, at all!" They pointed out and showed to
him how a hundred great knights had gone on the same errand before
him, and not one of them ever come back livin', and there was no use
in him throwin' away his life, for they couldn't afford to lose him.
But it was all no use; Jack was bound on going, and go he would. So,
the very next morning he was up at cock-crow, and afther leavin'
good-bye with the whole of them, and leavin' the King and the Queen in
tears, he started on his journey. And he travelled away afore him,
inquiring his way to the Castle of the Queen of the Golden Mines; and
he travelled and tramped for many a weary day, and for many a weary
week, and for many a weary month; till at last, when it was drawing on
twelve months from the day he left the Castle of the King of France,
one day tor'st evening he was travelling through a thick wood, when he
fell in with an old man, resting, with a great bundle of sticks by his
side; and "Me poor old man," says Jack, says he, "that's a mighty
great load entirely for a poor man of your years to be carryin'. Sure,
if ye'll allow me, I'll just take them with me for ye, as far as
you're goin'."
"Blissin's on ye!" says the ould man; "an' an ould man's blissin' atop
of that; an' thanky."
"Nobbut, thanky, yerself, for your good wishes," says Jack, says he,
throwin' the bundle of sticks on his shoulder, an' marchin' on by the
ould man's side. And they thravelled away through the wood till they
come at last to the ould man's cabin. And the ould man axed Jack to
come in and put up with him for the night, and such poor
accommodations as he had, Jack was heartily welcome to them. Jack
thanked him and went in and put up for the night with him, and in the
morning Jack told the ould man the arrand he was on and axed if he'd
diract him on his way to the Queen of the Golden Mines' Castle. Then
the ould man took out Jack, and showed him a copper castle glancing in
the sun, on a hill opposite, and told him that was his journey's end.
"But, me poor man," says he, "I would strongly advise ye not to go
next or near it. A hundred knights went there afore you on the
selfsame errand, and their heads are now stuck on a hundred spears
right afore the castle; for there's a fiery dragon guards it that
makes short work of the best of them."
But seeing Jack wasn't to be persuaded off his entherprise nohow, he
took him in and gave him a sword that carried ten men's strength in it
along with that
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