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64 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
as if her tongue was as lazy as her body. Many a heart-
scald her poor mother got with her, and still she was only
improving like dead fowl in August.
Well, one morning that things were as bad as they could
be, and the poor woman was giving tongue at the rate of a
mill-clapper, who should be riding by but the king's son.
" Oh dear, oh dear, good woman !" said he, " you must have
a very bad child to make you scold so terribly. Sure it
can't be this handsome girl that vexed you I" " Oh, please
your Majesty, not at all," says the old dissembler. " I was
only checking her for working herself too much. Would
your Majesty believe it 1 She spins three pounds of flax
in a day, weaves it into linen the next, and makes it all
into shirts the day after." " My gracious," says the prince,
"she's the very lady that will just fill my mother's eye,
and herself 's the greatest spinner in the kingdom. Will
you put on your daughter's bonnet and cloak if you please,
ma'am, and set her behind me? Why, my mother will be
so delighted with her, that perhaps she'll make her her
daughter-in-law in a week, that is, if the young woman her-
self is agreeable."
Well, between the confusion, and the joy, and the fear of
being found out, the women didn't know what to do ; and
before they could make up their minds, young Anty (Anas-
tasia) was set behind the prince, and away he and his at-
tendants went, and a good heavy purse was left behind with
the mother. She jmllUlued a long time after all was gone,
in dread of something bad happening to the poor girl.
The prince couldn't judge of the girl's breeding or wit
from the few answers he pulled out of her. The queen was
struck in a heap when she saw a young country girl sitting
behind her son, but when she saw her handsome face, and
heard all she could do, she didn't think she could make too
much of her. The prince took an opportunity of whisper-
ing her that if she didn't object to be his wife she must
strive to please his mother. Well, the evening went by,
and the prince and Anty were getting fonder and fonder of
one another, but the thought of the spinning used to send
the cold to her heart every moment. When bed-time came,
the old queen went along with her to a beautiful bed-room,
as if her tongue was as lazy as her body. Many a heart-
scald her poor mother got with her, and still she was only
improving like dead fowl in August.
Well, one morning that things were as bad as they could
be, and the poor woman was giving tongue at the rate of a
mill-clapper, who should be riding by but the king's son.
" Oh dear, oh dear, good woman !" said he, " you must have
a very bad child to make you scold so terribly. Sure it
can't be this handsome girl that vexed you I" " Oh, please
your Majesty, not at all," says the old dissembler. " I was
only checking her for working herself too much. Would
your Majesty believe it 1 She spins three pounds of flax
in a day, weaves it into linen the next, and makes it all
into shirts the day after." " My gracious," says the prince,
"she's the very lady that will just fill my mother's eye,
and herself 's the greatest spinner in the kingdom. Will
you put on your daughter's bonnet and cloak if you please,
ma'am, and set her behind me? Why, my mother will be
so delighted with her, that perhaps she'll make her her
daughter-in-law in a week, that is, if the young woman her-
self is agreeable."
Well, between the confusion, and the joy, and the fear of
being found out, the women didn't know what to do ; and
before they could make up their minds, young Anty (Anas-
tasia) was set behind the prince, and away he and his at-
tendants went, and a good heavy purse was left behind with
the mother. She jmllUlued a long time after all was gone,
in dread of something bad happening to the poor girl.
The prince couldn't judge of the girl's breeding or wit
from the few answers he pulled out of her. The queen was
struck in a heap when she saw a young country girl sitting
behind her son, but when she saw her handsome face, and
heard all she could do, she didn't think she could make too
much of her. The prince took an opportunity of whisper-
ing her that if she didn't object to be his wife she must
strive to please his mother. Well, the evening went by,
and the prince and Anty were getting fonder and fonder of
one another, but the thought of the spinning used to send
the cold to her heart every moment. When bed-time came,
the old queen went along with her to a beautiful bed-room,
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| Early Gaelic Book Collections > J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland > (82) |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/79184044 |
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| Description | By Patrick Kennedy. |
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| Shelfmark | Cam.1.f.17 |
| Additional NLS resources: | |
| Attribution and copyright: |
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More information
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| Description | Volumes from a collection of 610 books rich in Highland folklore, Ossianic literature and other Celtic subjects. Many of the books annotated by John Francis Campbell of Islay, who assembled the collection. |
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| Description | Selected items from five 'Special and Named Printed Collections'. Includes books in Gaelic and other Celtic languages, works about the Gaels, their languages, literature, culture and history. |
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