ng big coming towards him, darkening the sky.
It kept coming nearer and growing bigger, and what was this after all
but the Eagle? When she arrived the old man scolded her, and asked what
had kept her so long behind.

'I couldn't help it,' she said; 'I had more than twenty times further to
come than any bird that has come here to-day.'

'Where have you come from, then?' said the old man.

'From the Blue Mountains,' said she.

'Indeed!' said the old man; and what are they doing there?'

'They are making ready this very day,' said the Eagle, 'for the marriage
of the daughter of the King of the Blue Mountains. For three years now
she has refused to marry anyone whatsoever, until she should give up all
hope of the coming of the man who released her from the spell. Now she
can wait no longer, for three years is the time that she agreed with her
father to remain without marrying.'

The Irishman knew that it was for himself she had been waiting so
long, but he was unable to make any better of it, for he had no hope of
reaching the Blue Mountains all his life. The old man noticed how sad he
grew, and asked the Eagle what she would take for carrying this man on
her back to the Blue Mountains.

'I must have threescore cattle killed,' said she, 'and cut up into
quarters, and every time I look over my shoulder he must throw one of
them into my mouth.'

As soon as the Irishman and the old man heard her demand they went out
hunting, and before evening they had killed three-score cattle. They
made quarters of them, as the Eagle told them, and then the old man
asked her to lie down, till they would get it all heaped up on her back.
First of all, though, they had to get a ladder of fourteen steps, to
enable them to get on to the Eagle's back, and there they piled up the
meat as well as they could. Then the old man told the Irishman to mount,
and to remember to throw a quarter of beef to her every time she looked
round. He went up, and the old man gave the Eagle the word to be off,
which she instantly obeyed; and every time she turned her head the
Irishman threw a quarter of beef into her mouth.

As they came near the borders of the kingdom of the Blue Mountains,
however, the beef was done, and, when the Eagle looked over her
shoulder, what was the Irishman at but throwing the stone between her
tail and her neck! At this she turned a complete somersault, and threw
the Irishman off into the sea, where he fell into the bay that w