Irish fairy tales . t had displaced. The past alsomust be reckoned with; it is seldom as far behind us as wecould wish: it is more often in front, blocking the way, andthe future trips over it just when we think that the road isclear and joy our own. lollan had a past. He was not ashamed of it; he merelythought it was finished, although in truth it was only begin-ning, for it is that perpetual beginning of the past that we callthe future. Before he joined the Fianna he had been in love with alady of the Shi, named Uct Dealv (Fair Breast), and theyhad been sweethearts for years. How often he ha
Irish fairy tales . t had displaced. The past alsomust be reckoned with; it is seldom as far behind us as wecould wish: it is more often in front, blocking the way, andthe future trips over it just when we think that the road isclear and joy our own. lollan had a past. He was not ashamed of it; he merelythought it was finished, although in truth it was only begin-ning, for it is that perpetual beginning of the past that we callthe future. Before he joined the Fianna he had been in love with alady of the Shi, named Uct Dealv (Fair Breast), and theyhad been sweethearts for years. How often he had visited hissweetheart in Faery! With what eagerness and anticipationhe had gone there; the lovers whistle that he used to givewas known to every person in that Shi, and he had been dis-cussed by more than one of the delicate sweet ladies of Faery. That is your whistle. Fair Breast, her sister of theShi would say. 96 Then they went hand in hand in the country that smells of apple-blossom and honey. To fact page THE BIRTH OF BRAN 97 And Uct Dealv would reply: Yes, that is my mortal, my lover, my pulse, and myone treasure. She laid her spinning aside, or her embroidery if shewas at that, or if she were baking a cake of fine wheatenbread mixed with honey she would leave the cake to bakeitself and fly to lollan. Then they went hand in hand inthe country that smells of apple-blossom and honey, lookingon heavy-boughed trees and on dancing and beaming they stood dreaming together, locked in a clasping ofarms and eyes, gazing up and down on each other, lollanstaring down into sweet grey wells that peeped and flickeredunder thin brows, and Uct Dealv looking up into great blackones that went dreamy and went hot in endless alternation. Then lollan would go back to the world of men, and UctDealv would return to her occupations in the Land of the EverYoung. What did he say? her sister of the Shi would ask. He said I was the Berry of the Mountain, the Star ofKnowledge, and th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectfairyta, bookyear1920
