Ossian Collection > Folk tales and fairy lore in Gaelic and English

FOLK TALES AND FAIRY LORE. 27
courage enough to try. Try you, and I will assist
you." " Very well, then, I will do as well as I
can . ' '
The gentleman went out and cut the horse's four
feet off below the knees. He took them in to the smith
and laid them in the fire. He himself went to the
bellows-handle, and the smith was keeping the fire
banked up about the feet. After they were a good
while in the fire he cried to the Swarthy Smith: " Out
with the heat!" The smith took hold of the tongs,
and with them pulled the first foot out of the fire
on to the anvil. He then seized the hand hammer
and the gentleman took the sledge hammer, and with a
few strokes they shod the foot as neatly as ever smith
did. When they were done with it they took the
other feet and shod them one by one in the same
manner. Then the gentleman cried again to the
Swarthy Smith: "Get you out with the two fore feet
and strike them in their place on the horse." The
Swarthy Smith did that, and the gentleman himself
did the same with the two hind feet. In an instant
the horse stood up as sound as ever he was, shod and
ready for the road. Then the gentleman sprang into
the saddle and departed.
As soon as the gentleman went away the smith
entered the house, and said to his wife: " I'll no longer
pay wages to rascally smiths, for I can now shoe with-
out them. Come out and help me to shoe the white
horse, because I have to go with him to the town soon."
When he had finished what he had to say, he went to
the stable, and cut the white horse's feet off, and then
he took them to the smithy, and put them in the fire.
He sent his wife to blow the bellows, while he kept