The Lad of the Gad Read Online Free Page A

universe,” said the King to him.
    â€œBe this from me!” said the Champion. And he went swifter out of the town than a year old hare.
    He leapt on the point of his pins
    And moved as a wave from a wave
    And marbles from marbles,
    As a wild winter wind,
    Sightly and swiftly singing
    Right proudly,
    Through glens and high tops
    And made no stops
    Until he reached the shack
    Of Rascally Tag.
    â€œWhat young lad is this,” said Rascally Tag, “his two shoulders through his coat, his two ears through his hat, his two squat kickering tattery shoes full of cold roadwayish water, three feet of his sword sideways on the side of his haunch, after the scabbard has ended?”
    â€œHave you need of a man?” said the Champion.
    â€œAnd where are you from?” said Rascally Tag.
    â€œFrom many a place,” said the Champion.
    â€œWhat wages will you take?” said Rascally Tag.
    â€œThe wages I will take is that you shall not drink first before me until the end of a day and a year,” said the Champion.
    â€œThat is your wages,” said Rascally Tag. And he took the slim, swarthy Champion raiding.
    The raiding was upon John, the South Earl, in the court and the city of Donald. And though the Champion had spared them before, he did not spare them twice.
    He broke in the house wall, his holly in his fist, and he seized the grey adze that hung from his haunch, and he took under them, over them, through and amongst them, and left no man to tell a tale or earn bad tidings.
    The Champion was hot, and went into the dairy, and saw Rascally Tag drinking a bucket of milk and water.
    â€œYou have broken your promise,” said the Champion.
    â€œThat bucket is no better than another bucket,” said Rascally Tag.
    â€œThat selfsame bucket did you promise to me,” said the Champion.
    And he took anger and wrath at Rascally Tag, and went away thirsty back to the King of the Stars. And the daughter of the King of the Stars picked sixteen green apples from the sea and made the slim, swarthy Champion a drink from the juice of them.And the drink from that juice choked him.
    So the daughter of the King of the Stars married Rascally Tag, and their wedding feast lasted a day and a year, and the last day was as good as the first.
    And if there were better, there were. And if not, let them be.

Olioll Olom
    T here was a king, and he was king over England. He had three sons, and they went to the Frang to get themselves school and learning. And when they came back they said, “We shall see what there is since we went away.”
    The first place that they came to was a house of a man of the king, and the man’s name was Conal Crovi.
    Conal Crovi had every food that was better than another waiting for them; meat of each meat, draught of each drink. And when they had finished, the king’s big son said, “Your wife must wait on me; your maid on my middle brother; and your daughter on my little brother.”
    This did not please Conal Crovi at all, but he said, “I’ll go out and tell them.”
    And out he went. And he locked the door, and said to his servant, “Get ready the three best horses.”
    Then he put his daughter behind the servant on one horse, his maid behind his son on the second horse, and his wife behind himself on the third, andthey rode to tell the King of England what an insult that set of sons had given to Conal Crovi.
    The king’s watching-lad saw them and said, “There are three double-riders on the road.”
    â€œIt is Conal Crovi,” said the king, “with my sons as prisoners. Well, if they are, I shall not be!”
    So the king barred his door to Conal Crovi and would not hear him.
    Conal Crovi said, “I shall make this kingdom worse than it is,” and he went away and began robbing and spoiling everywhere.
    â€œCatch me Conal Crovi,” said the king.
    â€œIf I can get a day and a year,” said the king’s