So he did what was appointed for him and went home.  But when he did so he had no peace for the wonder of the secret that he had learned preyed upon his mind so that he could not rest for thinking of it and longing to reveal it, and at last he fell into a wasting sickness from it, and was near to die.  Then there was brought to see him a wise druid, who was skilled in all maladies of the mind and body, and after he had talked with the youth he said to his mother, “Thy son is dying of the burden of a secret which he may not reveal to any man, but until he reveals it he will have no ease.  Let him, therefore, walk along the high way till he comes to a place where four roads meet.  Let him then turn to the right, and the first tree that he shall meet on the roadside let him tell the secret to it, and so it may be he shall be relieved, and his vow will not be broken.”

The mother told her son of the druid’s advice, and next day he went upon his way till he came to four cross roads, and he took the road upon the right, and the first tree he found was a great willow-tree.  So the young man laid his cheek against the bark, and he whispered the secret to the tree, and as he turned back homeward he felt lightened of his burden, and he leaped and sang, and ere many days were past he was as well and light hearted as ever he had been in his life.

Some while after that it happened that the King’s harper, namely Craftiny, broke the straining-post of his harp and went out to seek for a piece of wood wherewith to mend it.  And the first timber he found that would fit the purpose was the willow-tree by the cross roads.  He cut it down, therefore, and took as much as would give him a new straining-post, and he bore it home with him and mended his harp with it.  That night he played after meat before the King and his lords as he was wont, but whatever he played and sang the folk that listened to him seemed to hear only one thing, “Two horse’s ears hath Labra the Sailor.”

Then the King plucked off his hood, and after that he made no secret of his ears and none suffered on account of them thenceforward.

CHAPTER IV

King Iubdan and King Fergus

It happened on a day when Fergus son of Leda was King of Ulster, that Iubdan, King of the Leprecauns or Wee Folk, of the land of Faylinn, held a great banquet and assembly of the lords and princes of the Wee Folk.  And all their captains and men of war came thither, to show their feats before the King, among whom was the strong man, namely Glowar, whose might was such that with his battle-axe he could hew down a thistle at one stroke.  Thither also came the King’s heir-apparent.  Tiny, son of Tot, and the Queen Bebo with her maidens; and there were also the King’s harpers and singing-men, and the chief poet of the court, who was called Eisirt.

All these sat down to the feast in due order and precedence, with Bebo on the King’s right hand and the poet on his left, and Glowar kept the door.  Soon the wine began to flow from the vats of dark-red yew-wood, and the carvers carved busily at great haunches of roast hares and ribs of field-mice; and they all ate and drank, and loudly the hall rang with gay talk and laughter, and the drinking of toasts, and clashing of silver goblets.