, and throwing his leg over the
stick saddle, rode away like the wind.

On the third morning the king got up as usual before dawn, and as soon
as he had eaten food he prepared to go out, when his wife stopped him.
'I would rather,' she said, 'that you did not go to play with the
Gruagach, for though twice _you_ have won yet some day _he_ will win,
and then he will put trouble upon you.'

'Oh! I _must_ have one more game,' cried the king; 'just this one,' and
he went off to the house of the Gruagach.

* * * * *

Joy filled the heart of the Gruagach when he saw him coming, and without
waiting to talk they played their game. Somehow or other, the king's
strength and skill had departed from him, and soon the Gruagach was the
victor.

'Choose your prize,' said the king, when the game was ended, 'but do not
be too hard on me, or ask what I cannot give.'

'The prize I choose,' answered the Gruagach, 'is that the crop-headed
creature should take thy head and thy neck, if thou dost not get for me
the Sword of Light that hangs in the house of the king of the oak
windows.'

'I will get it,' replied the young man bravely, but as soon as he was
out of sight of the Gruagach, he pretended no more, and his face grew
dark and his steps lagging.

'You have brought nothing with you to-night,' said the queen, who was
standing on the steps awaiting him. She was so beautiful that the king
was fain to smile when he looked at her, but then he remembered what had
happened, and his heart grew heavy again.

'What is it? What is the matter? Tell me thy sorrow that I may bear it
with thee, or, it may be, help thee!' Then the king told her everything
that had befallen him, and she stroked his hair the while.

'That is nothing to grieve about,' she said when the tale was finished.
'You have the best wife in Erin, and the best horse in Erin. Only do as
I bid you, and all will go well.' And the king suffered himself to be
comforted.

He was still sleeping when the queen rose and dressed herself, to make
everything ready for her husband's journey, and the first place she went
to was the stable, where she fed and watered the shaggy brown horse and
put the saddle on it. Most people thought this saddle was of wood, and
did not see the little sparkles of gold and silver that were hidden in
it. She strapped it lightly on the horse's back, and then led it down
before the house, where the king waited.

'Good luck