The Eastern World

There the Eastern lady asked the King of Ireland's son what it was he wanted. He said that he was looking for a wife whose skin was as white as snow, whose hair was as black as a raven, and whose cheeks and lips were are red as blood.

‘You may marry me,’ she said, ‘if you remove the geis (curse) that has been placed upon me.’

The King of Ireland’s son, together with all his companions, stayed in the lady’s house that evening. That night she came to him and offered him a scissors. ‘Here is scissors is for you!’ she said, ‘Unless you still have it for me by morning, the geis upon me will never be lifted and your head will be struck off.’

She then placed a pin of slumber under his head, putting him into a deep sleep. As soon as he was asleep she took the scissors from him and brought it to the King of Poison, the one who had placed the geis upon her.

However, once the King of Poison had fallen asleep the short green man came with the slippers on his feet, the black hat on his head and the rusty sword in his hand. He found the scissors lying next to the King of Poison and brought it back to the King of Ireland’s son.

In the morning when the Eastern lady came she was both astonished and delighted to be presented with the scissors.

In the same way she offered him a comb the following night, taking it to the King of Poison as the King of Ireland’s son slept from the pin of slumber.

Again, once the King of Poison fell asleep the short green man came with the slippers on his feet, the black hat on his head and the rusty sword in his hand. He found the comb lying next to the King of Poison and brought it back to the King of Ireland’s son.

In the morning when the Eastern lady came she was both astonished and delighted to be presented with the comb.

However, she told the King of Ireland’s son that he would never marry her unless he found someone to race against the King of Poison’s runner. They must race to the well of the Western world and retrieve three bottles of the healing-balm from it. If the King of Poison’s runner should come back first, the geis upon her would never be lifted and his head would be struck off.

The King of Poison sent an old hag to race to the well of the Western world. The short green man told the King of Ireland’s son that he should send the foot man, who kept the field of hares. So it was that three cups were given to the old hag and the foot man and they both set out on their race.

It was not long before the foot man was half way back, while the old hag was only half way to the well.

‘Sit down,’ the old hag said to the foot man, when they met, ‘and have some rest! Don’t break your heart running, for the couple have just been married!’ She made him a pillow there, and laid it under his head. As soon as he had fallen asleep, she spilt the water out of his cups and went on her way.

The short green man thought they had been a long time running, and said to the ear man, ‘Lay your ear to the ground and listen for them coming!’

The ear man did so, saying ‘I heard the old woman coming, but the foot man is sleeping. I can hear him snoring!’

‘Use your eyes,’ the short green man said to the bow man, ‘and see where the foot man is!’

The bowman looked out, and said he could see the foot man sleeping with a pillow beneath his head.

‘Aim with your bow,’ said the short green man, ‘and shoot the pillow away from under his head.’

The bowman put the bow to his eye and aimed. As he let the arrow fly the pillow was swept from under the foot man’s head. The foot man woke up, startled. Finding his cups empty he knew he would have to return to the well again.

At that very moment the old hag was coming to the end of the race. As the short green man saw her approach he called to the nose man telling him to rise up and blow the old hag with a blast of wind from his nostril. The nose man did as he was told and every time the old hag got near the wind from the nose man’s nostril would knock her back. Finally, the nose man blew with both his nostrils, sending the old hag back to the Western world again.

With that the foot man arrived with three full cups and won the day!

There was great joy on the woman and she said to the king’s son, ‘There is a final trial you must undergo before my geis is lifted and we may be wed. You must now walk three miles, without shoes or stockings, across steel needles!’

She showed him a road three miles long, with sharp needles of steel, each as thick as a blade of grass, pointing up.

Before the King of Ireland’s son set out across the needles, the short green man called to the stone-breaker. ‘Go and blunt those needles!’ he said.

The stone-breaker charged up the road, thrashing the needles with his fists until he had made stumps, and then powder of them all.

When he was done the King of Ireland’s son walked the three miles, and gained his wife.

Just as soon as the couple married the short green man took the lady to have the first kiss as he had been promised. He took her aside and kissed her on the cheek. Suddenly serpents came springing from her body and hair which would have killed the King of Ireland’s son in his sleep.

The short green man turned to the King of Ireland’s son then and told him, ‘The geis is lifted! You can have your wife now.’

The King of Ireland’s son thanked the small green man for all he had done for him, asking him how he could ever repay him.

The small green man said there was no need. ‘I am the man who was in the coffin that day,’ he said, ‘for whom you paid ten gold coins in funeral expenses. The companions, who have come with you, are servants of God, sent to help you in your journey and rescue the King of the Eastern world’s daughter from the geis placed on her by the King of Poison. Now she is free and you are wed.’

The short green man and the other the companions went away then, and the King of Ireland's son never saw them again. He brought his wife home with him, and they spent a long happy life together.