THE STORYTELLER

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1915, Page 9 (Supplement)

THE STORYTELLER

*HE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END. '■* QUAINTLY CHARMING TALE OF OLD ERIN. 1% Seumas Macmanus). Once upon a time, and a good time it Wa9, there were a King and Queen in Ireland who had one son, Connor, a fine boy, whom the Queen loved very much. But the Queen died when Connor was very young, and the King married again. His new Queen had three sons whom she loved much—though they were far from being as fine boys as was Connor. And ehe hated Connor just as much as she loved her own sons. She disliked him most because the King loved him best. And she was afraid that the King would give his kingdom to Connor instead of to one of her own boys. Now, when the four boys grew to be young men, and Connor showed himself every day finer and braver and more liked by the world, she made up her mind to get rid of him by hook or crook. So she consulted a hen-wife, who lived in a hut close to the castle. And the henwife told her that the one and only way to get rid of Connor was to take to her tied and pretend she was dying, and have her doctor say that the only thing .that could cure her was three sips of water from the Well of the World's End. And that she should then request Connor to go and bring her the cure—which, as was known, no man could get, and come back alive. The Queen said this was good. She took to her bed, and pretended to be dying, and her doctor said that the only could cure her was three sips of ■water from the Well of the World's End.

So the Queen called upon Connor, and put "geasa" (in olden times in Ireland it was the right of any. woman to command any young man to do her any good service; it was called putting "geasa" upon a man, and no man of honor could refuse the "geasa" that a woman laid on him—though he had the right in return to ask any reasonable request of her) on him to go to the Well of tne World's End and bring back from there three sips of the water. Poor Connor had to accept the "geasa"—though he felt that it surely meant his death. But he said: "I request of you that you'll order your three sons to accompany me, and that you'll watch from the top of the eastern town of my father's castle, and never leave yonr post there till you see the four of us returning."

The Queen was now in a great rage I when she heard Connor's request, hut she I had to accept it. Connor got his father's blessing, and taking the Queen's •three sons with him, set out. He looked back as he rode away from his father's castle, and saw the Queen begin her weary watching from the tower. Away and away they rode, by hills and "Nlowes," and thorny "knowes," by green Wiley, moor and mountain, by wavy Yoode, and shimmering lochs and sin"- • A ig streams, by fairy "raths" and the ■J'eat green plain of dreams. And at ."Tigth, one evening late, they saw a vonderfnl house built of scarlet logs, on the hillside. To this house they pushed and going in, beheld an nM old man, whose great white bushy beard swept the floor. The old man said, "You are welcome, Connor, the King of Ireland's son, and your three half-brothers with you. Sit down and tell me why you are leaving the behind." "We are not leaving the world behind," said Connor, "but the Queen of Ireland is sick, and cannot be cured till she gets three sips of water from the Well of the World's End, and she has laio 'geasa' on me to fetch it." "I'm sorry for you, Connor," said the old man. "I have lived here three hundred years, and a thousand champions I have seen pass by, faring to the Well of the World's End, but bo one of them ever returned." When he heard that, the oldest of the Queen's three sons who were with Connor was instantly turned into stone with fright. The old man asked them to have supper with him, and sleep there that night, and he would see what be could do to - help them in the morning. He took down a quarter of a lark that was seaeoning in the chimney, and roasted it. 1 And all of them made the greatest and heartiest supper of all their, lives, and there was the full of nine baskets of leavings.

Very -well and good. They slept soundly, and when they had their breakfast off the lark's leavings in the morning, the old man said: "I have an older brother who lives a thousand miles from here, and he is three hundred years older than me. You will reach 'his house to-night, and he may be able to do something to help you. Here's a, ball," he said, "that I'll throw before you, and it •will bound before you till it leads you to his house, and as fast as this ball goes, everyone following goes jusi as last." So he threw the ball ahead of them, and it went bounding; and after it they followed, and no bird ever flew half as fast as the ball bounded. But fast as the ball went, they found their feet going every bit us fast. And away and away they went, by hills and "howes" and thorny "knowes"—till late that evening they beheld a strange house of sky-blue logs on the hfillside. To this house thev nushed. An<l when they entered, they saw there an old, old man whose beard swept the floor and crept and curled into every corner of the house. He said, ''You are welcome, Connor i the King of Ireland's son, and your two half-brothers •with you. Sit down and tell me why it is you are leaving the world behind." "We are not leaving the world behind," said Connor, "but the Queen of Ireland is dying, and we are going to the Well of the World's End to bring from it three sips of water, which is the only thing that can cure her." "I'm sorry indeed for you," said the old man. "Six hundred years I have lived here, and in that time saw two thousand champions pass, going to tn» Well of the World's End, but never saw one of them return." And when the second of Connor's half-brothers heard that, he was instantly turned to stone ■with fright. "However," said the old man, "sit down and have supper and rest for the night, and I'll see what I can do to help you in the morning."

From the chimney where lie had it seasoning, the old man took down half a. lark and roasted ft on the coals; and on it they made the greatest and heartiest supper of ail their lives, and had three baskets of leavings. Then they slept soundly. In the mornjtojr, after they had breakfast on the lark's leaving, the oM man •aid to theffl, "I have a brother three hundred yean older thaa me, woo lirei

two thousand miles from here. I'll give you a bird to guide you there to-day, the swiftest bird in all the world. But swift as the bird is, everyone wno follows it is always just as swift. It will lead you to my brother's house tonight." They thanked him and set out, following the bird —a bird that flew a hundred times faster than the swiftest bird they had ever seen fly in Ireland. But swift as the bird went, their feet went just every bit as swift. They followed it by hills and "howes" and thorny "knowes." And late that evening they reached a house of shining white logs on the hillside.

They entered, and there they beheln an old, old, very old man, whose beard •swept the floor, and crept and curled into every corner of the house, and twined I and twisted, and knotted around tfte rafters. And this very old man said, "You are welcome, Connor, the King of Ireland's son, and your half-brotheT with you. Sit down and tell me why you are leaving the world behind you." Said Connor, '"We are not leaving the world behind us, but the Queen of Ireland is dying of sickness, and we are travelling to get for her the only thing that can cure her—three sips of water from the Well of the World's End." "I'm sorry, and very sorry for you," said the old, old man. "I have lived in this house four thousand years, and during that time saw three thousand champions pass this way, going to the Well of the World's End, but never saw one of them return." And when Connor's half-brother heard that, ho was instantly turned to stone with fright. "But sit down, and have supper," said the old man, "and sleep here to-night, and in the morning J'll see what I can do to help you." Out of the chimney, where he had it seasoning, the very old man took down a lark, and roasied it on the coals, and the two of them made supper on the lark, the greatest and heartiest supper of all their Uvea, and they had a basket of leavings.

Right well Connor slept. And in the morning, after he and the old man had breakfast on the lark's leavings, the old man said to him, "Connor, you have come on the most perilous adventure that was ever known. The Well of the World's End lies in the Garden of the Princess of the Hill of the World's End. Her garden and castle are surrounded by a wall seven miles high, a mile wide, and seventy miles round. Tha£ wail has three hundred and sixty-five corners, and on every corner is a tower, and in every tower are a hundred men with flaming swords, guarding the garden, the Well and the Princess. And all the walls are guarded by fierce tigers, treacherous leopards and roaring lions, so that if any champion could ever scale the walls, he neTcr could return home with his life."

"That's bad," said poor Connor. "It is," said the old man. "But," said he, "once in every seven hundred years every man, woman and beast in the castle and garden of the Hill of the World's End and in its towers and on its walls, sleeps for an hour. As it happens, it is now almost seven hundred years since the sleep-hour was with them before—and in another day or two it is due again, just at the hour of noon. It is your one chance, if you can be there in time for the sleep-hour. So make haste." He led Connor with him down to the seashore, and taking a branch of silverj birch, threw it on the waters, where it instantly became a full-rigged ship, with crew "complete, waiting for Connor to go aboard. "That ship,"; said the old man, "will take you to the land of the World's End. When you reach there, you have still far and far to go, till you come to the castle and garden of the Qu«m of the Hill of the World's End. Hire's a bridle," said he, giving to Connor a silver bridle with a bit of gold, snd reins of silk. "When you reach the World's End, step ashore and shake that bridle three times, and a brown colt will first come bounding to you, but you are to say to it, "No, no!' And then the colt will trot away. Again shake the bridle three times, and a white filly will come running to you.. You are to say to it, "No, no!' and the white filly will trot off again. Shake the bridle again three times and an old black horse with its bones pointing through the skin, and rattling as it runs, will come staggering up to you. Bridle the old black horse and mount him, and he will take- you safely to the Hill. If you are in time for the sleep-hour, the old black horse will likewise see you over the wall. Don't stop or stay til] you have got your bottle of water from the Well of the World's End in the garden, and then, no matter how tempting the sounds you may hear or the scenes you may see, on the peril of your life don't dally or delay, but mount and depart."

Connor promised to follow his dlree, tions faithfully, thanked the old man, and stepped aboard the ship. And instantly the white sails flapped, and the tall masts strained, and the timbers ■creaked, and the ship was going over the water with the speed of the sunlight. And for two days and two nights the ship kept tip this speed, till on the third morning it ran in to the shore of the World's End; and taking his bridle, Connor leaped on land. There he shook his bridle three times, and immediately a brown colt came bounding to him. Connor said, "Xo, no." and the brown colt disappeared again. Then he shook his bridle again three times, and a white filly came running to him. To the white filly Connor said, "No, no." and it trotted off again. The third time he gave his bridle three shakes. And that instant there appeared, coming staggering toward him. the sorriest and most miserable black horse he had ever seen. When the sorry black horse came up, Connor bridled it with the silver bridle, and mounting it, headed it inland. But that sorry black horse could shame the lightning in speed. It overtook the wind before it, and the wind behind couldn't o'ertake it. Like that it sped for a day and a night. And on the next day. when it was nearing noon, Connor beheld, far off, a great hill, which was the Hill of the World's End. On the Hill was a shining castle witli nine towers, and around the castle was a beautiful garden, and castle and garden and hill were surrounded with a wall seven miles high, a mile wide and seventy miles arourfd. , The wall had three hundred and sixtyfive angles, and on every angle was a tower, and in every tower were a hundred men armed with flaming swords, the dazzling glare of which almost blinded Connor. On the walls he saw the fierce tigers and treacherous leopards and huge roaring lions. But as he neared the garden, the noon-hour came down, and behold you, the sleep which had not come for seven hundred years before fell on the castle and on the gar-

den, and on tho Hill, and on all living things therein. Connor went straight for the walla, spurring his old biack horse at them. And the horse cleared the seven-nrilo-high and one-uiile-wide wall where lay the animals fast asleep. And Connor alighted in the most magnificent garden the eye of man had ever beheld. The sights and sounds were ravishing; but Connor remembered his warning, and he went on till he found the Well of the World's End, where he filled his bottle with water, and put it in his pocket. So beautiful did the shining castle look that Connor, finding he had more than half an hour to spare, thought it would be no harm to take a peep into the grand hall anyhow. So he tied his horse to a railing of gold outside the grand entrance, and stepped into a most beautiful hall paved with pearls and studded with diamonds. And from the hall tie got glimpse of a grand dining-room. Connor thought it would be no harm to look into the dining-room; and looking in, he could not help sitting down in the great chair of gold at the head of a silver table, where a spotless white linen cloth lay before him. Said Connor, who was now feeling hungry, '''l wish there was a good dinner on that cloth." And immediately there was on the cloth the greatest and finest dinner that the heart of man could wish for. For it was the wishing tablecloth that was laid before him. A ham was there, the finest he had ever eaten—but such that the more he cut off it, the bigger it grew. And a loaf of bread was there, the finest and whitest he had ever seen —and such that the more he ate of it, I the greater it got. And a bottle of nectar was there, the sweetest he had ever tasted—and such that the more he drank of it, the fuller it became. And when Connor had eaten and drunk to bia heart's content, he look with tin the tablecloth, the ham, the loaf and j;he bottle of nectar, and went into the next room, a magnificent drawing-room, the sight of which dazzled him. On silk and satin couches he saw asleep a young queen, with nine beautiful maidens. But beautiful as were the maidens, the young queen was ten times more so. Sa very beautiful was she that Connor stooped down and kissed her. Then he took from her finger a golden ring that she wore, broke it in two, put half of it in his pocket, and with a white silk ribbon tied the other half around her neck. Now Connor suddenly recollected that as he had not been keeping count of his time, the hour must be almost up. He bounded breathlessly from the rooms, out of the castle, jumped on his old black horse, headed him for the walls and spurred him to the mighty leap. But to Connor's terror the horse only went within a mile of the top and fell back. And that moment the warriors in the towers and the wild beasts o» the walls gave the first stir of their awaking, and every leaf on every tree in the Garden of the World's End shivered.

"I'm lost," said Connor, "for against good advice I fcoliahly delayed." But like the brave fellow he was, he quickly wheeled his horse, and putting spurs to him, went at the wall again. This time the horse just touched the top with his feet and fell back. The warriors in the towers and the wild animals on the walls gave the second stir of their awaking. And'every tree in the garden and every stone in the great walls groaned. "Tin surely lost," said poor Connor, "because I didn't heed good advice." But the brave fellow wheeled his horse and put spurs to him, and set him to the walls once more. Just that instant every warrior in the towers, and every wild beast on the wall, gave the third and final stir of their awaking. Clouds thundered, and skies sundered, and the whole world quivered and wondered. But this time, behold you. didn't the old black horse clear the walls, and the wild beasts that were aroused from their sleep—and landed Connor safely on the other side.

Like the _ lightning they sped away, the black horse overtaking the wind before it, and the wind behind unable to o'ertake it. The sparks of his heels were striking the moon behind, and tne sparks from his toes were striking the sun in front. And in due time they reached the harbor where the ship landed. Connor jumped off, taking his bridle, and thanked the old black horse, who ' shook his head and ran away. And Connor went aboard his ship. The white sails flapped, and the tall masts strained, and the timbers creaked, and the ship started skimming the sea as swift as lightning; and never sail was slacked or ship tacked till they arrived by the very, very old man's house of the shining white logs. With this old man, who was rejoiced, to see him, Connor spent the night, and there left the bottle of nectar that could never be emptied. At Connor's request, the old man raised up from his enchantment the youngest half-brother, and then gave them the bird to lead them to Ills younger brother's house of the blue logs. Another night they 6pent with the old, old man in the house of the skyblue logs, and with him, who was delighted to see him also, Connor left the loaf of bread, which could never be finished.

At his request, this old man raised up from his enchantment Connor's second half-brother, and gave them the bounding ball, which led them to the youngest brother's house —the house of the scarlet logs, where he rested for the third night. And with him, the youngest of the three old men, who was likewise heartily rejoiced to see Connor, lie left as a present the ham that could never be cut off. And at his request the old man raised up from the enchantment the youngest of Connor's three halfbrothers. Forward the four of them then went, and travelling away and away Tar farther than I could tell you, and twice farther than you could tell me, by hills and "howes," and thorny "knowes," green valley, moor and mountain, by wavy woods and shimmering lochs and singing streams, by fairy "raths" and the great green plains of dreairs. And at long and at last they readied Ireland. When they came in sight of the King's castle, they beheld the Queen still standing on the tower, watching out for them. And immediately she saw Connor return alive, she in her great rage threw herself from the tower and was instantly killed. But great was the King's rejoicing, and he ordered that the greatest feast ever held in Ireland should be given that day four weeks.

Now when the Queen of the Hill of tlio World's End awoke, she called liqv maidens to her, and told them she had just dreamed the most beautiful dream in all her life. She thought that the King's son from Ireland, the handsomest youth she had riper seen, came into the room and kissed her. and that she had fallen in love with him. "What a pity," said her maidens, "that it was only a dream." And she said, "I thought that he took the ring from my finger and broke it and carried away half, and tied the other half on a silk ribbon around my neck." "But,' 1 said one of the maidens, "your ring Is no longer on your finger,

but half of it is hanging from si silk ribbon around your neck." The the Queen started up, and said that the dream was Burely true. Very soon they discovered that * bottle of water had been stolen from the Well of the World's End. And tho Queen said, "Tho youth who had tho bravery to do this, in which no other champion ever yet succeeded, is surely the manliest in the world, and him, and only him, must I have for my King. I'll set out, and will never sleep two nights in the same house, nor cat two meals' meat at the same tabic, till I have found the noble youth, who is to be my husband. So with her maidens nine she set out, but found no trace of the youth whom she sought, till she reached the house of the shining white logs. There she found her bottle of nectar, that could never be emptied. And the old man told her that the youth she was seeking had stayed there a night, and then gone forward to the house of the sky-blue logs. At the second old man's house she found tho next trace of him, the loaf of line white bread which could never be finished. Next she knew that he had stayed at the house of the scarlet logs of the third old man, by the evidence of tho ham that could never be cut out. And from there she went forward till she reached Ireland, and the King's castle.

Tlie great feast in honor of Connor had just begun, when the King and the Court saw this most beautiful maiden dismount from a white steed, and with nine other beautiful maidens in iier train, enter the hall. She told the King the errand on which she had come was to find and make her King the noble youth who had been so brave as to/succeed in getting a bottle of water from the Well of the World's End. Then, one after another Connor's three halfbrothers arose; and one after another, each said he was that youth. But of each one the Queen asked: "Can you give me sign or token of what you saw there, and what you did?" But neither the eldest nor the second or the third half-brother could give sign or token; and each in his turn sat down eonfused. Then said the King, "It must have been my son Connor" (pointing to him where he stood humbly and modestly ift the background). "Connor, come forward," said the King. And the Queen asked Connor if it was he who had taken the bottle of water from the Well of the World's End. "I did," said Connor. "Did you take anything else?'' asked the Queen. Said Connor, blushing, "I took a kiss from you as you slept." From her neck she took the lialEring, and said to Connor, "Can you match this?" 'Connor took from his pocket the other half of the ring, which exactly matched her half. And" when they saw that, all at the feast rejoiced. There and then brave Connor was married to the beautiful Queen, and the feast that was to be Connor's was made the wedding feast of both. The feast lasted twenty-one days and twenty-one nights, and the last day and night were better than the first. And Connor and his beautiful Queen lived happy and well ever after.