you have to perform." He took him to
where a herd of goats was grazing. Away from the goats was a fawn with
white feet and little bright horns. The fawn saw them, bounded into the
air, and raced away to the wood as quickly as any arrow that a man ever
shot from a bow.

"That is Whitefoot the Fawn," said the Enchanter of the Black
Back-Lands. "She grazes with my goats but none of my gillies can bring
her into my goat-house. Here is your first task--run down Whitefoot the
Fawn and bring her with my goats into the goat-shelter this evening."
When he said that the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands went away
laughing to himself.

"Good-by, my life," said the King of Ireland's Son, "I might as well try
to catch an eagle on the wing as to run down the deer that has gone out
of sight already." He sat down on the ground and his despair was great.
Then his name was called and he saw Fedelma coming towards him. She
looked at him as though she were in dread, and said, "What task has my
father set you?" He told her and then she smiled. "I was in dread it
would be a more terrible task," she said. "This one is easy. I can help
you to catch Whitefoot the Fawn. But first eat what I have brought you."

She put down bread and meat and wine, and they sat down and he ate
and drank. "I thought he might set you this task," she said, "and so I
brought you something from my father's store of enchanted things. Here
are the Shoes of Swiftness. With these on your feet you can run down
Whitefoot the Fawn. But you must catch her before she has gone very far
away. Remember that she must be brought in when the goats are going into
their shelter at sunset. You will have to walk back for all the time you
must keep hold of her silver horns. Hasten now. Run her down with the
Shoes of Swiftness and then lay hold of her horns. Above all things
Whitefoot dreads the loss of her silver horns."

He thanked Fedelma. He put on the Shoes of Swiftness and went into the
wood. Now he could go as the eagle flies. He found Whitefoot the Fawn
drinking at the Raven's pool.

When she saw him she went from thicket to thicket. The Shoes of
Swiftness were hardly any use to him in these shut-in places. At last he
beat her from the last thicket. It was the hour of noon-tide then. There
was a clear plain before them and with the Shoes of Swiftness he ran her
down. There were tears in the Fawn's eyes and he knew she was troubled
with the dread of losing her silver horns.