, and grew into their old place. The
King was satisfied, and as the lady would marry no man but Lawn Dyarrig,
he was the bridegroom.

"I must give you a present," said the bride to the Queen. "Here is a
beautiful scarf which you are to wear as a girdle this evening."

The Queen put the scarf round her waist.

"Tell me now," said the bride to the Queen, "who was Ur's father."

"What father could he have but his own father, the King of Erin?"

"Tighten, scarf," said the bride.

That moment the Queen thought that her head was in the sky and the lower
half of her body down deep in the earth.

"Oh, my grief and my woe!" cried the Queen.

"Answer my question in truth, and the scarf will stop squeezing you. Who
was Ur's father?"

"The gardener," said the Queen.

"Whose son is Arthur?"

"The King's son."

"Tighten, scarf," said the bride.

If the Queen suffered before, she suffered twice as much this time, and
screamed for help.

"Answer me truly, and you'll be without pain; if not, death will be on
you this minute. Whose son is Arthur?"

"The swineherd's."

"Who is the King's son?"

"The King has no son but Lawn Dyarrig."

"Tighten, scarf."

The scarf did not tighten, and if the Queen had been commanding it a day
and a year it would not have tightened, for the Queen told the truth
that time. When the wedding was over, the King gave Lawn Dyarrig half
his kingdom, and made Ur and Arthur his servants.

JEREMIAH CURTIN.

The Horned Women

A rich woman sat up late one night carding and preparing wool while all
the family and servants were asleep. Suddenly a knock was given at the
door, and a voice called out, "Open! Open!"

"Who is there?" said the woman of the house.

"I am the Witch of the One Horn," was answered.

The mistress, supposing that one of her neighbours had called and
required assistance, opened the door, and a woman entered, having in her
hand a pair of wool carders, and bearing a horn on her forehead, as if
growing there. She sat down by the fire in silence, and began to card
the wool with violent haste. Suddenly she paused, and said aloud, "Where
are the women; they delay too long?"

Then a second knock came to the door, and a voice called as before,
"Open! Open!"

The mistress felt herself constrained to rise and open to the call, and
immediately a second witch entered, having two horns on her forehead,
and in her hand a wheel for spinning wool.

"Give me place," she