y was fixed, and the invitations were sent out. The
wedding lasted for a year and a day. When the wedding was over, the
king's son brought home the bride, and when the time came a son was
born. The young woman sent for her eldest sister, Fair, to be with her
and care for her. One day, when Trembling was well, and when her
husband was away hunting, the two sisters went out to walk; and when
they came to the seaside, the eldest pushed the youngest sister in. A
great whale came and swallowed her.
The eldest sister came home alone, and the husband asked, "Where is
your sister?"
"She has gone home to her father in Ballyshannon; now that I am well, I
don't need her."
"Well," said the husband, looking at her, "I'm in dread it's my wife
that has gone."
"Oh! no," said she; "it's my sister Fair that's gone."
Since the sisters were very much alike, the prince was in doubt. That
night he put his sword between them, and said: "If you are my wife,
this sword will get warm; if not, it will stay cold."
In the morning when he rose up, the sword was as cold as when he put it
there.
It happened, when the two sisters were walking by the seashore, that a
little cowboy was down by the water minding cattle, and saw Fair push
Trembling into the sea; and next day, when the tide came in, he saw the
whale swim up and throw her out on the sand. When she was on the sand
she said to the cowboy: "When you go home in the evening with the cows,
tell the master that my sister Fair pushed me into the sea yesterday;
that a whale swallowed me, and then threw me out, but will come again
and swallow me with the coming of the next tide; then he'll go out with
the tide, and come again with to-morrow's tide, and throw me again on
the strand. The whale will cast me out three times. I'm under the
enchantment of this whale, and cannot leave the beach or escape myself.
Unless my husband saves me before I'm swallowed the fourth time, I
shall be lost. He must come and shoot the whale with a silver bullet
when he turns on the broad of his back. Under the breast-fin of the
whale is a reddish-brown spot. My husband must hit him in that spot,
for it is the only place in which he can be killed."
When the cowboy got home, the eldest sister gave him a draught of
oblivion, and he did not tell.
Next day he went again to the sea. The whale came and cast Trembling on
shore again. She asked the boy "Did you tell the master what I told you
to tell him?"
"I
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