE　BEASTS＇1＇

＇1＇　From　Beside　the　Fire；　Douglas　Hyde　（David　Nutt；　London）。


There　was　once　a　tailor　in　Galway；　and　he　started　out　on　a　journey　to　go　to　the　king's　court　at　Dublin。

He　had　not　gone　far　till　he　met　a　white　horse；　and　he　saluted　him。

〃God　save　you；〃　said　the　tailor。

〃God　save　you；〃　said　the　horse。　　〃Where　are　you　going？〃

〃I　am　going　to　Dublin；〃　said　the　tailor；　　〃to　build　a　court　for　the　king　and　to　get　a　lady　for　a　wife；　if　I　am　able　to　do　it。〃　　For；　it　seems　the　king　had　promised　his　daughter　and　a　great　lot　of　money　to　any　one　who　should　be　able　to　build　up　his　court。　　The　trouble　was；　that　three　giants　lived　in　the　wood　near　the　court；　and　every　night　they　came　out　of　the　wood　and　threw　down　all　that　was　built　by　day。　　So　nobody　could　get　the　court　built。

〃Would　you　make　me　a　hole；〃　said　the　old　white　garraun；　〃where　I　could　go　a…hiding　whenever　the　people　are　for　bringing　me　to　the　mill　or　the　kiln；　so　that　they　won't　see　me；　for　they　have　me　perished　doing　work　for　them。〃

〃I'll　do　that；　indeed；〃　said　the　tailor；　〃and　welcome。〃

He　brought　his　spade　and　shovel；　and　he　made　a　hole；　and　he　said　to　the　old　white　horse　to　go　down　into　it　till　he　would　see　if　it　would　fit　him。　　The　white　horse　went　down　into　the　hole；　but　when　he　tried　to　come　up　again；　he　was　not　able。

〃Make　a　place　for　me　now；〃　said　the　white　horse；　〃by　which　I'll　come　up　out　of　the　hole　here；　whenever　I'll　be　hungry。〃

〃I　will　not；〃　said　the　tailor；　〃remain　where　you　are　until　I　come　back；　and　I'll　lift　you　up。〃

The　tailor　went　forward　next　day；　and　the　fox　met　him。

〃God　save　you；〃　said　the　fox。

〃God　save　you；〃　said　the　tailor。

〃Where　are　you　going；〃　said　the　fox。

〃I'm　going　to　Dublin；　to　try　will　I　be　able　to　make　a　court　for　the　king。〃

〃Would　you　make　a　place　for　me　where　I'd　go　hiding？〃　said　the　fox。　　〃The　rest　of　the　foxes　do　be　beating　me；　and　they　don't　allow　me　to　eat　anything　with　them。〃

〃I'll　do　that　for　you；〃　said　the　tailor。

He　took　his　axe　and　his　saw；　and　he　made　a　thing　like　a　crate；　and　he　told　the　fox　to　get　into　it　till　he　would　see　whether　it　would　fit　him。　　The　fox　went　into　it；　and　when　the　tailor　got　him　down；　he　shut　him　in。　　When　the　fox　was　satisfied　at　last　that　he　had　a　nice　place　of　it　within；　he　asked　the　tailor　to　let　him　out；　and　the　tailor　answered　that　he　would　not。

〃Wait　there　until　I　come　back　again；〃　says　he。

The　tailor　went　forward　the　next　day；　and　he　had　not　walked　very　far　until　he　met　a　modder…alla；　and　the　lion　greeted　him。

〃God　save　you；〃　said　the　lion。

〃God　save　you；〃　said　the　tailor。

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　said　the　lion。

〃I'm　going　to　Dublin　till　I　make　a　court　for　the　king　if　I'm　able　to　make　it；〃　said　the　tailor。

〃If　you　were　to　make　a　plough　for　me；〃　said　the　lion；　〃I　and　the　other　lions　could　be　ploughing　and　harrowing　until　we'd　have　a　bit　to　eat　in　the　harvest。〃

〃I'll　do　that　for　you；〃　said　the　tailor。

He　brought　his　axe　and　his　saw；　and　he　made　a　plough。　　When　the　plough　was　made　he　put　a　hole　in　the　beam　of　it；　and　he　said　to　the　lion　to　go　in　under　the　plough　till　he'd　see　was　he　any　good　of　a　ploughman。　He　placed　the　lion's　tail　in　the　hole　he　had　made　for　it；　and　then　clapped　in　a　peg；　and　the　lion　was　not　able　to　draw　out　his　tail　again。

〃Loose　me　out　now；〃　said　the　lion；　〃and　we'll　fix　ourselves　and　go　ploughing。〃

The　tailor　said　he　would　not　loose　him　　out　until　he　came　back　himself。　　He　left　him　there　then；　and　he　came　to　Dublin。

When　he　came　to　Dublin；　he　got　workmen　and　began　to　build　the　court。　　At　the　end　of　the　day　he　had　the　workmen　put　a　great　stone　on　top　of　the　work。　　When　the　great　stone　was　raised　up；　the　tailor　put　some　sort　of　contrivance　under　it；　that　he　might　be　able　to　throw　it　down　as　soon　as　the　giant　would　come　as　far　as　it。　　The　workpeople　went　home　then；　and　the　tailor　went　in　hiding　behind　the　big　stone。

When　the　darkness　of　the　night　was　come；　he　saw　the　three　giants　arriving；　and　they　began　throwing　down　the　court　until　they　came　as　far　as　the　place　where　the　tailor　was　in　hiding　up　above；　and　a　man　of　them　struck　a　blow　of　his　sledge　on　the　place　where　he　was。　　The　tailor　threw　down　the　stone；　and　it　fell　on　him　and　killed　him。　They　went　home　then　and　left　all　of　the　court　that　was　remaining　without　throwing　it　down；　since　a　man　of　themselves　was　dead。

The　tradespeople　came　again　the　next　day；　and　they　were　working　until　night；　and　as　they　were　going　home　the　tailor　told　them　to　put　up　the　big　stone　on　the　top　of　the　work；　as　it　had　been　the　night　before。　　They　did　that　for　him；　went　home；　and　the　tailor　went　in　hiding　the　same　as　he　did　the　evening　before。

When　the　people　had　all　gone　to　rest；　the　two　giants　came；　and　they　were　throwing　down　all　that　was　before　them；　and　as　soon　as　they　began；　they　put　two　shouts　out　of　them。　　The　tailor　was　going　on　manoeuvring　until　he　threw　down　the　great　stone；　and　it　fell　upon　the　skull　of　the　giant　that　was　under　him；　and　it　killed　him。　　There　was　only　the　one　giant　left　in　it　then；　and　he　never　came　again　until　the　court　was　finished。

Then　when　the　work　was　over；　the　tailor　went　to　the　king　and　told　him　to　give　him　his　wife　and　his　money；　as　he　had　the　court　finished；　and　the　king　said　he　would　not　give　him　any　wife　until　he　would　kill　the　other　giant；　for　he　said　that　it　was　not　by　his　strength　he　killed　the　two　giants　before　that；　and　that　he　would　give　him　nothing　now　until　he　killed　the　other　one　for　him。　　Then　the　tailor　said　that　he　would　kill　the　other　giant　for　him；　and　　welcome；　that　there　was　no　delay　at　all　about　that。

The　tailor　went　then　till　he　came　to　the　place　where　the　other　giant　was；　and　asked　did　he　want　a　servant…boy。　　The　giant　said　he　did　want　one；　if　he　could　get　one　who　would　do　everything　that　he　would　do　himself。

〃Anything　that　you　will　do；　I　will　do　it；〃　said　the　tailor。

They　went　to　their　dinner　then；　and　when　they　had　it　eaten；　the　giant　asked　the　tailor　〃would　it　come　with　him　to　swallow　as　much　broth　as　himself；　up　out　of　its　boiling。〃　　The　tailor　said；　〃It　will　come　with　me　to　do　that；　but　that　you　must　give　me　an　h