him a terrible blow at the back of the knees. He saw the two candles hopping
across the floor to burn his legs. He ran out of the room, and when he got to
the door it swung around and gave him a blow that flung him away from the
tower. The crane that was waiting on the tower flew down, its neck and beak
outstretched, and gave him a blow on the back.

So the King of Ireland's Son went back over the marshes and across the little
streams, and he was glad when he saw the gable-end of the house again. Je went
into the tank. He knew that he had not long to wait before the sun would rise
and the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands would come to him and give him the
third and the most difficult of the three tasks. And he thought that Fedelma
was surely shut away from him and that she would not be able to help him that
day.



VII


At the rising of the sun the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands came to where
the King of Ireland's Son was huddled and said, "I am now going to set you the
third and last task. Rise up now and come with me."

The King's Son came out of the water-tank and fol-lowed the Enchanter. They
went to where there was a well. The King's Son looked down and he could not
see the bottom, so deep the well was. "At the bottom," said the Enchanter "is
the Ring of Youth. You must get it and bring it to me, or else you must lose
your head at the setting of that sun." That was all he said. He turned then
and went away.