Irish fairy tales . ng top. I saw the dra-gon-flies flash and dart and turn, with a poise, with a speedthat no other winged thing knows: I saw the hawk hoverand stare and swoop: he fell like a falling stone, but he couldnot catch the king of the salmon: I saw the cold-eyed catstretching along a bough level with the water, eager to hookand lift the creatures of the river. And I saw men. They saw me also. They came to know me and lookfor me. They lay in wait at the waterfalls up which I leapedlike a silver flash. They held out nets for me; they hid trapsunder leaves; they made cords of the colou
Irish fairy tales . ng top. I saw the dra-gon-flies flash and dart and turn, with a poise, with a speedthat no other winged thing knows: I saw the hawk hoverand stare and swoop: he fell like a falling stone, but he couldnot catch the king of the salmon: I saw the cold-eyed catstretching along a bough level with the water, eager to hookand lift the creatures of the river. And I saw men. They saw me also. They came to know me and lookfor me. They lay in wait at the waterfalls up which I leapedlike a silver flash. They held out nets for me; they hid trapsunder leaves; they made cords of the colour of water, of thecolour of weeds—but this salmon had a nose that knew how aweed felt and how a string—^they drifted meat on a sightlessstring, but I knew of the hook; they thrust spears at me, andthrew lances which they drew back again with a cord. Many a wound I got from men, many a sorrowful scar. 28 My life became a ceaseless scurry and wound and escape, a burden and anguish of watchfulness. To face page THE STORY OF TUAN MAC CAIRILL 29 Every beast pursued me in the waters and along thebanks; the barking, black-skinned otter came after me inlust and gust and swirl; the wild cat fished for me; the hawkand the steep-winged, spearrbeaked birds dived down on me,and men crept on me with nets the width of a river, so thatI got no rest. My life became a ceaseless scurry and woundand escape, a burden and anguish of watchfulness—and thenI was caught.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectfairyta, bookyear1920
