ell the secret to it, and so it may be he shall
be relieved, and his vow will not be broken."

The mother told her son of the druid's advice, and next day he went
upon his way till he came to four cross roads, and he took the road
upon the right, and the first tree he found was a great willow-tree.
So the young man laid his cheek against the bark, and he whispered the
secret to the tree, and as he turned back homeward he felt lightened
of his burden, and he leaped and sang, and ere many days were past he
was as well and light hearted as ever he had been in his life.

Some while after that it happened that the King's harper, namely
Craftiny, broke the straining-post of his harp and went out to seek
for a piece of wood wherewith to mend it. And the first timber he
found that would fit the purpose was the willow-tree by the cross
roads. He cut it down, therefore, and took as much as would give him a
new straining-post, and he bore it home with him and mended his harp
with it. That night he played after meat before the King and his lords
as he was wont, but whatever he played and sang the folk that listened
to him seemed to hear only one thing, "Two horse's ears hath Labra the
Sailor."

Then the King plucked off his hood, and after that he made no secret
of his ears and none suffered on account of them thenceforward.

CHAPTER IV

King Iubdan and King Fergus

It happened on a day when Fergus son of Leda was King of Ulster, that
Iubdan, King of the Leprecauns or Wee Folk, of the land of Faylinn,
held a great banquet and assembly of the lords and princes of the Wee
Folk. And all their captains and men of war came thither, to show
their feats before the King, among whom was the strong man, namely
Glowar, whose might was such that with his battle-axe he could hew
down a thistle at one stroke. Thither also came the King's
heir-apparent. Tiny, son of Tot, and the Queen Bebo with her maidens;
and there were also the King's harpers and singing-men, and the chief
poet of the court, who was called Eisirt.

All these sat down to the feast in due order and precedence, with Bebo
on the King's right hand and the poet on his left, and Glowar kept the
door. Soon the wine began to flow from the vats of dark-red yew-wood,
and the carvers carved busily at great haunches of roast hares and
ribs of field-mice; and they all ate and drank, and loudly the hall
rang with gay talk and laughter, and the drinking of toasts, and
clashing