Celts -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Great Britain; Folklore -- Great Britain; Tales -- Great Britain
The pig had his own mind and knew what was coming. He put his nose under
the pot and threw it on Smallhead's toes, and she barefoot. With that
she ran into the house for a stick, and seeing a rod on the edge of the
loft, snatched it and hit the pig.
That moment the pig was a splendid young man.
Smallhead was amazed.
"Never fear," said the young man, "I am the son of a King that the old
hag hated, the King of Munster. She stole me from my father seven years
ago and enchanted me--made a pig of me."
Smallhead told the King's son, then, how the hag had treated her. "I
must make a pig of you again," said she, "for the hag is coming. Be
patient and I'll save you, if you promise to marry me."
[Illustration]
"I promise you," said the King's son.
With that she struck him, and he was a pig again. She put the switch in
its place and was at her work when the two sisters came. The pig ate his
meal now with a good heart, for he felt sure of rescue.
"Who is that girl you have in the house, and where did you find her?"
asked the sister.
"All my children died of the plague, and I took this girl to help me.
She is a very good servant."
At night the hag slept in one room, her sister in another, and Smallhead
in a third. When the two sisters were sleeping soundly Smallhead rose,
stole the hag's magic book, and then took the rod. She went next to
where the pig was, and with one blow of the rod made a man of him.
With the help of the magic book Smallhead made two doves of herself and
the King's son, and they took flight through the air and flew on without
stopping. Next morning the hag called Smallhead, but she did not come.
She hurried out to see the pig. The pig was gone. She ran to her book.
Not a sign of it.
"Oh!" cried she, "that villain of a Smallhead has robbed me. She has
stolen my book, made a man of the pig, and taken him away with her."
What could she do but tell her whole story to the sister. "Go you," said
she, "and follow them. You have more enchantment than Smallhead has."
"How am I to know them?" asked the sister.
"Bring the first two strange things that you find; they will turn
themselves into something wonderful."
The sister then made a hawk of herself and flew away as swiftly as any
March wind.
"Look behind," said Smallhead to the King's son some hours later; "see
what is coming."
"I see nothing," said he, "but a hawk coming swiftly."
"That is the hag's sister. She has three times more enchantment than the
hag herself. But fly down on the ditch and be picking yourself as doves
do in rainy weather, and maybe she'll pass without seeing us."
The hawk saw the doves, but thinking them nothing wonderful, flew on
till evening, and then went back to her sister.
"Did you see anything wonderful?"
"I did not; I saw only two doves, and they picking themselves."
"You fool, those doves were Smallhead and the King's son. Off with you
in the morning and don't let me see you again without the two with you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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