Blair Collection > Beside the fire

THE KING OF IRELAND'S SON. 43
western world; and if her own runner should comeback
more quickly than his runner, she said his head was
gone.
She got an old hag — some witch— and she gave her
three bottles. The short green man bade them give three
bottles to the man who was keeping the field of hares,
and they were given to him. The hag and the man
started, and three bottles with each of them ; and the
runner of the king's son was coming back halfway on
the road home, while the hag had only gone half way to the
well. " Sit down," said the hag to the foot- runner, when
they met, " and take your rest, for the pair of them, are
married now, and don't be breaking your heart running."
She brought over a horse's head and a slumber-pin in
it, and laid it under his head, and when he laid down his
head on it he fell asleep. She spilt out the water he had
and she went.
The short green man thought it long until they were
coming, and he said to the earman, " Lay your ear to
the ground and try are they coming."
'T hear the hag a' coming," said he; "but the foot-
man is in his sleep, and I hear him a' snoring."
" Look from you," said the short green man to the
gunman, " till you see where the foot-runner is."
The gunman looked, and he said that the footman
was in such and such a place, and a horse's skull under
his head, and he in his sleeping.
" Lay your gun to your eye," said the short green man,
" and put the skull away from under his head."
He put the gun to his eye and he swept the skull
from under his head. The footman woke up, and he
found that the bottles which he had were empty, and it
was necessary for him to return to the well again.
The hag was coming then, and the foot-runner was