’So they went back home; but the next day he went down to the shore again, and the same thing happened.  The young man lay down to rest, and the nurse put a sleeping-pin in his ear, and the ship came when he was asleep, and it went away again.

’But this time the lady in the ship wrote a letter and left it on the strand; and when the king’s son awoke, and that the nurse told him there had no ship come, he was distracted, and went wandering about on the strand, and there he found the letter; and it told him what to do, and the way the nurse had deceived him.

’So the next day when he went to the shore and the nurse followed him, he brought her where there was a well, and put a stone about her neck and pushed her in, and she was seen no more.

’Then he went down to the shore, and he met the lady; but she said:  “I cannot bring you with me now, but I will leave the ship with you, and you must follow till you find me.”

’And he took the ship, and she gave him directions; and he went on till he came to a country a long way off, and a wood in it, and a house in the wood, and an old man sitting in it.

’And he told the old man all that had happened, and how he was looking for the lady.  And the old man gave him clothes to put on, and a place to wash himself, till he was as fresh and fair as before he set out.

’And then he sent for a pony, and he said:  “I will give you this pony that will bring you where she is; and when you get there, you must put the bridle on his neck, and put the saddle cross-ways, and turn his head back here again.”

’So then he got on the pony’s back; and it flew away with him through the air, till at last it put him down on land, near a great castle.  And he turned the saddle cross-ways, and put the bridle on the pony’s neck, and turned its head, and it went back to where it came from.

’Then he went on to the castle; and he went in and asked the Master to take him as a serving-man.  And the Master said he would, and he said:  “The work you have to do to-night is to attend to the horse that is in the stable, and that belongs to my daughter.”

’But before the young man did that, he went to look for the young lady, and he saw her looking out of a window; and he went up to her, and she knew him, and gave him a welcome.  And she said:  “The Master of the house knows well who you are, and that it is to bring me away you are come; and that is the reason he bade you go to clean and to attend to the horse in the stable; for it is wicked, and it would make an end of you.  But,” says she, “take these brushes and these shammys and bring them along with you into the stable, and the horse will be as quiet as a lamb; and in place of wanting to kill you, he will love you.  And when night comes,” says she, “he will come to us, and we will get on his back, and he will bring us away.”

’So all happened as she said, and the horse came at night, and they both of them got on his back; and away with him, and never stopped till he brought them back to Ireland, and to this country.