King Cormac sighed a heavy sigh when he heard this. "A promise is a promise," he said, and he sent for Ailbe. And when she came upon the ramparts he put her hand into the juggler's hand. He with a sweep of his arm, put his cloak around her, and in a minute the girl and the stranger were gone from the rampart; none of the King's guards knew in what direction they had gone.
When the heavy-hearted King told his wife what had befallen she raised a wail, and then the women knew what the wail was for, they began too, and there was wailing all over Tara. Cormac shook the Bell-branch and the wailing ceased; everyone, even Ailbe's mother, hearing the music of the peal, felt that loss was far from them and happiness beside them. When the music ceased, such was their entrancement, the loss of Ailbe was hardly remembered.
May-day came again, and King Cormac, looking over the rampart, saw the juggler coming across the plain of Tara, and knew that the second of the boons would be claimed by him. He said, "What would you have from me now?"
The juggler answered, "Your son, Cairbre."
"A promise is a promise," said King Cormac, "and even this one must be kept." He sent for his son, and when the brave youth stepped to the rampart, Cormac put his hand into the other's hand. Then the juggler flung his cloak about the King's son, and in a minute the pair were gone, and the guards did not know in what direction.
Cormac was heavy-hearted; he told his wife what had befallen and she raised a wail, and when they knew what she was wailing for the women of Tara wailed too, and there was wailing in hall and chamber. But when the Bell-branch was shaken they all became untroubled; all happiness seemed to be beside them, and the loss of Cairbre, like the loss of Ailbe, became a far-away memory. And Cormac himself lost his sadness in his entrancement.
Now although his fair young daughter and his brave young son were taken from him, King Cormac's life in Tara was as it had been before. Men came to him and gave him outlandish stories and he believed them; people showed him things and he gave away what he had so that he might gain them; new men of lore and learning came to his court and he, instead of setting them to do things or explain things, let them join the others who did nothing but ask riddles and answer riddles and dispute and complain. And when anyone too sorrowfully remembered the loss of Ailbe and Cairbre, or when he remembered their loss himself, the King shook the silver branch and mournfulness left them and left him and happiness was beside them again. And this was the way in Tara until another May-day came around.
The King saw the juggler coming towards where he stood looking over the ramparts, and mournfulness came upon him, for he remembered that the third of the boons promised had still to be given him. And when the juggler came and stood beside him at the rampart, Cormac said, "Ask for your boon and it shall be given you, for a promise is a promise."
"A promise is a promise," said the juggler, "and I have come to get the third boon promised me. I ask you to let me have Eithne, your wife." |
