SHORT STORY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1019, 7 January 1911, Page 7

SHORT STORY.

THE COMING OF LUGH, A CELTIC WONDER-TALE. (Retold by Ella Young.)

Mananaan Mao Lir, who rules tho ocean, took the little Sun-God, Lugh, in his arms and held liini up so that ho could see tho whole' of Ireland with tho waves' whispering about it everywhere. "Say farewell to tho mountains and rivers and the big trees and tho flowers in Hie grass, 0 Lugli, for you arc coming away with me." The child stretched out his bands and cried: "Good-bye, mountains and flowers and rivers, somo day I will como back to you." Then Mananaan wrapped Lugh in his cloak and stepped into his boat, the Occan Sweeper, and without oar or sail they journeyed over the sea till-, they crossed the waters at the edge of tho world and came to tho country of -Mananaan—a beautiful country shining with the colours of. tho dawn. Lugh stayed in that country with Mananaan. He raced the waves along the strand; ho gathered apples sweeter than honey from trees with crimson bio ssoms, and wonderful birds came, to play with him. Mananaan's daughter, Niav, took him through woods where there were milk-white deer with horns of eold and black-maned lions and spotted panthers and unicorn;, that shone like silver, and strange beasts that ho one ever heard of, and all the animals were glad to see him, and he played with them and called them by their'names.' Every, day he grew taller and stronger and more beautiful,' but lie did not any day ask Mananaan to take Jiim back to Ireland.

Every , night when darkness had come into the sky, Mananaan wrapped himself in his mantlo of power and crossed the sea, and walked all round Ireland stepping from rock to rock. No one saw him, because his mantlo made him invisible, but he saw everything and knew that trouble had found the Do Danaanans. Tha ugly, misshapen folk of the Fonior had come into Ireland and spread themselves over the country like a. pestilence. They had stolen tho Cauldron of Plenty and carried it away to-their own land, where Balor of the Evil Eyo reigned. They had taken' the Spear of Victory also, and the only one of tlici four great Jewels of Sovereignty remaining to tile Do Dananaans was theStoue of Destiny. It was hidden deep in Jhe earth of Ireland, and because of it the Fomorians could, not altogether conquer tho countrv nor could they destroy the Do Danaanans, though they drove them from their -pleasant palaces and hunted them through the glens and valleys like outlaws. .•■ Mananaan himself had tho fourth Jewel, tho Sword of Light: he kept it and waited. When. Lugh was full grown Mananaan said to him: . ■' "It is three times seven, years as mortals count time since I brought you ..to Tir-nan-oge and in all that tim'o I have never given you a gift.. To-day I will give, you a gift." . He brought out tho. Sword of Light and gave> it to Lush and when Lugh took it in his hand lie remembered how he had period to the hills and rivers of Ireland: "Some day I will como back to you," and. he said to Man-' anaan: - want to go back to Ireland." "You will not find joyousness-thbro,. 0 Lugh, or the music of harp strings or feasting. The De Danaanans are ~™° ru their; '.Chainpipn carries. logs'to. warn! Fomorian heairths; Angus wanders like an outcast; and Nuada, the king; has but one dun where, those ,who had once the lordship of the world meet in secret liko hunted folk." .•'•' ' . "I have a good sword,", said Lugh. "I will go to my kinsfolk." ••' "0. Lugh," said Mananaan, "they have never known you." Will you leave me and Niav and this land where sorrow has never . touched. you; for the 'sake of ..stranger kinsfolk?" Lugh answered: "I remember the hills and tho woods and the rivers of Ireland and though all my kinsfolk were aono from it and tho sea . covered ovecything but the tops of the mountains, I would" go .'back." ~ /'You havo the hardiness that wins victory," said Mananaan. "I will set you on my own white horse and give you companions as high-hearted as yourself. I will put helmet' 'on your head and my breastplate over vour heart: you shall drive tho Fomorians out of Ireland as chaff is driven by tho wind."

When Lugli put on tlio holiiiot of Mananaan, brightness shot into the sky as if a new sun had risen; when ho put on tbo breastplate, a great wave of music swelled arid sounded through Tir-nan-ogo; when he mounted tho .white horse a. mighty wind swept, past him and lo! tie companions Mananaan had promised, rode beside him. Their horses wero i ' white-.like his, and gladness that age cannot wither shono in their faccs. ■ When they camo to tlio sea that' is about Tir-nan-ogo the littlo crystal waves lifted themselves up to look at Lugh and when lie. and his com"rades sped over tlio sea as lightly as blown, foam, the little waves followed them till they came to Ireland and tho three great- waves of Ireland thundered' a welcome—tlio wave of I'&oth, the wave of Rury, and the long alow white, foaming wave of Clcena. No one saw tho Faery Host coming into Ireland. At the place where their horses leaped from sea to land there was a great wood of pine trees. "Let us. go into, tie wood," said Lugh, and they rode between the tall, straight treo-trunks into' the silent heart of the wood.

_ "Rest here," said Lugh, "till morning; I will go to the dun of.Nnada and get news of my kinsfolk." He put his shining armour from him and wrapped himself in a dark cloak, and went on foot to the dun of Nuada. Ho struck tho brazen door, and the Guardian of the Door spoke to him from within. . "What do you 'seek?" "My way into the dun." "No one enters here who has. not his craft. What can you do?" "I have the craft of a carpenter." We have a carpenter within; he is Luchtae, son of Luchaid." "I have the craft of a smith." "We have a smith within. Colum, of the threo new ways of working." "I have the craft of a champion." "Wo have a champion within, he is Ogmai himself. ' "I havo tlio craft of a harper." "Wo have a harper within, oven Abhcan, son of Bicelmos ; tho men of tho three gods chose liim in the faery hills." "I have tho craft of a poet and historian." . "We havo a poet and historian within, even En, , son of Ethaman. "I have tho craft of a wizard." "We have many wisardi and magicians within." "I havo tho craft of a physician." "Wo have a physician within, ■ even Dian Cecht." "I havo tho craft of a cupbearer." "AYo have liino cupbearers within." "I have tho craft of a brazier." "We have a brazier within, even Creel no Cerd." . "Go hence and ask your king if ho has any one man who can do all those things. If ho has I' will not seek to enter." The Guardian of the Door hurried in to Nuada.' "0. King," ho said, "tho most wonderful youth in tho world is waiting outside your door to-night. He'seeks admittance as tho Ildana, the master of •every craft." "tet him come in," said King Nuada.

Lugli came into tho dun..,. Ogmai, tho champion, tcok a good look at him. He thought liim young and slender, and was minded to test hint. There was a great stone before the seat of tho king, it was Hat and round, and four scoro yoke of oxen could not move it. Ogmai stooped and lifted tho stone. Ho east it through.tho door, so that it crossed tho fosso which' was round the dun. That, was Ill's challenge to the Ildana. _ "It is a good champion cast," said Lugh. "I will-better it." He went outside. lie lifted tho stone, and cast it back, not through ,tho door, but through the strong wall of tho dun, so that .it fell in tho place wliero it had lain before Ogmai lifted it.

"Your cast is better than mine," said Ogmai, "sit in the seat of tho champion with vour face to tho king." Lugli drew his hand over tho wall, it became'whole as before. He sat in the champion-seat. ''Let chess bo brought," said tho king. They played, and Lugli won all tho games, so that thereafter it passed into a proverb "to make the Cro of Lugh." "Truly, you are the Ildana," said Nuada. "I would fain hear music of your making, but 1 have no harp to offer you." "I see a. kingly harp within reach of your hand," said Lugh. "That is the harp of the Dagda. No one can'bring music from that harp .but himself; when ho plays on it, tho four Seasons —Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—pass over, the earth." "I will play on it," said Lugh. Tho harp was given to him. Lngh played tho music, of joy, and outside the dun the birds began to sing as though it wero morning, and wonderful crimson flowers sprang through tho grass—flowers- 1 that trembled with delight and swayed and touched each other with a delicate, faery ringing as of silver bells. ■ Inside the dun a subtle sweetness of laughter filled tho hearts of everyone: it seemed to ther.' that they had never known gladness till that night. , Lugh played the music of sorrow: the wind moaned outside, and where the grass and' flowers' bad been there was a dark sea of moving waters. The Do Danaanaus within tho dun bowed their heads 011 their hands and wept as they had never wept for any' sorrow. Lugh played tho music of peace, and outside there fell silently a strange snow. Flake by flako it settled on tho earth, and changed to starry dew. Flake by flake the qniet of tho -Land of tho Silver Flc-eeo settled in tho hearts and minds of Nuada.and his- people; they closed their eyes aud slept, each in his scat. . 1 Lugh put tho harp from him and stole out of the* dun. The snow .wa3 still falling outside; it settled on his dark cloak and shone like silver, scales; it settled on tho thick curls of his hair, and shone like jewelled fire ; it filled the night about him with white radiance. He went back to his companions. Tho sun had risen in the sky when tho De Danaanans awolco in Nuada's dun. They wero light-hearted and joyous, and it seemed to thorn that tlioy had dreamed overnight a strange, beautiful dream. ' "Tho Fomorians liavo not taken'tho sun out of tho sky," said Nuada. "Let us go to tho Hill of Usna and send to otir scattered ..comrades that wo' may uiako a stand against our enemies." ' They took their weapons and Went -to tho Hill of Usna, and they wero not long upon it whoira- bind of Fomorian devastators camo 011 them. Tho Fomorians scoffed among themselves when tlioy saw how few tho Do Danaanans were''and how ill-prepared for fighting. ■ " "Behold I" they cried. "What mighty kings are to-day upon Usna, the Etiil of Sovereignty. Como down, 0 kings, and bow yourselves " before your masters 1" "We bow ourselves before you," said Nuada, "for ye are ugly and. vile, and lords 'lieither of us nor of Ireland.'.' '- .. .'. - - With hoarse cries the Formorians fell ou tho Do Danaanans, but Nuada and his folk held together, and withstood them as well as they wero able. Scarcely had the weapons clashed when a light appeared in the horizon, and a sound of mighty battle-t-rumpots shook the air. Tho light was so white that 110 0110 could look at it, and great rosered streamers 'shot from it into tho sky. , "It is a second sunrise," said tho, Fonnorians. "It is tho Deliverer!" said the Do. Danaanans. Out,of'the light came tho. glorious company of warriors from Ti'r-nan-ogo. Lugli was leading. them. Ho had the helmet of Mananaan oil his head, the breastplate of Mananaan over his heart, and the great white horse of Mananaan 'beneath him.

Tho Sword of Light was bare in his hand. Ho- fell on the Formorians as a soa-eaglo falls on her prey, as lightning flashes out of a clear sky" Before him and his companions they were destroyed as stubble is destroyed by fire. Ho held his hand when only nine of them remained alive.

"Bow yourselves,"'he'said,', "before tho King, Nuada, and before the Do Danaanans, for they are your Lords and tlio Lords of Ireland, and go henco to Balor of the Evil Eyo, and toll him and lus mis-shapen, brood that the ■Dc Danaanans havo- taken their own again, aud they will wage war against tho Formorians till there is not one left to darken tho earth with his shadow." Tho nine Formorians bowed themselves before the King, Nuada, and before the De Danaanans, and before Lugh Lauvauda, the Ildana, and they arose and carried his message to Balor of tho Evil Eye, King of tho Fomorians.