ed
them both again and again.

"Oh, children! children! You are welcome home to me; for though I knew
it was all for the best, my heart was lonely without you."

And Connla and Nora caught up the little mother in their arms, and
they carried her into the hall and set her down on the floor.

"Oh, Nora!" said the little mother, "you are a head over me; and as
for you, Connla, you look almost as tall as one of the round towers of
Erin."

"That's what the fairy queen said, mother," said Nora.

"Blessings on the fairy queen," said the little mother. "Turn round,
Connla, till I look at you."

Connla turned round, and the little mother said:

"Oh, Connla, with your golden helmet and your spear, and your glancing
shield, and your silken cloak, you look like a king. But take them
off, my boy, beautiful as they are. Your little mother would like to
see you, her own brave boy, without any fairy finery."

And Connla laid aside his spear and shield, and took off his golden
helmet and his silken cloak. Then he caught the little mother and
kissed her, and lifted her up until she was as high as his head. And
said he:

"Don't you know, little mother, I'd rather have you than all the
world."

And that night, when they were sitting down by the fire together, you
may be sure that in the whole world no people were half as happy as
Nora, Connla, and the little mother.

THE FAIRY TREE OF DOOROS.[6]

Once upon a time the fairies of the west, going home from a
hurling-match with the fairies of the lakes, rested in Dooros Wood for
three days and three nights. They spent the days feasting and the
nights dancing in the light of the moon, and they danced so hard that
they wore the shoes off their feet, and for a whole week after the
leprechauns, the fairies' shoemakers, were working night and day
making new ones, and the rip, rap, tap, tap of their little hammers
were heard in all the hedgerows.

The food on which the fairies feasted were little red berries, and
were so like those that grow on the rowan tree that if you only looked
at them you might mistake one for the other; but the fairy berries
grow only in fairyland, and are sweeter than any fruit that grows here
in this world, and if an old man, bent and grey, ate one of them, he
became young and active and strong again; and if an old woman,
withered and wrinkled, ate one of them, she became young and bright
and fair; and if a little maiden who was not handsome ate of