filled
to-morrow morning with cows, and no two of them to be of one colour, or
one height, or one age."

"That shall be done," says the grey old man.

The King's son went riding on his horse--

His hound at his foot,
His hawk on his hand--

and faced for home. The King was sorrowful about the Queen; there were
doctors out of every place in Ireland, but they could not do her any
good.

On the morning of the next day the King's herd went out early, and he
saw the field at the back of the castle filled with cows, and no two of
them of the same colour, the same age, or the same height. He went in
and told the King the wonderful news. "Go and drive them out," says the
King. The herd got men, and went with them driving out the cows, but no
sooner would he put them out on one side than they would come in on the
other. The herd went to the King again, and told him that all the men
that were in Ireland would not be able to put out these cows that were
in the field. "They're enchanted cows," said the King.

When the King's son saw the cows, he said to himself, "I'll have
another game with the grey old man to-day!" That morning he went out--

His hound at his foot,
His hawk on his hand,
And his fine black horse to bear him--

and he never drew rein till he came as far as the big bush on the brink
of the glen. The grey old man was there before him, and asked him would
he have a game of cards.

"I will," says the King's son; "but you know well that I can beat you
playing cards."

"We'll have another game, then," says the grey old man. "Did you ever
play ball?"

"I did, indeed," said the King's son; "but I think that you are too old
to play ball, and, besides that, we have no place here to play it."

"If you're contented to play, I'll find a place," says the grey old man.

"I'm contented," says the King's son.

"Follow me," says the grey old man.

The King's son followed him through the glen until he came to a fine
green hill. There he drew out a little enchanted rod, spoke some words
which the King's son did not understand, and after a moment the hill
opened and the two went in, and they passed through a number of splendid
halls until they came out into a garden. There was everything finer than
another in that garden, and at the bottom of the garden there was a
place for playing ball. They threw up a piece of silver to see who would
have hand-in, and the grey old man got it.

They began then, and the