“If you give me the Comb of Magnificence, Mogue, I shall serve you for
six years--three years more than I said yesterday. I shall serve you
well, even though I am the son of a King and can find out who my father
and mother are.”
“I won’t give you the Comb of Magnificence.”
“I’ll serve you seven years if you do, Mogue.”
Mogue drank and drank out of the ale-pot, frowning to himself. He put
the ale-pot away and said, “I suppose your life won’t be any good to you
unless I give you the Comb of Magnificence?”
“That is so, Mogue.”
Mogue sighed heavily, but he went to his pack and took out the box that
the treasures were in. He let Flann take out the Comb of Magnificence.
“Seven years you will have to serve me,” said Mogue, “and you will have
to begin your service now.”
“I will begin it now,” said Flann, but he stole out of the tent, put on
his red cloak and went to the King’s orchard.
VII
“Oh, Flann, my treasure-bringer,” said Flame-of-Wine, when she came to
him. “I have brought you the Comb of Magnificence,” said he. Her hands
went out and her eyes became large and shining. He put the Comb of
Magnificence into her hands.
She put the comb into the back of her hair, and she became at once like
the tower that is builded--what broke its height and turned the full
sunlight from it has been taken away, and the tower stands, the pride
of a King and the delight of a people. When she put the Comb of
Magnificence into her hair she became of all Kings’ daughters the most
stately.
She walked with Flann along the paths of the orchard, but always she
was watching her shadow to see if it showed her added magnificence. Her
shadow showed nothing. She took Flann to the well in the orchard, and
looked down into it, but her image in the well did not show her added
magnificence either. Soon she became tired of walking on the orchard
paths, and when she came to the gate she walked no further but stood
with Flann at the gate. “A kiss for you, Flann, my treasure-bringer,”
said she, and she kissed him and then went hurrying away. And as Flann
watched her he thought that although she had kissed him he was not now
in her mind.
He went out of the orchard disconsolate, thinking that when he was on
his seven years’ service with Mogue Princess Flame-of-Wine might forget
him. As he walked on he passed the little house where the Spae-Woman had
her besoms and heather-stalks. She ran to him when she saw him.
“Have you heard that the King’s Son has found what went before, and what
comes after the Unique Tale?” said she.
“That I have. And I have to go to the Hags of the Long Teeth to find out
who my father and mother were, for surely I am the child who was taken
from Sheen.”
“And do you remember that Sheen’s seven brothers were changed into seven
wild geese?” said she.
“I remember that, mother.”
“And seven wild geese they will be until a maiden who loves you will
give seven drops of her heart’s blood to bring them back to their human
shapes.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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