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מס"ע מרכז סיפורי עם ופולקלור |
C. F. F |
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Morraha (Joseph
Jacobs, More Celtic Fairy Tales, 1894)
Morraha rose in the morning
and washed his hands and face, and said his prayers, and ate his food; and he
asked God to prosper the day for him. So he went down to the brink of the
sea, and he saw a currach, short and green, coming
towards him; and in it there was but one youthful champion, and he was
playing hurly from prow to stern of the currach. He
had a hurl of gold and a ball of silver; and he stopped not till the currach was in on the shore; and he drew her up on the
green grass, and put fastenings on her for a year and a day, whether he
should be there all that time or should only be on land for an hour by the
clock. And Morraha saluted the young man
courteously; and the other saluted him in the same fashion, and asked him
would he play a game of cards with him; and Morraha
said that he had not the wherewithal; and the other answered that he was
never without a candle or the making of it; and he put his hand in his pocket
and drew out a table and two chairs and a pack of cards, and they sat down on
the chairs and went to card-playing. The first game Morraha
won, and the Slender Red Champion bade him make his claim; and he asked that
the land above him should be filled with stock of sheep in the morning. It
was well; and he played no second game, but home he went. The
next day Morraha went to the brink of the sea, and
the young man came in the currach and asked him
would he play cards; they played, and Morraha won.
The young man bade him make his claim; and he asked that the land above
should be filled with cattle in the morning. It was well; and he played no
other game, but went home. On
the third morning Morraha went to the brink of the
sea, and he saw the young man coming. He drew up his boat on the shore and
asked him would he play cards. They played, and Morraha
won the game; and the young man bade him give his claim. And he said he would
have a castle and a wife, the finest and fairest in the world; and they were
his. It was well; and the Red Champion went away. On
the fourth day his wife asked him how he had found her. And he told her.
"And I am going out," said he, "to play again today." "I
forbid you to go again to him. If you have won so much, you will lose more;
have no more to do with him." But
he went against her will, and he saw the currach
coming; and the Red Champion was driving his balls from end to end of the currach; he had bails of silver and a hurl of gold, and
he stopped not till he drew his boat on the shore, and made her fast for a
year and a day. Morraha and he saluted each other;
and he asked Morraha if he would play a game of
cards, and they played, and he won. Morraha said to
him, "Give your claim now." Said
he, "You will hear it too soon. I lay on you bonds of the art of the
Druid, not to sleep two nights in one house, nor finish a second meal at the
one table, till you bring me the sword of light and news of the death of Anshgayliacht." He
went home to his wife and sat down in a chair, and gave a groan, and the
chair broke in pieces. "That
is the groan of the son of a king under spells," said his wife;
"and you had better have taken my counsel than that the spells should be
on you." He
told her he had to bring news of the death of Anshgayliacht
and the sword of light to the Slender Red Champion. "Go
out," said she, "in the morning of the morrow, and take the bridle
in the window. and shake it; and whatever beast, handsome or ugly, puts its
head in it, take that one with you. Do not speak a word to her till she
speaks to you ; and take with you three pint bottles of ale and three
sixpenny loaves, and do the thing she tells you; and when she runs to my
father's land, on a height above the castle, she will shake herself, and the
bells will ring, and my father will say, ' Brown Allree
is in the land. And if the son of a king or queen is there, bring him to me
on your shoulders; but if it is the son of a poor man, let him come no
further.' " He
rose in the morning, and took the bridle that was in the window, and went out
and shook it; and Brown Allree came and put her
head in it. He took the three loaves and three bottles of ale, and went
riding; and when he was riding she bent her head down to take hold of her
feet with her mouth, in hopes he would speak in ignorance; but he spoke not a
word during the time, and the mare at last spoke to him, and told him to
dismount and give her her dinner. He gave her the
sixpenny loaf toasted, and a bottle of ale to drink. "Sit
up now riding, and take good heed of yourself: there are three miles of fire
I have to clear at a leap." She
cleared the three miles of fire at a leap, and asked if he were still riding,
and he said he was. Then they went on, and she told him to dismount and give
her a meal; and he did so, and gave her a sixpenny loaf and a bottle ; she
consumed them and said to him there were before them three miles of hill
covered with steel thistles, and that she must clear it. She cleared the hill
with a leap, and she asked him if he were still riding, and he said he was.
They went on, and she went not far before she told him to give her a meal,
and he gave her the bread and the bottleful. She went over three miles of sea
with a leap, and she came then to the land of the King of France; she went up
on a height above the castle, and she shook herself and neighed, and the
bells rang; and the king said that it was Brown Allree
was in the land. "Go
out," said he; "and if it is the son of a king or queen, carry him
in on your shoulders; if it is not, leave him there." They
went out; and the stars of the son of a king were on his breast; they lifted
him high on their shoulders arid bore him in to the king. They passed the
night cheerfully, playing and drinking, with sport and with diversion, till
the whiteness of the day came upon the morrow morning. Then
the young king told the cause of his journey, and he asked the queen to give
him counsel and good luck, and she told him everything he was to do. "Go
now," said she, "and take with you the best mare in the stable, and
go to the door of Rough Niall of the Speckled Rock, and knock, and call on
him to give you news of the death of Anshgayliacht
and the sword of light : and let the horse's back be to the door, and apply
the spurs, and away with you." In
the morning he did so, and he took the best horse from the stable and rode to
the door of Niall, and turned the horse's back to the door, and demanded news
of the death of Anshgayliacht and the sword of
light; then he applied the spurs, and away with him. Niall followed him hard,
and, as he was passing the gate, cut the horse in two. His wife was there
with a dish of puddings and flesh, and she threw it in his eyes and blinded
him, and said, "Fool ! whatever kind of man it is that's mocking you,
isn't that a fine condition you have got your father's horse into?" On
the morning of the next day Morraha rose, and took
another horse from the stable, and went again to the door of Niall, and
knocked and demanded news of the death of Anshgayliacht
and the sword of light, and applied the spurs to the horse and away with him.
Niall followed, and as Morraha was passing, the
gate cut the horse in two and took half the saddle with him ; but his wife
met him and threw flesh in his eyes and blinded him. On
the third day, Morraha went again to the door of
Niall; and Niall followed him, and as he was passing the gate cut away the
saddle from under him and the clothes from his back, then his wife said to
Niall: "The fool that's mocking you, is out yonder in the little currach, going home; and take good heed to yourself; and
don't sleep one wink for three days." For
three days the little currach kept in sight, but
then Niall's wife came to him and said : "Sleep
as much as you want now. He is gone." He
went to sleep, and there was heavy sleep on him, and Morraha
went in and took hold of the sword that was on the bed at his head. And the
sword thought to draw itself out of the hand of Morraha
; but it failed. Then it gave a cry, and it wakened Niall, and Niall said it
was a rude and rough thing to come into his house like that ; and said Morraha to him : "Leave
your much talking, or I will cut the head off you. Tell me the news of the
death of Anshgayliacht." "Oh,
you can have my head." "But
your head is no good to me; tell me the story." "Oh,"
said Niall's wife, "you must get the story." "Well,"
said Niall, "let us sit down together till I tell the story. I thought no
one would ever get it ; but now it will be heard by all." The Story When
I was growing up, my mother taught me the language of the birds ; and when I
got married, I used to be listening to their conversation ; and I would be laughing;
and my wife would be asking me what was the reason of my laughing, but I did
not like to tell her, as women are always asking questions. We went out
walking one fine morning, and the birds were arguing with one another. One of
them said to another: "Why
should you be comparing yourself with me, when there is not a king nor knight
that does not come to look at my tree?" "What
advantage has your tree over mine, on which there are three rods of magic
mastery growing ?" When
I heard them arguing, and knew that the rods were there, I began to laugh. "Oh,"
asked my wife, " why are you always laughing? I believe it is at myself
you are jesting, and I'll walk with you no more." "Oh,
it is not about you I am laughing. It is because I understand the language of
the birds." Then
I had to tell her what the birds were saying to one another; and she was
greatly delighted, and she asked me to go home, and she gave orders to the
cook to have breakfast ready at six o'clock in the morning. I did not know
why she was going out early, and breakfast was ready in the morning at the
hour she appointed. She asked me to go out walking. I went with her. She went
to the tree, and asked me to cut a rod for her. "Oh,
I will not cut it. Are we not better without it?" "I
will not leave this until I get the rod, to see if there is any good in
it." I
cut the rod and gave it to her. She turned from me and struck a blow on a
stone, and changed it; and she struck a second blow on me, and made of me a
black raven, and she went home and left me after her. I thought she would
come back; she did not come, and I had to go into a tree till morning. In the
morning, at six o'clock, there was a bellman out, proclaiming that every one
who killed a raven would get a fourpenny-bit. At
last you could not find man or boy without a gun, nor, if you were to walk
three miles, a raven that was not killed. I had to make a nest in the top of
the parlour chimney, and hide myself all day till
night came, and go out to pick up a bit to support me, till I spent a month.
Here she is herself to say if it is a lie I am telling. "It
is not," said she. Then
I saw her out walking. I went up to her, and I thought she would turn me back
to my own shape, and she struck me with the rod and made of me an old white
horse, and she ordered me to be put to a cart with a man, to draw stones from
morning till night. I was worse off then. She spread abroad a report that I
had died suddenly in my bed, and prepared a coffin, and waked and buried me.
Then she had no trouble. But when I got tired I began to kill every one who
came near me, and I used to go into the haggard every night and destroy the
stacks of corn; and when a man came near me in the morning I would follow him
till I broke his bones. Every one got afraid of me. When she saw I was doing
mischief she came to meet me, and I thought she would change me. And
she did change me, and made a fox of me. When I saw she was doing me every
sort of damage I went away from her. I knew there was a badger's hole in the
garden, and I went there till night came, and I made great slaughter among
the geese and ducks. There she is herself to say if I am telling a lie. "Oh
! you are telling nothing but the truth, only less than the truth." When
she had enough of my killing the fowl she came out into the garden, for she
knew I was in the badger's hole. She came to me and made me a wolf. I had to
be off, and go to an island, where no one at all would see me, and now and
then I used to be killing sheep, for there were not many of them, and I was afraid
of being seer and hunted; and so I passed a year, till a shepherd saw me
among the sheep and a pursuit was made after me. And when the dogs came near
me there was no place for me to escape to from them; but I recognised the sign of the king among the men, and I made
for him, and the king cried out to stop the hounds. I took a leap upon the
front of the king's saddle, and the woman behind cried out, "My
king and my lord, kill him, or he will kill you!" "Oh
he will not kill me, He knew me ; he must be pardoned." The
king took me home with him, and gave orders I should be well cared for. I was
so wise, when I got food, I would not eat one morsel until I got a knife and
fork. The man told the king, and the king came to see if it was true, and I
got a knife and fork, and I took the knife in one paw and the fork in the
other, and I bowed to the king. The king gave orders to bring him drink, and
it came; and the king filled a glass of wine and gave it to me. I
took hold of it in my paw and drank it, and thanked the king. "On
my honour," said he, "it is some king or
other has lost him, when he came on the island; and I will keep him, as he is
trained ; and perhaps he will serve us yet." And
this is the sort of king he was, - a king who had not a child living. Eight
sons were born to him and three daughters, and they were stolen the same
night they were born. No matter what guard was placed over them, the child
would be gone in the morning. A twelfth child now came to the Queen, and the
king took me with him to watch the baby. The
women were not satisfied with me. "Oh,"
said the king, "what was all your watching ever good for? One that was
born to me I have not I will leave this one in the dog's care, and he will not
let it go." A
coupling was put between me and the cradle, and when every one went to sleep
I was watching till the person woke who attended in the daytime; but I was
there only two nights; when it was near the day, I saw a hand coming down
through the chimney, and the hand was so big that it took round the child
altogether, and thought to take him away. I caught hold of the hand above the
wrist, and as I was fastened to the cradle, I did not let go my hold till I
cut the hand from the wrist, and there was a howl from the person without. I
laid the hand in the cradle with the child, and as I was tired I fell asleep;
and when I awoke, I had neither child nor hand; and I began to howl, and the
king heard me, and he cried out that something was wrong with me, and he sent
servants to see what was the matter with me, and when the messenger came he
saw me covered with blood, and he could not see the child; and he went to the
king and told him the child was not to be got. The king came and saw the
cradle coloured with the blood, and he cried out
"where was the child gone?" and every one said it was the dog had
eaten it. The
king said: "It is not : loose him, and he will get the pursuit
himself." When
I was loosed, I found the scent of the blood till I came to a door of the
room in which the child was. I went back to the king and took hold of him,
and went back again and began to tear at the door. The king followed me and
asked for the key. The servant said it was in the room of the stranger woman.
The king caused search to be made for her, and she was not to be found.
"I will break the door," said the king, "as I can't get the
key." The king broke the door, and I went in, and went to the trunk, and
the king asked for a key to unlock it. He got no key, and be broke the lock.
When he opened the trunk, the child and the hand were stretched side by side,
and the child was asleep. The king took the hand and ordered a woman to come
for the child, and he showed the hand to every one in the house. But the
stranger woman was gone, and she did not see the king ; - and here she is
herself to say if I am telling lies of her. "Oh,
it's nothing but the truth you have!" The
king did not allow me to be tied any more. He said there was nothing so much
to wonder at as that I cut the hand off, as I was tied. The
child was growing till he was a year old. He was beginning to walk, and no
one cared for him more than I did. He was growing till he was three, and he
was running out every minute ; so the king ordered a silver chain to be put
between me and the child, that he might not go away from me. I was out with
him in the garden every day, and the king was as proud as the world of the
child. He would be watching him everywhere we went, till the child grew so
wise that he would loose the chain and get off. But one day that he loosed it
I failed to find him; and I ran into the house and searched the house, but
there was no getting him for me. The king cried to go out and find the child,
that had got loose from the dog. They went searching for him, but could not
find him. When they failed altogether to find him, there remained no more favour with the king towards me, and every one disliked
me, and I grew weak, for I did not get a morsel to eat half the time. When
summer came, I said I would try and go home to my own country. I went away
one fine morning, and I went swimming, and God helped me till I came home. I
went into the garden, for I knew there was a place in the garden where I
could hide myself, for fear my wife should see me. In the morning I saw her
out walking, and the child with her, held by the hand. I pushed out to see
the child, and as he was looking about him everywhere, he saw me and called
out, "I see my shaggy papa. Oh ! " said he; "oh, my heart's
love, my shaggy papa, come here till I see you !' I
was afraid the woman would see me, as she was asking the child where he saw
me, and he said I was up in a tree; and the more the child called me, the
more I hid myself. The
woman took the child home with her, but I knew he would be up early in the
morning. I
went to the parlour-window, and the child was
within, and he playing. When he saw me he cried out," Oh ! my heart's
love, come here till I see you, shaggy papa." I broke the window and
went in, and he began to kiss me. I saw the rod in front of the chimney, and
I jumped up at the rod and knocked it down. "Oh ! my heart's love, no
one would give me the pretty rod," said he. I hoped he would strike me
with the rod, but he did not. When I saw the time was short I raised my paw,
and I gave him a scratch below the knee. " Oh ! you naughty, dirty,
shaggy papa, you have hurt me so much, I'll give you a blow of the rod."
He struck me a light blow, and so I came back to my own shape again. When he
saw a man standing before him he gave a cry, and I took him up in my arms.
The servants heard the child. A maid came in to see what was the matter with
him. When she saw me she gave a cry out of her, and she said, "Oh, if
the master isn't come to life again. !" Another
came in, and said it was he really. When the mistress heard of it, she came
to see with her own eyes, for she would not believe I was there ; and when
she saw me she said she'd drown herself. But I said to her, "If you
yourself will keep the secret, no living man will ever get the story from me
until I lose my head." Here she is herself to say if I am telling the
truth. "
Oh, it's nothing but truth you are telling." When
I saw I was in a man's shape, I said I would take the child back to his
father and mother, as I knew the grief they were in after him. I got a ship,
and took the child with me; and as I journeyed I came to land, on an island,
and I saw not a living soul on it, only a castle dark and gloomy. I went in
to see was there any one in it. There was no one but an old hag, tall and frightful,
and she asked me, "What sort of person are you.?" I heard some one
groaning in another room, and I said I was a doctor, and I asked her what
ailed the person who was groaning. "Oh,"
said she, "it is my son, whose hand has been bitten from his wrist by a
dog." I
knew then that it was he who had taken the child from me, and I said I would
cure him if I got a good reward. "I
have nothing; but there are eight young lads and three young women, as
handsome as any one ever laid eyes on, and if you cure him I will give you
them." "Tell
me first in what place his hand was cut from him?" "Oh,
it was out in another country, twelve years ago." "Show
me the way, that I may see him." She
brought me into a room, so that I saw him, and his arm was swelled up to the
shoulder. He asked me if I would cure him; and I said I would cure him if he
would give me the reward his mother promised. "Oh,
I will give it ; but cure me." "Well, bring them out to me." The
hag brought them out of the room. I said I should burn the flesh that was on
his arm. When I looked on him he was howling with pain. I said that I would
not leave him in pain long. The wretch had only one eye in his forehead. I
took a bar of iron, and put it in the fire till it was red, and I said to the
hag, "He will be howling at first, but will fall asleep presently, and
do not wake him till he has slept as much as he wants. I will close the door
when I am going out." I took the bar with me, and I stood over him, and
I turned it across through his eye as far as I could. He began to bellow, and
tried to catch me, but I was out and away, having closed the door. The hag
asked me, "Why is he bellowing?" "Oh,
he will be quiet presently, and will sleep for a good while, and I'll come again
to have a look at him ; but bring me out the young men and the young
women." I
took them with me, and I said to her, "Tell me where you got them." "My
son brought them with him, and they are all the children of one king." I
was well satisfied, and I had no wish for delay to get myself free from the
hag, so I took them on board the ship, and the child I had myself. I thought
the king might leave me the child I nursed myself; but when I came to land,
and all those young people with me, the king and queen were out walking. The
king was very aged, and the queen aged likewise. When I came to converse with
them, and the twelve with me, the king and queen began to cry. I asked,
"Why are you crying?" "It
is for good cause I am crying. As many children as these I should have, and
now I am withered, grey, at the end of my life, and I have not one at
all." I
told him all I went through, and I gave him the child in his hand, and
"These are your other children who were stolen from you, whom I am
giving to you safe. They are gently reared." When
the king heard who they were he smothered them with kisses and drowned them
with tears, and dried them with fine cloths silken and the hair of his own
head, and so also did their mother, and great was his welcome for me, as it
was I who found them all. The king said to me, "I will give you the last
child, as it is you who have earned him best; but you must come to my court
every year, and the child with you, and I will share with you my possessions. "I
have enough of my own, and after my death I will leave it to the child." I
spent a time, till my visit was over, and I told the king all the troubles I
went through, only I said nothing about my wife. And now you have the story. And
now when you go home, and the Slender Red Champion asks you for news of the
death of Anshgayliacht and for the sword of light,
tell him the way in which his brother was killed, and say you have the sword
; and he will ask the sword from you. Say you to him, "If I promised to
bring it to you, I did not promise to bring it for you ;" and then throw
the sword into the air a nd it will come back to
me. He
went home, and he told the story of the death of Anshgayliacht
to the Slender Red Champion, "And here," said he, "is the
sword." The Slender Red Champion asked for the sword ; but he said:
"If I promised to bring it to you, I did not promise to bring it for
you;" and he threw it into the air and it returned to Blue Niall. Source:
Joseph Jacobs, More Celtic Fairy Tales, 1894 Internet
sacred text archive http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mcft/mcft08.htm
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