The King of the Reeks

Nellie Fitzgerald, Ballynacally, The King of the Reeks.
The king of the reeks was a king who was very fond of fowling.
he went ever so far away from his dwelling, until he came to a high mountain.
Here he was forced to retire for the night.
Next morning he was surrounded by Noah's flood.
He was forced to live on the birds of the air, which flocked around him.
One morning when he awoke, he found that the flood was gone down a little.
He looked around him, and saw far off, a house where he went to .
There he found an old couple, who were starving with the hunger.
He brought them fowl to eat.
He got on all right for a few days, till a man visited him.
This man asked him if he would play a game of cards and he said, "Yes , but what shall we play for".
"A wish", said he.
They placed three rubbers, which the king won.
He asked him his wish, and he said "A wife".
He then brought him three of the loveliest women that the sun and moon never shone on, but he took none of them.
He then brought him three of the ugliest women that the sun and moon never shone on.
He took one of them and she was enchanted.
She told the king not to play again with the man, because he would surely lose.
He came on the second day, and they played again the same rubber, and the king won again.
He asked for his wish this time, and he wished to get back his father's place Glenmore.
He told him as soon as he got up the next morning to look again and he would see his father's place as brilliant as ever.
The man came again the third day, and his wife told him not to play, as he would surely lose.
So he played again, and he lost.
He asked him his wish, and he said, "The sword of lightning from the eastern part of the world.
That the sun and moon never shone on, and he only gave him a week to get it.
Next morning he told his wife that he lost, and he said "All we have to do is to go back to my father's place", They both set out on their journey.
They crossed over hedges and ditches.
He left her behind him, and she called on him to wait for her, and lookig back he saw that she was the loveliest woman that the sun and moon never shone on.
He waited and took her over hedges and ditches until they came to the castle.
She told him to take the bridle out into the field and the first pony that would put his head in the halter, to bring him in.
He did as he was told, and to his astonishment, a little pony, weak and delicate looking, came and he hunted him away.
He came away without him, and she said to him.
"Why did you not bring him, that put his head in the halter".
So she went out and brought him in.
She told him to mount the pony, and that he would take him to where the king was.
He rode off jig by jole, until he came to the castle, which he entered.
He was asked what brought him, and he said, "A wife which many a man came for and was killed, because he was not up to the mark".
He said, he had to go ahide three times and that he would have to find him.
The ponies in those times were able to talk, and the pony that he brought with him was a brother of the pony the king had, and they knew one another at once.
The king went a hide, and the man went out to his pony, who told him that he was in a big apple in the garden in a certaon path.
He went for a walk in the garden, and he went to the apple and was about to stick the knife in it when the king shouted.
"It's I that is there".
"That is very good", he said "That",but you have too more hides".
The next time he was told by the pony that he was in an egg in a big grey duck.
He then got his gun and went fowling.
He spotted this big grey duck.
He took an aim at her when the king shouted.
"It is I that is there".
He then had one more hide and he was told again by the pony that he was in a ring in his daughter's hand.
He admired the ring, and went about breaking it, when he shouted.
"It is I that is there".
He then said, "You are the best man I ever met, and you can have my daughter as a wife.
The marriage was fixed up, and the king of the reeks was asked to go in the carriage with his lady, but he refused, and said.
"I will go on my own pony".
they travelled on until they came to a big residence.
The king pulled up, and begged his pardon that he had forgotten his gloves.
The bride's father offered him his own gloves, but he aid "No", that he had brought his own for that special purpose.
He came back again and the pony said to him.
"Come out now with me and I will show you where the sword of lightning is".
He took him out to the hall door.
He said to him.
"Do you see that flag.
Well under that the sword of lightning is".
The pony turned around and kicked it with his back foot, and gave it to him.
He went away home, and he met the man coming against him for it.
He examined and found a split in it, and he cut off his head with it.
He then came home to his wife, and they lived happily for a while, until he began to go fowling.
The wife often warned him that something would happen.
One day while he was fowling, a giant with nine heads, nine legs and nine bodies came in and took away the wife with him.
He came home and on his arrival, was surprised to find his wife gone.
He went out to his pony and asked him if there were anyone around while he was out.
He said, "There was a giant with nine heads, nine legs and nine (bodies?).
Well said he, "I will never stop nor stay until I will find her".
He set off on board of ship.
He travelled on and on, until he came to an Island, where he stopped to get some food.
He met a little man who cooked some food for him, and he offered him some fish, and he said, "You are not like the man who was here yesterday".
"What kind of a man had you here yesterday", said the king.
A giant with nine heads, nine legs, and nine bodies, and if you will ever want me, my name is "Wolf of the forest".
He sailed on again until he came to another island, where he stopped again and the same thing happened and the same little man said, "My name is Hawk of the cow cliff".
He sailed on again until he came to another island, where he had more food.
The same thing happened, and the little man said.
"My name is trout of the blue rock ".
He sailed on again until he came to another island.
There he saw his wife going to the well for water.
He asked her what brought her here, and she said.
"There I am bound to stay by enchantment to a giant, and he says his wife is well secured".
She then asked him how his wife was secured and he said.
"Do you see that tree outside the door, and in that tree there is a wolf, and in that wolf there is a duck, and in that duck there is an egg, and in that egg there my life is, and that tree cannot be knocked except by the sword of lightning, and it is my brother that has that.
She told all that to her husband, and he cut down the tree, and out ran the wolf, and he called upon wolf of the forest to kill the wolf.
Out ran the duck, and he called on trout of the blue rock, and he stopped the duck.
Out ran the egg, and he called on hawk of the cow cliff, and he got the egg and he gave it to the woman, and she broke it on her breast and killed him.
They all lived happily after and if they didn't, that we may.
Told to me by.
Patrick Dwyer, Ballyrobin, Ardagh.