n a year, a hundred and forty-four men in twelve years!

"Now a warning came to a woman that her son would be called upon to be
the next barber to the King. She was a widow and the young man was her
only son. She was wild with grief when she thought that he would be
killed by the soldiers' swords as soon as he had shaved the King's
beard and trimmed the King's hair.

"She went everywhere the King rode. She threw herself before him and
asked for the life of her son. And at last the King promised that no
harm would befall her son's life if he swore he would tell no person
what he saw when he shaved the King's beard and trimmed the King's
hair. After that he would be always the King's barber.

"The widow's son came before the King and he swore he would tell no
person what he saw when he shaved his beard and trimmed his hair. Then
he went into the King's Chamber. And when he came out from it the
King's soldiers did not fall upon him and kill him with their swords.
The widow's son went home out of the Castle.

"His mother cried over him with joy at seeing him back. The next day he
went to work at his trade and his mother watched him and was
contented in her mind. But the day after her son only worked by fits
and starts, and the day after that he did no work at all but sat over
the fire looking into the burning coals.

"And after that the widow's son became sick and lay on his bed and no
one could tell what was the matter with him. He became more and more
ill and at last his mother thought that he had only escaped the
soldiers' swords to come home and die in his house. And when she
thought of that she said to herself that she would go see the Druid
who lived at the back of the hill and beg him to come to see her son
and strive to cure him. The Druid came and he looked into the eyes of
the young man and he said 'He has a secret upon his mind, and if he
does not tell it he will die.'

"Then his mother told the Druid that he had sworn not to tell any
person what he saw when he shaved the King's beard and trimmed the
King's hair, and that what he saw was his secret. Said the Druid 'If
he wants to live he will have to speak out his secret. But it need not
be to any person. Let him go to the meeting of two roads, turn with
the sun and tell his secret to the first tree on his right hand. And
when he feels he has told his secret your son will get the better of
his sickness.'

[Illustration]

"When this was told to the young