A Reading Book in Irish HistoryJoyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston)
History
A Reading Book in Irish History
Joyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston)
Ireland -- History
And after he had eaten of the deer's flesh and drunk from the horn, he
went towards the well. But though his visit was early, he found the
wizard-champion there before him, standing beside the pillar-stone,
fully armed as before, and looking now more wrathful than ever. Dermot
was much surprised; but before he had time to speak, the wizard-champion
addressed him--
"Dermot O'Dyna, you have now put the cap on all your evil deeds. It was
not enough that you took my drinking-horn and drank from my well: you
have done much worse than this, for you have hunted on my grounds, and
have killed some of my speckled deer. Surely there are many
hunting-grounds in Erin of the green plains, with plenty of deer in
them; and you need not have come hither to commit these robberies on me.
But now for a certainty you shall not go from this spot till I have
taken satisfaction for all these misdeeds."
And again the two champions attacked each other, and fought during the
long day, from morning till evening. And when the dusk began to fall,
the wizard-champion leaped into the well, and disappeared down through
it, even as he had done the day before.
The selfsame thing happened on the third day. And each day, morning and
evening, Dermot killed a deer, and ate of its flesh, and drank of the
water of the well from the drinking-horn.
On the fourth morning, Dermot found the wizard-champion standing as
usual by the pillar-stone near the well. And as each morning he looked
more angry than on the morning before, so now he scowled in a way that
would have terrified anyone but Dermot O'Dyna.
And they fought during the day till the dusk of evening. But now Dermot
watched his foe narrowly; and when he saw him about to spring into the
well he closed on him and threw his arms round him. The wizard-champion
struggled to free himself, moving all the time nearer and nearer to the
brink; but Dermot held on, till at last both fell into the well. Down
they went, clinging to each other, Dermot and the strange champion;
down, down, deeper and deeper they went; and Dermot tried to look round,
but nothing could he see save darkness and dim shadows. At length there
was a glimmer of light; then the bright day burst suddenly upon them;
and presently they came to the solid ground, gently and without the
least shock.
At the very moment they reached the ground, the wizard-champion, with a
sudden effort, tore himself away from Dermot's grasp, and ran forward
with great speed. Dermot leaped to his feet; and he was so amazed at
what he saw around him that he stood stock still and let the
wizard-champion escape:--a lovely country, with many green-sided hills
and fair valleys between, woods of red yew trees, and plains laughing
all over with flowers of every hue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account