J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

22 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
handkerchief, with her little dog on one side and her work
basket on the other, and a voice that she thought belonged
to one of the gentlemen of the court said, " Who are you
hemming the handkerchief for, fair lady? " " For the King
of Norway's son," said she by way of joke. "Then I am a
happy man," said the voice, " for I am that person." She
looked up, and all the blood in her veins rushed into her
face, for she saw she was speaking with a noble-looking,
and well-formed, and handsome young man with rich
clothes on him. I won't tire you with all the confusion at
first, and the charming discourse that followed ; but, to
make a long stor}^ short, she ran home, and the prince soon
followed her, and paid his respects to her father, and asked
for her in marriage. "Well, he didn't get a refusal, but the
step-mother and step-sister were as mad as you please at
the preference that was shown her.
The young prince soon returned home to prepare for the
wedding, and in a week's time the princess was sent after
him, and a company of gentlemen and attendants went
with her, to do her honour and protect her from accidents,
and her step-sister went also, out of respect as she said.
But she got some lessons in private from her mother.
One day they stopped at a nobleman's house, and as it
was hot weather the princess, and the step-sister, and the
step-sister's maid went down to a summer-house that was
on the edge of the lake to bathe. When the three were in
the water, the step-sister took hold of the princess by the
arm, and said with a wicked tone, and her teeth almost
closed, " Loose that platted ring from your arm, and give
it to me quietly, or we ynll drown you here without pity."
kShe begged and prayed for merc}'^, but all to no use. She
forgot that they could do her no harm while she had the
ring, and so, to save her young life, she unclasped it, and
fastened it on the other's arm. The moment it was on
the appearances of both were changed, and the princess got
the ugly look of her step-sister, who was now as beautiful
as she had been a minute before. " Now," says the wicked
girl, " swear that you will never tell to any human being,
young or old, what has happened, or drowned you shall be."
So, to save her life, she took the oath.