son.
When this boy grew up, he also married a water-woman, and, having so
much of their blood in his veins, he went down to live with his wife's
relations, leaving his father to do as well as he could by himself,
until he ascended the throne. When Barradin became king, he did not
marry a queen, or cut off people's heads, or go to war, or build
palaces; but he took his chief delight in music, and encouraged the love
of it among his people. So it was in the hope that one of his
descendants might some day sit upon the throne, that he composed the
magical music; for he knew that no one but a descendant of the
ocean-folk could sing that music, and none but those of his blood could
read it, for there was magic in his family.

When the music was finished, the King died. His mother was a sorceress,
and a very wicked old woman, who, when her son was dead, gave it out
that she herself was dying; for she had now lived so long that people
had begun to suspect something, and to think that she had too much to do
with magic. So she pretended to die, and was buried in the royal vault;
and at night she came out and went far away from the city to a great
cave in a lonely country where dwelt the demons and evil spirits who
were her servants. She now spent her life in wickedness. She it was who
put it into the heads of so many sensible people to contend for the
crown, and it was with joy that she saw them carried out to the asylum.
Many other evil thoughts she put into the hearts of the people, and she
was forever imagining and doing mischief.

When this young Princess, her great-grandchild, was born, Mahbracca
(that was the name of the old sorceress) was very much troubled, and
used all available means to destroy the infant; but her efforts were
vain, for the people of the ocean protected her from all enchantments.

As the Princess grew up, she loved to ramble on the white sands, and she
was once perceived there by a party of ladies from the palace, who had
persuaded her to come with them to their royal home, where she had now
been for a year. She knew not who she was, nor did her friends at the
palace; and her relations of the ocean had always hoped that some day
she would return to them. Now the sorceress feared that some day she
would happen to sing the magical music, and be made queen; and she hated
the poor girl so much, that she would not have had this happen for all
the world. Therefore it was, no doubt, that she had sent the Ni