Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

2»» WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
Tlie first queen's daughter was out a turn, and the
prince met her, and he gave her a jiair of golden shoes.
And he was wishful to see her at the sermon, but her
muime would not let her go there.
But when the rest would go she would make ready,
and she would go after them, and she would sit where
he might see her, but she would rise and go before the
people would scatter, and she would be at the house
and everytliing in order before her muime would come.
But the third time she was there the prince was wish-
ful to go -wdth her, and he sat near to the door, and
when she went he was keeping an eye on her, and he
rose and went after her. She was running home, and
she lost one of her shoes in the mud ; and he got the
shoe, and because he could not see her he said that the
one who had the foot that would fit the shoe was the
wife that would be his.
The queen was wisliful that the shoe should fit her
own daughter, and she put the daughter of the first
queen in hiding, so that she should not be seen till she
should try if the shoe should fit her own daughter.
When the prince came to try the shoe on her, her
foot was too big, but she was very anxious that the shoe
should fit her, and she spoke to the henwife about it.
The henwife cut the points of her toes off that the shoe
might fit her, and the shoe went on her when the
points of the toes were cut.
When the wedding-day came the daughter of the
first queen was set in hiding in a nook that was behind
the fire.
When the people were all gathered together, a bird
came to the window, and he cried —
" The blood 's in the shoe, and the pretty foot 's in
the nook at the back of the fire."*
* The words in Gaelic have a sound that might be an imita-