nd there was
a little stream that made the mering between the two fields. And the
foal took a habit of crossing over the stream to the other field where
the _garran_ was; and it got to be so friendly with him, and so fond of
him, that at last it was hardly it would come back at all. And the man
the other field belonged to laid a claim to it, where it was always in
his ground.
'So the case was brought before the king; and he thought a long time,
and at last he said to put the foal in a house that had two doors, one
on each side, and to put the _garran_ outside one door and the mare
outside the other, and to see which would the foal follow. And they did
that, and the foal followed the _garran_, and it was given to the owner.
'And the man it was taken from was vexed; and he went to the queen, and
he told the injustice that was done to him. And she bade him to get a
fishing-rod, and to go fishing in the river; and when the king would go
by, to turn and to be fishing on the dry land.
'So he did that; and when the king was coming by, he turned and began
fishing on the dry land. And the king stopped and asked why was he doing
that. And the answer he gave was: "I think it no more foolish to be
fishing on dry land than to believe that a foal would belong to a
_garran_."
'When the king heard that, he guessed it was his own wife had given the
answer to the man; and he went back and asked was it true she had put
the man up to do what he had done. "It is true," she said. "Then you may
clear out of this," he said, "and go back to your own place; for I won't
keep a wife in the house that will be upsetting my judgments." "I must
go if you bid me to," she said; "but do you remember your promise to me,
to bring away three ass-loads with me of whatever I would choose?" "You
may do that," he said. So she got the three asses, and on the first she
put her clothes and some money. And on the second she put her two
children. And then she came back to her husband and stooped down before
him. "Get up on my back," she said, "till I put you on the ass, for it
is yourself I choose to bring along with me for my third load. So long
as I have you and the children with me, what do I care where I go?" "If
that is so," said the king, "you may as well bring in your things again
and stop with me. And I will never drive you away again," he said.'
* * * * *
Another man said: 'There was a man in Ballinasloe Asylum tha
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