d she
could not live another minute without a mouthful of water. She took the
pitcher and started for the well. No sooner was she gone than the
second Hag said she couldn't wait for the first one to come back and she
started out after her. Then the third one thought that the pair
would stay too long talking at the well, and she started after them.
Immediately I took the pillows off our bed and put them on the Hags'
bed, taking their pillows instead.

The Hags came back with a half-filled pitcher, and they ordered us to
go to our bed. We went, and they sat for a while drinking porringers of
water. "Crom Duv will be here the first thing in the morning," I heard
one of them say. They put their heads on the pillows and in the turn of
a hand they were dead-fast-sound asleep. I told my foster-sisters then
what I had done and why I had done it. They were very frightened, but
seeing the Hags so sound asleep they composed themselves and slept too.

Before the screech of day Crom Duv came to the house. I went outside and
saw the Giant. I said I was the servant of the Hags, and that they were
sleeping still. He said, "They are my runners and summoners, my brewers,
bakers and candle-makers, and they have no right to be sleeping so
late." Then he went away.

I knew that the three Hags would slumber until we took the pillows from
under their heads. We left them sleeping while we put down a fire and
made our break-fast. Then, when we were ready for our journey, we took
the pillows from under their heads. The three Hags started up then,
but we were out on the door, and had taken the first three steps of our
journey.

V

Without hap or mishap we came at last to the domain of the King of
Senlabor. Baun went to sing for the King's foster-daughters, and Deelish
went to work at the little loom in the King's chamber. We were not long
at the court of the King of Senlabor when two youths came there from the
court of the King of Ireland--Dermott and Downal were their names. There
was a famous sword-smith with the King of Senlabor and these two came
to learn the trade from him. And my two foster-sisters fell so deeply in
love with the two youths that every night the pillow on each side of me
was wet with their tears.

I went to work in the King's kitchen. Now the King had a dish of such
fine earthware and with such beautiful patterns upon it that he never
let it be carried from the Kitchen to the Feast-Hall, nor from the
Feast-Ha