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Part II
Kings and Warriors
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12
The King Who Could Not Sleep
Long ago King Cormac was king of all Ireland. He had palaces in many places, and when the summer would come, the king would travel from one to another, partly for pastime and partly to hear how his kingdom was getting on.
Cormac had one son but he died. He was left with three daughters as beautiful as human eye had ever seen. They had nothing to trouble them night or morning but sport and pleasure—walking along the shore, bathing, and so on. And when Cormac returned home in the evening, they ran out joyfully to meet him with a kiss.
Things went on in that way until a very warm summer came. On the first day of June, King Cormac decided that he and his wife would make a tour through Ireland, spending awhile in each of his palaces. He took many of his servants with him and ordered new servants to be hired in their stead until he returned. He intended to be away for three months: June, July, and August. He was made very welcome at each of his palaces, and the people there would run out to meet him when he arrived.
The three daughters remained at home and were in and out each day as usual, enjoying themselves. You have often heard, however, that when the cat is out the mice may dance—and that was the way with King Cormac’s daughters.
There was a big lake below the palace, and nothing would satisfy them but to go swimming there, although they had often been warned not to. Well, a very fine warm day came, and the three went out swimming in the lake. The youngest girl was not as strong as the others. When they were out in the middle of the lake, a big otter raised his head near them. The three made for the shore as fast as they could, but the otter overtook the youngest and swam with her until she was close to the edge. The two eldest ran home crying and told the servants that their sister had been killed by an otter. When the servants reached the edge of the lake, they were met by the girl on her way home, but she was without any clothes. They were delighted that she was alive. (But wait till you hear what happened. This story is as true as gospel.)
Time passed until King Cormac sent a letter to say that he would arrive home on a certain day. All were glad at the news: the neighbors, his daughters, and the servants. It was customary for the daughters to go to meet their father whenever he returned, and this time they went a couple of miles along the road to greet him. When they met him, each of them ran to shake his hand and to kiss him. The two eldest were in front and the youngest behind.
When she put out her hand toward her father, he shouted, “Get out of my sight! Three months ago when I left home, you had a maiden’s look in your eye and the bloom of youth in your cheeks; now I see that you are a pregnant woman.”
The poor creature ran off in tears. When Cormac reached the palace, he went into the large room and seated himself on a magnificent chair. Cooks were moving about, preparing a meal. Cormac shouted that his youngest daughter should come to him.
“What do you want me for, Father?” she asked.
“Get down on your two knees on the floor,” said he, “and tell me what happened to you since I left, or I will put my sword through your body.”
She finally told him, crying and moaning, what had happened to her with the otter in the lake.
“I believe what you tell me,” said the king; “if you had told me anything else except the truth, I would have cut off your head. I know that you could not have avoided what happened and could not save yourself. It may be all for the best.”
Time went by, and a midwife had to be found. A fine son without deformity or blemish was born to King Cormac’s daughter. The old king was delighted at the birth of a boy, since his own son had died. Oh, such care was never lavished on any child in the kingdom. They took him out on their shoulders and in on their shoulders. Everything he asked for was given to him, and he grew strong and healthy.
When he was seven years old, he was sent to school, and when he had learned enough he walked in and out and here and there with the king. He called Cormac his father—he didn’t know anything better. One day, while they were walking along the shore, Cormac complained that he felt tired.
“I have been noticing, Father,” said the boy, “that for the past few years you have been failing in health and getting stiff of limb. Wouldn’t it be better for you to hand over the crown and the ruling of the country to me? I’m fine and young and clever enough to look after your affairs, and you won’t have to leave the palace at all.”
“What put that into your head, my dear boy?” asked Cormac. “Don’t you know that you will rule the country soon enough? There is no one else to fill my place but you.”
A good while after that, they went out together another day, and when they were returning home, the old man complained that he was tired.
“You had better hand over the throne to me,” said the boy. “Then you can rest at home always.”
“Whoever put that notion into your head, my treasure,” said the king, “were no friends of yours. I don’t wish to hand over the throne to you as long as I am able to move about myself. You are sure to take my place, as I have no other son.”
At that, the young fellow spoke in an angry voice, “If you don’t give it to me willingly, I will take it in spite of you.”
When he reached home, the boy asked his mother to get some food ready for him.
“What is wrong with you, my son?” she asked.
“My father won’t hand over the ruling of the country to me. Well, if he doesn’t do it of his own accord, I’ll take it by force.”
His mother took no great notice of this until he became unfriendly toward the whole household and they couldn’t get any good word from him.
He took food for the road with him and walked all day until the late evening came on him. He saw a light in a big house by the roadside, and he went in. The old hag who was inside had all the welcome of the world for him, King Cormac’s son. She well knew who he was, and she asked him to stay until morning. He did and before leaving, he asked her where was Fionn mac Cumhaill living. She told him, as well as she was able, how far off Fionn’s castle was and said that he would be sure to get work there.
“You’ll get there by nightfall,” said she; “just when the soldiers are returning home.”
It was true. He walked on all day, and at nightfall he came to Fionn’s place. He met the soldiers in the street and asked where their master was. Fionn came out, and the boy told him that he wished to be hired.
“How much pay will you want?” asked Fionn.
“The bargain I want to make with you is this,” said the boy. “I will stay with you for a year and a day, and if you find any fault with me, you can pay me whatever you wish. But if you find no fault with me, I will fix my own reward.”
“That’s a bargain,” said Fionn.
Fionn thought that he would surely find some fault with the lad; nobody was perfect; so the boy entered the service of Fionn.
Back at the palace, poor King Cormac was troubled and feeling his age as well. Near the palace was a small house in which Gaibhne Gabha lived; he looked after King Cormac’s horses and shod them and did other jobs about the palace. This smith had three daughters, the youngest of whom was sixteen or seventeen years of age. King Cormac went to the smith and suggested that if he sent the youngest daughter to work in the palace he would lose nothing by it. The smith said that, of course, he would and welcome; so the daughter entered the king’s service.
She was there only two days when the king’s wife died. She was old. He was alone now, having neither wife nor son. After she was buried, the whole household was very sorry for the king and they prayed every day that he might be consoled.
One day the thought struck him, that if he married the smith’s young daughter, God might send them an heir for the throne. Although the girl was very young, the king spoke to her, and she agreed to marry him, so they were married according to the custom of the time.
Time passed until the boy’s year and day of service with Fionn was coming to an end. Fionn realized that, unless he found some fault with the boy, he could deprive him of the leadership of the Fianna. He went to visit an old wise man who was blind. This old man was a prophet, and Fionn told him about the bargain he had made with the boy.
“You’ll catch him out without any delay,” said the old man, “if you follow my advice. Leave your sword outside your door tonight when you are going to bed. Don’t fall asleep. About two or three o’clock in the morning, call the boy’s name and, if he doesn’t answer, you’ll have found fault with him.”
“I’ll try it,” said Fionn.
Fionn went home and that night when they had all gone to bed, he left his sword outside the door. He stayed awake till between two and three o’clock; then he called the boy by name.
“What do you want me for, master?” asked the boy, pulling on his clothes.
“I forgot my sword outside the door,” said Fionn. “If it rains, it will get rusty.”
The boy went out and brought in the sword. He then asked Fionn if he wanted anything else; Fionn said he didn’t.
Next day Fionn made off the blind old man again and told him what had happened.
“Well, you have only one other night left,” said the old man. “If you don’t catch him, there’s nothing to be done. Call him by name at the same time tonight; if he answers you, you’ll have lost your chance.”
That night Fionn called the boy by name when all were asleep.
“What do you want me for, master?” asked the boy, jumping out of bed and pulling on his trousers.
When he reached where Fionn was lying, Fionn pretended to be asleep and snoring.
“What do you want me for?” asked the boy.
“Did I call you?” asked Fionn.
“You did, indeed,” said the boy.
“If I did, it must have been in my sleep,” replied Fionn.
The boy went back to bed. Next day the year and day were up.
“I hope,” said Fionn, “that you will not take the leadership of the Fianna from me. You are the best boy I have ever had under my roof.”
“I don’t want to take any leadership from you,” replied the boy. “I haven’t even thought of it. All I want is that you fight King Cormac for a day.”
“O my!” cried Fionn. “What am I to do? Isn’t he the king that’s over me? But that’s the bargain, and I must carry it out. What day would you like it to be?”
“Any day that suits yourself,” said the boy.
“Well,” said Fionn, “we must give King Cormac a chance to get his army together.”
“I’ll give him a month from today,” said the boy. “And I will convey the news to him.”
And so he did. He made off to King Cormac and said to him, “Since you wouldn’t give me the crown of your own free will, I will make you give it to me by force, unless you defeat Fionn’s army and myself a month from today.”
He returned to Fionn and carried on as he had done.
A few days before the battle was to take place, King Cormac spoke to his wife, “You had better go home to your father,” said he, “because I will be killed in this battle and so would you.”
He put his hand into his pocket and took out a belt with a yellow plate on it on which his own name was inscribed.
“Now,” said he, “if God sends you any child, which I hope He will, put this belt on him; and when he will be able to read this inscription, he will know his father’s name and gain his rights from the thief who is coming to take his place. On the morning of the day of battle, you are to come out on the field to me, and I...
