The King of the Waterfalls




When the young king of Easaidh Ruadh came into his kingdom, the
first thing he thought of was how he could amuse himself best.
The sports that all his life had pleased him best suddenly seemed
to have grown dull, and he wanted to do something he had never
done before. At last his face brightened.

'I know!' he said. 'I will go and play a game with the Gruagach.'
Now the Gruagach was a kind of wicked fairy, with long curly
brown hair, and his house was not very far from the king's house.

But though the king was young and eager, he was also prudent, and
his father had told him on his deathbed to be very careful in his
dealings with the 'good people,' as the fairies were called.
Therefore before going to the Gruagach the king sought out a wise
man of the countryside.

'I am wanting to play a game with the curly-haired Gruagach,'
said he.

'Are you, indeed?' replied the wizard. 'If you will take my
counsel, you will play with someone else.'

'No; I will play with the Gruagach,' persisted the king.