Celts -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Great Britain; Folklore -- Great Britain; Tales -- Great Britain
"Of a truth," said Powel, "there must be some illusion here. Let us go
towards the palace." So to the palace they went, and they spent that
day. And the next day they arose, and that also they spent until it was
time to go to meat. And after the first meal, "Verily," said Powel, "we
will go, the same party as yesterday, to the top of the mound. Do thou,"
said he to one of his young men, "take the swiftest horse that thou
knowest in the field." And thus did the young man. They went towards the
mound, taking the horse with them. And as they were sitting down they
beheld the lady on the same horse, and in the same apparel, coming along
the same road. "Behold," said Powel, "here is the lady of yesterday.
Make ready, youth, to learn who she is."
"My lord," said he "that will I gladly do." And thereupon the lady came
opposite to them. So the youth mounted his horse; and before he had
settled himself in his saddle, she passed by, and there was a clear
space between them. But her speed was no greater than it had been the
day before. Then he put his horse into an amble, and thought, that,
notwithstanding the gentle pace at which his horse went, he should soon
overtake her. But this availed him not: so he gave his horse the reins.
And still he came no nearer to her than when he went at a foot's pace.
The more he urged his horse, the farther was she from him. Yet she rode
not faster than before. When he saw that it availed not to follow her,
he returned to the place where Powel was. "Lord," said he, "the horse
can no more than thou hast seen."
"I see indeed that it avails not that any one should follow her. And by
Heaven," said he, "she must needs have an errand to some one in this
plain, if her haste would allow her to declare it. Let us go back to the
palace." And to the palace they went, and they spent that night in songs
and feasting, as it pleased them.
The next day they amused themselves until it was time to go to meat. And
when meat was ended, Powel said, "Where are the hosts that went
yesterday and the day before to the top of the mound?"
"Behold, lord, we are here," said they.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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