forever filled with good wine. No matter how much was drunk
therefrom, the cup was never empty. The King chose this quest for
the reason that he was very fond of good wine and could never get
enough.

Shamus, therefore, like many others, set out to win the gold cup
from the King of the Little People. He slung his harp on his
shoulder and put a bit of bread and meat in a bag to stay him on
his journey, which promised to be long.

Now, Shamus, having been reared in the country, knew that the
Little People liked best to live in the hills and mountains. So to
the mountains he went, making songs to lighten the long way. He
made a song of running water, and of the wind in the trees, and of
moonlight upon a grassy slope, and these he liked better than any
songs he had yet composed.

At last he came to the hills and mountains and set himself to watch
for the Little People. Every moonlight night he sat by a green
hill, hoping that the Little People would come forth to dance, as
is their way, but never did he chance to see them, and he began to
despair of finding them. Nevertheless he was not sad, for he had
his harp, and the songs which came to him were beautiful, and he
cared even more for these than for the love of the Princess. One
day, as he sat in the woods playing upon his harp, he chanced to
look up, and there drew near a beautiful creature upon a beautiful
horse from whose mane hung many silver bells that chimed sweetly in
the wind.

"Play me a song if you are a harper," said she.

He played her his song of running water, and she liked it well; he
played his song of wind in the trees, which she liked yet better;
and then he played his song of moonlight on a grassy slope.

The beautiful creature clapped her hands.

"Come with me to Elfland," said she, "for I am Queen of that place,
and I will give you a coat of even cloth and make you a minstrel at
my court. Have you the courage to do so?"

"It is the one wish of my heart," said Shamus.

Accordingly, up he mounted behind the Queen of Elfland and away
flew her horse, the silver bells chiming in the wind.

For three days and nights they flew, and Shamus saw the moon turn
red and heard the roaring of the sea. At last they came to the
Court of Elfland, where, on a golden throne, sat the King of the
Little