without taking off
his clothes. And as the first faint glimmer of the morning came
slanting down the mountains, he stepped into his curragh and pulled
across the lake, and took the road towards the water-palace of Angus
of the Boyne.

When he reached the banks of the glancing river a little woman,
dressed in red, was standing there before him.

"You are welcome, Enda," said she. "And glad am I to see the day that
brings you here to help the winsome Princess Mave. And now wait a
second, and the water-dress and crystal helmet will be ready for
you."

And, having said this, the little woman plucked a handful of wild
grasses, and she breathed upon them three times and then flung them on
the river, and a dozen fairy nymphs came springing up through the
water, bearing the water-dress and crystal helmet and a shining spear.
And they laid them down upon the bank at Enda's feet, and then
disappeared.

"Now, Enda," said the fairy woman, "take these; by the aid of the
dress and the helmet you can walk beneath the waters. You will need
the spear to enable you to meet the dangers that lie before you. But
with that spear, if you only have courage, you can overcome everything
and everyone that may attempt to bar your way."

Having said this, she bid good-bye to Enda, and stepping off the bank,
she floated out upon the river as lightly as a red poppy leaf. And
when she came to the middle of the stream she disappeared beneath the
waters.

Enda took the helmet, dress, and spear, and it was not long until he
came to the sedgy banks where his little boat was waiting for him. As
he stepped into the curragh the moon was rising above the mountains.
He rowed on until he came to the hut, and having moored the boat to
the door, he put on the water-dress and the crystal helmet, and taking
the spear in his hand, he leaped over the side of the curragh, and
sank down and down until he touched the bottom. Then he walked along
without minding where he was going, and the only light he had was the
shimmering moonlight, which descended as faintly through the waters as
if it came through muffled glass. He had not gone very far when he
heard a horrible hissing, and straight before him he saw what he
thought were two flaming coals. After a few more steps he found
himself face to face with the dragon of the lake, the guardian of the
palace of the fairy queen. Before he had time to raise his spear, the
dragon had wound its coils around him, and he he