J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

24 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
daugMer of a wicked motlier. I am obliged by a solemn
oath not to tell this treachery to any human being, but if
I did not speak about it my heart would break, and so I
tell it to you, my dear Httle dog/ And then she lamented
her fate so bitterly that I couldn't help crying. For fear
she should find out that she was heard, I did not stir till
I saw her going up the walk and into the castle."
" Don't say a word of this to any one at your peril," said
the old king to the boy, " and you shall be well rewarded
for your discovery." He went in and requested the bride
and bridegroom and the princess to come into his own pri-
vate room, and there, while all were wondering what he had
to say, he asked the bride if she wore on her left arm under
the shoulder a platted ring of hair, and silk, and gold-
thread. She reddened up, but did not deny it, as the bride-
groom saw it more than once. " Will you please to let all
the present company look at it ? " said he. Well, she was
very unwilling, but thought better to comply. " Oblige
me now, ma'am," said he, " by opening the clasp." " I
don't know how," said she. " That's true, at any rate,"
said the king. " Perhaps, madam," said he to the princess,
"you know the plan." " Oh, you forsworn creature!" said
the bride, "aren't you afraid of breaking your solemn oath?"
" She broke no oath," said the king. " She told her dismal
story to her little dog in the summer-house last night, and
he that overheard it told it to me. Dear daughter," said
he to her, " open the clasp." " She shall not," cried the
wicked bride, " while I have life or strength ; " and she
stamped like a fury. Three of the guards were called in,
and very hard they found it to keep her quiet while the
princess loosened the clasp. There she was the next mo-
ment as ugly as sin, and her own beautiful colour and fea-
tures came back to the true princess. I need not tell you
how the wicked girl was sent back to her mother, bound
hand and foot, and how the king banished them both from
his kingdom, and threatened to have them torn by wild
horses if ever they dared to return. Well, another marriage
was soon celebrated, and if there wasn't joy and happiness
at it, there's no such thing in the world. And if yourselves
and myself were living within ten miles of the palace, I'm
sure we'd get an invitation.