with bread and meat
and wine. And he saw at the fire a young woman spinning at a spinning
wheel, and her back was towards him, and her hair was the same as
Fedelma's. Then he lifted the latch of the door and went very joyfully
into the little house.

But when the young woman at the spinning wheel turned round he saw that
she was not Fedelma at all. She had a little mouth, a long and a hooked
nose, and her eyes looked cross-ways at a person. The thread she was
spinning she bit with her long teeth, and she said, "You are welcome
here, Prince."

"And who are you?" said the King of Ireland's Son. "Aefa is my name,"
said she, "I am the eldest and the wisest daughter of the Enchanter of
the Black Back-lands. My father is preparing a task for you," said she,
"and it will be a terrible task, and there will be no one to help you
with it, so you will lose your head surely. And what I would advise you
to do is to escape out of this country at once."

"And how can I escape?" said the King of Ireland's Son, "There's only
one way to escape," said she, "and that is for you to take the Slight
Red Steed that my father has secured under nine locks. That steed is the
only creature that can bring you to your own country. I will show you
how to get it and then I will ride to your home with you."

"And why should you do that?" said the King of Ireland's Son.

"Because I would marry you," said Aefa.

"But," said he, "if I live at all Fedelma is the one I will marry."

No sooner did he say the words than Aefa screamed out, "Seize him,
my cat-o'-the-mountain. Seize him and hold him." Then the
cat-o'-the-mountain that was under the table sprang across the room and
fixed himself on his shoulder. He ran out of the house. All the time he
was running the cat-o'-the-mountain was trying to tear his eyes out. He
made his way through woods and thickets, and mighty glad he was when
he saw the tank at the gable-end of the house. The cat-'o-the-mountain
dropped from his back then. He got into the tank and waited and waited.
No message came from Fedelma. He was a long time there, stiff and
sore and hungry, before the sun rose and the Enchanter of the Black
Back-Lands came out of the house.

V

"I hope you had a good night's rest," said the Enchanter of the Black
Back-Lands, when he came to where the King of Ireland's Son was
crouched, just at the rising of the sun. "I had indeed," said the King's
Son. "And I suppose you feel fit for another