ird," said she. "Follow where it flies and you will come to
my father's house. And now good-by to you. You will be in danger, but
I will try to help you. Fedelma is my name." She rose up as a swan and
flew away.

The blue falcon went flying from bush to bush and from rock to rock.
The night came, but in the morning the blue falcon was seen again. The
King's Son followed, and at last he saw a house before him. He went in,
and there, seated on a chair of gold was the man who seemed so tall when
he threw down the cards upon the heap of stones. The Enchanter did not
recognize the King's Son without his hawk and his hound and the fine
clothes he used to wear. He asked who he was and the King's Son said he
was a youth who had just finished an apprenticeship to a wizard. "And,"
said he, "I have heard that you have three fair daughters, and I came to
strive to gain one of them for a wife."

"In that case," said the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands, "you will
have to do three tasks for me. If you are able to do them I will give
you one of my three daughters in marriage. If you fail to do any one of
them you will lose your head. Are you willing to make the trial?"

"I am willing," said the King of Ireland's Son.

"Then I shall give you your first task to-morrow. It is unlucky that you
came to-day. In this country we eat a meal only once a week, and we have
had our meal this morning."

"It is all the same to me," said the King's Son, "I can do without food
or drink for a month without any hardship."

"I suppose you can do without sleep too?" said the Enchanter of the
Black Back-Lands.

"Easily," said the King of Ireland's Son.

"That is good. Come outside now, and I'll show you your bed." He took
the King's Son outside and showed him a dry narrow water-tank at the
gable end of the house. "There is where you are to sleep" said the
Enchanter. "Tuck yourself into it now and be ready for your first task
at the rising of the sun."

The King of Ireland's Son went into the little tank. He was
uncomfortable there you may be sure. But in the middle of the night
Fedelma came and brought him into a fine room where he ate and then
slept until the sun was about to rise in the morning. She called him and
he went outside and laid himself down in the water-tank.

As soon as the sun rose the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands came out
of the house and stood beside the water-tank. "Come now," said he, "and
I will show you the first task