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The Mistress of Magic |
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ONCE upon a time, and a good time it was, there was a man in the mountains of Donegal who had one son, named Manus, who was growing up a fine, brave, nice boy entirely and a help and comfort to his father. But on a night doesn't there arrive at this man's house a Prince from the East with eleven of his followers, and he asked to be put up for the night, and Manus's father put him up and welcome. After supper the Prince from the East began putting his followers and himself through a lot of wonderful magical tricks which astonished Manus's father very, very much indeed. And he said he wished his son Manus could work tricks like that.
Said the Prince of the East, "How would you like it, if I took your son Manus with me and taught him Magic, too?"
"I would like it very well indeed," said Manus's father. "Only I am very fond of Manus, and I wouldn't like to spare him long."
"Would a year and a day be too long?" said the Prince of the East.
"It would not," said Manus's father. "And if you'll promise to teach Manus your magical tricks and have him here again in a year and a day from now, you'll be doing me a great favor, and I'll willingly let you have him."
"Very well and good," said the Prince from the East, agreeing to that. I will take Manus with me, and verse him so well and soundly in magical tricks that when I bring him back to you in a year and a day, I promise that he'll astonish you."
The father was as well pleased at this as Manus; and Manus was as well pleased as the father. Next morning Manus bade the father farewell, and set off and away with the Prince of the East and his eleven followers.
The father, though he felt lonesome enough without his Manus, wrought hard and tried to be happy. Still, he couldn't help counting the time. And every day was a week to him, and every week was seven, till the year and a day were around, and he looked for his brave Manus again.
Right enough, on the very day when the year and a day were up, late in the evening, the Prince of the East arrived and Manus with him, and eleven other followers. And I tell you that was a glad meeting between Manus and his father. Manus was grown a bigger, and a stouter, and a braver, and a finer fellow far, than when he went away; and his father was proud of him. But if he was proud of him when he first saw him, he was double as proud when, after supper, the Prince of the East began to put Manus through his magical tricks, astonishing and priding the father at the wonderful things Manus could do.
"Ay," said the Prince of the East, "he is very good, surely for his time; but if the boy had only time enough it's a wonderful magician he would make. Wait till you see what these eleven and myself can do." And then he began to put his other eleven followers and himself through their tricks.
If Manus's trick had been great and fine, the tricks that the Prince himself and his eleven followers now went through astounded Manus's father out and out, and far surpassed anything Manus could do.
"Well, well, I wish and I wish," said the father, "that Manus had the ability of you twelve."
"And that he could have," said the Prince of the East, "if you only leave him long enough in his apprenticeship."
"How much longer do you want him?" said the father.
"Let us say a year and a day," said the Prince from the East. Although the father was grieved at the notion of parting with poor Manus again, still the temptation was great. So he agreed with the Prince that he should have Manus for another year and a day, provided he would fetch him back there to the same spot again at the end of that time, more perfect in Magic.
On the very next morning the father had to part with poor Manus again and a sad parting you may be sure it was. But the father said, "Manus, dear, keep up your heart and the year and a day will pass like a week-till you are with me again."
And off the Prince of the East and Manus and his other eleven followers set. And the father turned to his work and tried to lie happy whilst the time went round, but every day was a week to him, and every week was seven. looking forward to Manus's coming again.
But the longest tale must have a finish, and the lonesomest year an ending; so at long and at last, the year and a day passed, and on the very last evening of the time, the Prince of, the East with Manus and his other eleven followers, they arrived at Manus's father's in Donegal. And great and great as was the joy of Manus's father at the meeting, just every bit as great was the joy of Manus; and a happy pair they were that night.
The father laid down a royal supper for all of them; and, when they had eaten and drunk to their heart's content, the Prince of the East put Manus on the floor and began putting him through his tricks, for the father's delight. And if Manus had been clever the first time, he was double as clever now. And the father, delighted, said the like of Manus for cleverness he had never seen before, and that he'd now be as proud as a Prince for Manus all the days of his life.
Said the Prince of the East, "Manus is good, and very good.-for his time. But if I had only long enough of him, I would make him the most wonderful magician in the world again. Just wait till you see," said he, "what these other eleven followers of mine can do." And he began putting the other eleven followers and himself through magical tricks. And if Manus's tricks had opened his father's eyes, the tricks he now saw opened them far wider surely.
And said he, "My son, Manus is good and very good, as you say-but I only wish he was as good as that."
"Will you let me have him for another year and a day?" said the Prince of the East, "till you see what I will make of him?"
"And a thousand welcomes," agreed the father.
Next morning sad enough was the parting; and Manus again set out with the Prince of the East and the other eleven followers. And the father, he turned and went to his work and tried to feel happy. But every day was a week to him, and every week seven, till at long and at last the year and a day were round. But at the end of the time neither Prince nor Manus appeared. For, unfortunately, when the last agreement was made, Manus's father forgot to put into it that he would have to bring Manus back at the time's end. But if Manus's father and Manus himself had overlooked this point, the Prince of the East hadn't been blind to it-for he was a right cunning knave.
As restless as a hen on a hot griddle was the poor father all the dreary day, waiting and watching. But no Prince came, and alas! no Manus, although all the day he watched and waited, and all the night, and all the next day, too. With his heart nigh breaking, he got up early on the morning of the third day, and he took with him a cake of hard bread well-buttered, and set out to find the castle of the Prince of the East and fetch his Manus home. On and on before him he traveled till the sun was high, and himself hungry and tired as well. Then at midday he sat down, under a rowan-tree, to eat his cake and rest himself. And a gray hawk came flying and alit on the rowan-tree.
"Hungry, hungry I am," said the hawk. "Little old man, won't you divide your dinner with me?"
"It's little enough is it for myself," said Manus's father, "but I can't bear to see any of God's creatures go wanting." So he divided his cake with the hawk.
"You'll not lose by this," said the hawk. "There's only one creature in all the world knows where that Prince's castle is, and it's I who only have that knowledge," said the hawk. "I once put the Prince under an obligation to me-and once I went to his castle, but never went there again, for it's almost beyond the world and a seven year's journey to travel there. "But," said the hawk, I'm so sorry for you that if you like to follow me, I'll lead you there. By reason of the obligation I put the Prince under I can get you entrance to his castle. But I cannot tell you how you'll fare when you get there."
"Thank you," said Manus's father: "And I'll follow you if it was ten times as far."
Accordingly off they set with the hawk leading, and flying ahead of Manus's father. When he would be on the hill the hawk would be in the hollow, and when he would be in the hollow the hawk would be an the hill.
And so it fared, and so he followed, while the days grew to weeks, and the weeks to months and the months to years-and the years grew to seven. And on the night before the last day of the seventh year the hawk told him they were now within a day's journey of the Prince's castle, and that when he reached it, he was to demand entrance and possession of his son in the name of the Gray Hawk of Knowledge-"which," the hawk said, "is my name. He'll have to give you both admittance and the chance of picking out your son among his twelve followers," said the hawk. "Only, when he puts the twelve before you to pick from, he'll be at liberty to have them in any shape he likes. No man will be able to tell one from another of them, so much alike will they be. And yet you'll have only one choice and must abide by it. It's heartily sorry I'll be if you fail. But may God bless you," said the hawk, "and send that you don't fail."
Right heartily Manus's father thanked the hawk and said, "Well, if I fail it won't be your fault anyway. You have surely done your best, now. And," he said sorrowfully, "the best can do no more."
Well and good. Towards evening of the next day he came in sight of a gorgeous castle of many towers-seated on a mountain-top and surrounded by great trees. And on the top of the highest tower alighted the Gray Hawk of Knowledge.
Manus's father now knew he had reached his journey's end. So, climbing up to the great castle he knocked on the gates. And it was the Prince of the East himself who appeared.
"What is it you're wanting?" said he.
"I demand admission and search for my son," he replied, "in the name of the Gray Hawk of Knowledge."
The Prince of the East looked black when he heard this. But there was nothing for it but to open the gates and let him in. And the Prince said, "In the morning you'll be given chance of finding your son."
Manus's father got his supper and was shown to bed in one of the towers. But, just as he was about to fall asleep, he was aroused by a tapping on the window-pane. He got up and saw perched outside, a pigeon which was doing the tapping. He opened the window to the pigeon-and when it flew in, it turned into a young woman, the most beautiful, he thought, he had ever seen.
She said, "I'm the daughter of the Prince of the East; and, I must confess that I have fallen in love with your son, young Manus from Ireland. And it grieves me that my father has held him here under spells. And I now have come to help you to find him. Though," she said, "I must warn you that, even if you find him, you'll still find it the hardest task in the world to get him entirely free of my father. In the morning my father will take you out into the courtyard, and when he blows a whistle, twelve black birds will sit upon a tree and begin to sing, and you'll be asked to take your choice of the twelve. They are my father's twelve followers, and your son is one of them. The way," says she, "you'll know your son is by his singing the saddest song. Heaven send," said she, "that you choose wisely. But, even then, your trouble will only have begun." Then she turned into a pigeon again, and flew out among the trees that surrounded the castle.
In the morning the Prince of the East took Manus's father into the courtyard. And he blew a whistle, and twelve blackbirds appeared and perched upon a tree, and all twelve began to sing.
Said the Prince, "Out of those twelve choose your son."
One of the blackbirds sitting on the topmost branch sang a song which was sad and very sad, and forlorn entirely.
"I choose," said he, "that blackbird perched on the topmost branch of the tree."
The Prince of the East looked as black as thunder. But there wasn't anything for it, but to turn the blackbird into the shape of a man again. And it was Manus. And he and his father embraced and cried for very joy.
With little delay they set out for home-on the very next morning. As they went along, the son said, "Dear Father, the Prince of the East doesn't mean to part with me easily. He'll surely come after us and try to get me from you by some trick or other. You are a poor man, Father," said Manus, "and if you manage well, I, by virtue of my magical knowledge, can get for you a good penny from the villain."
"How is that?" said the father.
Said Manus, "I'll turn myself into a sheep with a tether to me. You'll lead me along; and at twelve o'clock today you'll be met by a sheep buyer and eleven boys. He'll ask you what you'll take for the sheep. You say that this is a particular sheep, and you cannot part with it under a hundred pounds. He'll quickly close the bargain and pay you the money. Let him have the sheep, but on the peril of your life don't let away the tether. Then all will be well."
To this the father agreed: and into a sheep Manus turned himself, his father was driving him long with the end of the tether in his hold. And just at noon what should he meet up with but a sheep buyer, and eleven boys, who asked if he would sell the sheep.
"Yes," said Manus's father. "But as this is a particular sheep, I'll not part with it under a hundred pounds."
"You'll get your price," said the sheep buyer. And down he paid him a hundred pounds in gold, and took the sheep with him, Manus's father keeping the tether.
Then the sheep buyer pushed on his way with his eleven boys and his sheep, and Manus's father followed his way. And Manus's father wasn't three hours traveling, when who but his son overtook him. And both of them were rejoiced.
Next morning said Manus to his father, "My master doesn't mean to part with me as easily as you think. But if you do right today we'll get some more money out of the villain."
"How do you mean" asked the father.
Said Manus, "I'll turn myself into a goat with a tether to it. You'll drive me before you, and at twelve o'clock you'll be met up by a goat buyer, and eleven boys. He'll ask you to sell him the goat; when you must say that this is a particular goat, and you wouldn't think of parting with it for less than two hundred pounds. He'll give you that, but you must be sure on the peril of your life not to part with the tether."
"All right," said the father.
So, turn himself into a goat Manus did, and his father drove him before him, the end of the tether in his hand. And, at twelve o'clock, sure enough, what does he meet but a goat buyer and eleven boys.
And said the goat buyer, says he, "Will you sell the goat?"
"I'll do that," said Manus's father. "But as this is a particular goat, I wouldn't think of parting with it under two hundred pounds."
"I'll give you that," said the goat buyer. And he did. He paid down to Manus's father two hundred golden pounds, and took away the goat before him-Manus's father slipping the tether off, and keeping it.
On then went Manus's father, and he wasn't three hours traveling when up to him came Manus again. And both of them were rejoiced.
"We're doing well, Father," said Manus, "in punishing the villain. That's three hundred pounds you've got, and tomorrow if you act well, you'll have three hundred more."
"How is that?" asked his father.
"Tomorrow," said Manus, "I'll turn myself into a horse with a bridle. At twelve o'clock in the day, you'll meet an army captain with eleven dragoons, all armed with cutlasses; and the army captain will say that he is in want of a horse, and will ask you to sell him yours. You must say that this is a particular horse and you won't part with him under three hundred pounds. He'll buy me, but you be sure on the peril of your life not to let me away without first slipping off, and keeping, the bridle."
His father promised to do this.
Next day, Manus turned himself into a horse. And at twelve o'clock, right enough, up meeting them comes an army captain and eleven dragoons, every one of them armed with a cutlass. And the captain halted Manus's father, and told him he soon give up. And the hawks were fast closing on it. A castle was near at hand towards which the white pigeon, in extremity, flew. Just as it came to the castle, the ballroom window was thrown open, and a beautiful lady appeared at it and waved on the white pigeon to come that way. And this beautiful lady was none other than the Princess herself who had flown there before him. For this was the castle of her mother's brother.
In at the window flew the white pigeon, turned itself into a ring and went upon the Princess's finger.
In this great room was a party of ladies and gentlemen dancing and feasting. The twelve hawks, when they arrived, changed themselves into six fiddlers and six pipers, came under the ballroom window, and began to play the most enchanting airs ever heard, so that all the assembled lords and ladies flocked to the window to look and to listen. And when they had finished playing, the King of the castle was so grateful to them, that he bade them ask any reward they wished, and they should have it.
"We only ask," said the leader of them, "the ring upon that fair young lady's finger."
"You shall surely have that," said the King.
But the Princess took the ring from her finger, and threw it into the heart of the blazing fire.
That minute they turned themselves into six bellows, and six bellows blowers, and blew till they blew the ring out upon the floor. Into six blacksmiths and six sledges they then transformed themselves, and began to batter and beat at the ring. The ring went up in a burst of sparks and the sparks fell over the room in a shower of wheat. And into twelve geese they then changed, and began to eat the wheat-when the wheat turned into a fox, and took the heads off the twelve geese.
Then the fox changed itself into Manus in his own form again. And he and the Princess embraced and kissed each other. And when the King and the lords and ladies heard the whole story it is surprised and delighted they were.
It was agreed that they should be married within a week. All who were there were bidden to the wedding-and ten who weren't there for the one that was. Manus sent for his father to Donegal, and brought him there. Their wedding lasted nine days and nine nights-and the last day and night vas better and merrier than the first.
After the wedding the three of them went to the castle of the Prince of the East, which Manus and his wife now heired and owned, and there they lived happy ever after.
(from The Donegal Wonder Book , by Seumas MacManus)
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