J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

THE WELL AT THE WORLD S END. Op
throngli the next hall," said she, " you will be in the garden
where the well of the World's-End water springs. If you
are not out of the castle with your bottle full before the
clock strikes twelve, there's a heavy doom hanging over
you."
In the next hall there was a table laid out with the
finest food and drink the prince ever saw, and he was so
tired with walking, and so spent in his struggle with the
lions, that he fell to. The clock still wanted a quarter ;
he'd have time enough. When it was two minutes before
the hour he went into the garden, and he was so hot, and
it was so delightful in the shade, for the well was under a
tree, that he sat down on a garden seat, and felt that it
would be as much as his life was worth to be obliged to
leave it. While he was half dozing, the clock began to
strike. Oh, murder ! he began to fill the bottle as fast as
he could, but it w\^s on the seventh stroke before he had
it filled. Seven, eight, nine, ten, — he was in the dining
room, and in the lady's room. It was eleven when he was
running into the knight's hall, but he was only in the mid-
dle of it when bang went twelve, and the knights struck
the ends of their spears on the ground, and came round him
in a ring. What could his single sword do against so many.
He hadn't even power to draw it. A rough fellow with a
bush of red hair on his head came in, and tied him hand
and foot, and threw him into a dungeon.
Well, his place was empty at home for half a year, and
then his next brother set out ; and to make a long story
short, he behaved the same way and got the same treatment.
Last of all the youngest set off, and very differently he
behaved to the poor old woman, and she gave him when
they were parting two cakes, and told him wdiat to do with
them.
When he reached the castle he drew the sword, and then
blew the bugle horn. Open flew the doors, and out rushed
the lions. But he held out a cake to each beast, and down
they sat like two lambs to eat them. He went through the
first hall, and went on one knee before the lady in the
second. There was pleasure on her face at the sight of him,
but she told him there was no delay to be made. So he