74. Kenach’s Little Woman

high heaven to shelter the mother bird?
And was not that, too, a little woman in
feathers? But now hasten, and gather wood
and leaves, and strike fire from the flint, and
make a hearth before the cave, that the
woman may rest and the boy have the
comfort of the bright flame.”

This was soon done, and by the fire sat
the woman eating a little barley bread; but
the child, who had no will to eat, came round
to the old man, and held out two soft hands
to him. And the Abbot caught him up
from the ground to his breast, and kissed
his golden head, saying, “God bless thee,
sweet little son, and give thee a good life
and a happy, and strength of thy small body,
and, if it be His holy will, length of glad
days; and ever mayest thou be a gladness
and deep joy to thy mother.”

Then, seeing that the woman was strangely
clad in an outland garb of red and blue, and
that she was tall, with a golden-hued skin
and olive eyes, arched eyebrows very black,
aquiline nose, and a rosy mouth, he said,
“Surely, O daughter, thou art not of this
land of Erinn in the sea, but art come out
of the great world beyond? ”