The Lad of the Gad Read Online Free Page B

riding-lad, “I shall find out the place he is in.”
    â€œYou have a day and a year,” said the king.
    The riding-lad took a day and a year, but he saw no sight of Conal Crovi. He set off back to the king, and, on his way, he rested on a pretty yellow hill, and there was a thin smoke rising out of the wood below him.
    Conal Crovi had a watching-lad, and the watching-lad said, “There is a rider coming down alone from the yellow hill into the wood.”
    â€œThe poor man,” said Conal Crovi: “he is an outlaw as I am myself.”
    Then Conal Crovi had his two hands spread in welcome for the rider, and meat of each meat and draught of each drink, and water for his feet, and a bed.
    The king’s riding-lad ate, drank, washed and laidhimself down.
    Conal Crovi said, “Are you sleeping, rider?”
    â€œI am not,” said he.
    At the end of a while, Conal Crovi said, “Are you sleeping, rider?”
    â€œI am not,” said he.
    A third time, “Are you sleeping, rider?” said Conal Crovi.
    â€œI am not,” said he.
    â€œOn your soles!” Conal Crovi said to his men. “This is no crouching time! The host is upon us!”
    And there was a great company riding. But Conal Crovi had for arms one black rusty sword.
    He began at them, and he did not leave a man there alive but the king’s three sons. He tied them and took them in, straitly and painfully, and he threw them down in the peat corner, under the thatch drip.
    â€œI shall do a work tonight,” said Conal Crovi, “that was never done before.”
    â€œWhat work?” said his wife.
    â€œThe lifting of the heads from the king’s three sons,” said Conal Crovi.
    He brought up the big one and set his head on the block.
    â€œDon’t, don’t,” said the king’s big son, “and I shall take your part in right and unright for ever.”
    Conal Crovi raised the middle son.
    â€œDon’t, don’t,” said the middle son, “and I shall take your part in right and unright for ever.”
    He raised the little son, and the little son said, “Don’t, don’t, and I shall take your part in right and unright for ever.”
    Then Conal Crovi went, himself and the three sons, where the King of England was.
    â€œIt is Conal Crovi,” said the king, “with my sons as prisoners. Well, if they are, I shall not be!”
    And the king gave orders for Conal Crovi to be hanged at the next day.
    There Conal Crovi was, about to be hanged, but the king’s big son said, “I will go in his place.”
    â€œI will go in his place,” said the middle son.
    â€œI will go in his place,” said the little son.
    And the king took contempt for his set of sons.
    â€œWe’ll put the world for our pillow,” said Conal Crovi to the sons, “and make a ship to go to steal the three black white-faced stallions of Olioll Olom, and the kingdom will be as rich as ever it was, and your father’s contempt will be lifted.”
    So they made the ship, and when she was ready they took the good and the ill of it on themselves and set their pith to her and put her out.
    Prow to the sea and
    Stern to the land
    Helm to the stern and
    Sail to the prow,
    Chequered flapping sail
    On the tall tough mast.
    Plunge of the eel,
    Scream of the gull,
    The big beast eating the beast that is least
    And the beast that is least doing best as it may:
    The bent brown buckie at the bottom of the sea
    Plays haig on its mouth and glagid on the floor:
    No yard not bent, no sail not torn,
    Ploochanach, plachanach,
    Blue clouds of Lochlanach,
    All the way to Ireland.
    Conal Crovi and the three sons drew the ship up her own seven lengths on dry dried land, where no wind could stain or sun could scorch, and they came to the hall of Olioll Olom, King of Ireland.
    They went to the stable, and Conal Crovi put his hand on the black white-faced stallions, but they let loose