Maravaun his Councillor and asked him if he knew who the Enchanter was and
where his son would be likely to find him.

"From what he said," said Maravaun, "we may guess who he is. He is the
Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands and his dwelling-place is hard to find.
Nevertheless your son must seek for him and take the three hairs out of his
beard or else lose his head. For if the heir to your kingdom does not
honorably pay his forfeit, the ground of Ireland won't give crops and the
cattle won't give milk." "And," said the Councillor, "as a year is little for
his search, he should start off at once, although I'm bound to say, that I
don't know what direction he should go in."

The next day the King's Son said good-by to his father and his foster-brothers
and started off on his journey. His step-mother would not give him her
blessing on account of his having brought in the brown bear that turned her
from her chair in the supper-room. Nor would she let him have the good horse
he always rode. Instead the Prince was given a horse that was lame in a leg
and short in the tail. And neither hawk nor hound went with him this time.


All day the King's Son was going, traveling through wood and waste until the
coming on of night. The little fluttering birds were going from the bush tops,
from tuft to tuft, and to the briar-roots, going to rest; but if they were, he
was not, till the night came on, blind and dark. Then the King's Son ate his
bread and meat, put his satchel under his head and lay down to take his rest
on the edge of a great waste.

In the morning he mounted his horse and rode on. And as he went across the
waste he saw an extraordinary sight--everywhere were the bodies of dead
creatures--a cock, a wren, a mouse, a weasel, a fox, a badger, a raven---all