“They are on the farther bank of the Mystic Lake in the Island of the Western Seas. Age range: 6 to 8, 9 to12 Tags: Celtic, Classic, Fairy Tale, Irish, Legend Animals: Horse, Whale Reading time: 15 - 20 mins. When the storm was in the air the great waves thundered on the shore beyond the mountains, and the wind shouted in the glens; but when it sped across the moor it lost its voice, and passed as silently as the dead. “It is time for you to come,” he said the second time; “but you are welcome, anyhow. Gill & Son. Publisher: M.A. In a moment he came to the surface, and shot up into the air with a joyous cry, and flew off to the west in all the vigour of renewed youth, followed by the other birds. Later in the day, two other birds, as large as the first, but younger, came up from the west and settled down beside him. 10. The little man waved the rod three times over the dwarf, and struck him once on the right shoulder and once on the left shoulder, and then touched his lips with the red berry, and said: “Speak!”. Notes: Contains 20 Irish folktales. “Faint heart never won fair lady,” said the little harper. Author: Edmond Leamy Wherever his hoofs struck the ground, grass and flowers sprang up, and great trees with leafy branches rose on every side. 10. If you are the man who will bring them back to the lonely moor you will only have to strike the shield three times with the haft, and three times with the blade of the spear, and the silence of the moor will be broken for ever, the spell of enchantment will be removed, and the princess will be free.”. Slinging his shield upon his left arm, he plucked the spear from the ground and leaped on to his horse. Suddenly he heard a voice saying: “It is time for you to come.”. Twist your horse’s mane round your right hand, and I will lead him to the water. “The spear of the shining haft and the dark blue blade and the silver shield,” said the fairy. “Your right eye,” said the fairy; and before the dwarf could say a word, the fairy scooped out the eye with his finger, and put it into his pocket. The dwarf spoke, and he was so rejoiced at hearing the sound of his own voice that he danced about the room. Then he flung the reins upon his horse’s neck, and swifter than the wind the gallant horse swept on and on, and it was not long until he was bounding over the enchanted moor. “Take a chair,” said the fairy, “and I will ring for the wand of speech.”. “Well, to tell the truth, I don’t know,” said the dwarf, and he blushed like a rose. Notes: Contains 11 Irish folktales. The dwarf urged the horse. The hole was so small that he had to go on his hands and knees to pass through it, and when he was able to stand he was only the same height as the little fairyman. They are there for the man who is bold enough to seek them. Ltd, Dublin, Author: Jeremiah Curtin Notes: Contains 7 folktales of the Irish people.. Gill & Son.Ltd, Dublin After walking three or four steps they were in a splendid room, as bright as day. And now tell me, truly, do you love the princess, and what would you give to free her from the spell of enchantment that is over her?”, “Well, then, listen to me,” said the fairy. The old woman was withered, sour-tempered, and dumb. Then the dwarf remembered what the fairy told him, that if he attempted to swim the lake, without paying the price, the three Cormorants of the Western Seas would pick the flesh off his bones. In the centre of the hut a fire burned night and day from year’s end to year’s end, though it was never touched or tended by human hand. As for the dwarf he would have died for the little princess, he was so much in love with her, and often and often his heart was heavy and sad as he thought of her pining away in the lonely moor. Here are the ten most famous myths and legends in Celtic and Irish mythology. Outside the hut the bare, brown, lonely moor stretched for miles on every side, but towards the east it was bounded by a range of mountains that looked to Finola blue in the daytime, but which put on a hundred changing colours as the sun went down.