The King of Ireland’s Son put his hands on the bridle-rein and drew the Slight Red Steed out of the water. The women with one right eye and the men with one left eye, and the children in their bare smoky skins screamed at him, “What do you want, what do you want, man with the horse?” “Feed and water my steed for me,” said the King of Ireland’s Son. “We are the Swallow People, and no one commands us to do things,” said an old fellow with a beard like knots of ropes. “Feed my steed with red wheat and water it with pure spring water,” said the King’s Son fiercely. “I am the King of Ireland’s Son and the Sword of Light is in my hands, and what I command must be done.” “We are the Swallow People and we are accounted a harmless people,” said the old fellow. “Why are ye harmless?” said the King’s Son, and he flourished the sword at them. “Come into our cave, King’s Son,” said the old fellow, “we will give you refreshment there, and the children will attend to your steed.” He went into the cave with certain of the Swallow People. They were all unmannerly. They kept screaming and crying to each other; they pulled at the clothes of the King’s Son and pinched him. One of them bit his hands. When they came into the cave they all sat down on black stones. One pulled in a black ass loaded with nets. They took the nets off its back, and before the King’s Son knew that anything was about to happen they threw the nets around him. The meshes of the nets were sticky. He felt himself caught. He ran at the Swallow People and fell over a stone. Then they drew more nets around his legs. The old fellow whom he had commanded took up the Sword of Light. Then the Swallow People pulled up the ass that had carried the nets and rubbed its hard hoof on the Sword. The King’s Son did not know what happened to it. Then he heard them cry, “The brightness is gone off the thing now.” They left the Sword on a black rock, and now no light came from it. Then all the Swallow People scrambled out of the cave. They came back eating eels and crab-apples out of their hands. They paid no attention to the King of Ireland’s Son, but climbed into a cave above where he was lying. He broke the nets that were round him. He found the Sword on the black stones, with the brightness all gone from it because of the rubbing with the ass’s hoof. He climbed up the wall of the other cave to punish the Swallow People. They saw him before he could see them in the darkness, and they all went into holes and hid themselves as if they were rats and mice. With the blackened sword in his hands the King of Ireland’s Son went out of the Cave, and the horse he had left behind, the Slight Red Steed, was not to be found. III