Celtic Tales by Kate Forrester

Author:Kate Forrester [Forrester Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2016-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

The next morning, he took the bread the farmer’s wife had given him, and crumbled it along the path that the giant Rogéar would be sure to follow. In a short time, Rogéar appeared out of the woods and crossed the meadow just as he had done before. But this time the colt, smelling the bread, sniffed the ground and stopped to eat the crumbs, and thus was soon left alone as the giant on horseback passed quickly on among the trees.

Then Peronnik sang in his clear voice:

“Foal, free of foot

Foal, free of tongue,

Foal, here am I.

Come to me, O come,

Free of foot and tongue,

Foal, here wait I.”

The foal stopped, turned, and quickly came to Peronnik, who gently bridled him. The lad then jumped up on his back and gave the colt his head, for he was sure the colt knew the way to Kerglas. And indeed, without the slightest hesitation, the colt took one of the wildest paths into the forest and trotted quickly into its gloomy depths.

The ride was terrible to Peronnik, and he trembled with fear, for the forest was enchanted and spells were cast to terrify him. The trees appeared to be in flames or loomed appallingly like specters of some nether world, the streams became enraged torrents, and overhanging rocks seemed about to topple. Peronnik pulled his cap over his eyes so he could not see what dread shapes surrounded him, and the colt bounded ever forward.

At last they came out of the forest to a plain where the spells were ended. Peronnik now dared to look about him. It was a desolate spot, and here and there were skeletons of nobles who had come to seek the Castle of Kerglas. Peronnik, shuddering, passed quickly onward and came at length to a meadow shaded by a mighty apple tree that groaned beneath its load of fruit. Near the tree stood an elf, and in his hand was the fiery dart that turned all that it touched to ashes.

When the elf saw Peronnik, he uttered a loud cry and instantly raised the dart.

But Peronnik, without appearing at all to look surprised, took his cap in his hand and said politely, “Do not bother about me, little prince, I am going through the meadow only to reach Kerglas.”

“And who are you?” demanded the elf, lowering his arm.

“I am Peronnik, you know,” answered the boy.

“I know nothing of the kind,” retorted the elf.

“I pray you to not let me waste my time,” said Peronnik. “I have the wizard’s colt, and I must take it on to Kerglas.”

The elf, seeing that he indeed did have the colt, was about to let him pass when he noticed the snare Peronnik was carrying.

“What is that for?” he asked.

“That is to catch birds,” Peronnik replied. “Nothing that flies can escape its meshes.”

“I should like to be assured of that,” said the elf. “My apple tree is plundered by the blackbirds. Get your snare ready, and if you catch a blackbird, I will agree to let you pass.

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