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020 - Fair Brown and Trembling · Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales

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Speaker 1: Section nineteen of Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales. This is
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Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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Speaker 1: Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales edited by Joseph Jacobs, Section
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Speaker 1: number nineteen. Fair Brown and Trembling. King Hugh Caruka lived
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Speaker 1: in Turcanal, and he had three daughters whose names were Fair,
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Speaker 1: Brown and Trembling. Fair and Brown had new dresses and
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Speaker 1: went to church every Sunday. Trembling was kept at home
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Speaker 1: to do the cooking and work. They would not let
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Speaker 1: her go out of the house at all, for she
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Speaker 1: was more beautiful than the other two, and they were
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Speaker 1: in dread that she might marry before themselves. They carried
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Speaker 1: on this way for seven years. At the end of
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Speaker 1: seven years, the son of the King of Omenia fell
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Speaker 1: in love with the eldest sister. One Sunday morning, after
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Speaker 1: the other two had gone to church, the old hen
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Speaker 1: wife came into the kitchen to Trembling and said, it's
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Speaker 1: a church you ought to be this day instead of
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Speaker 1: working here at home? How could I go, said Trembling,
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Speaker 1: I have no clothes good enough to wear a church,
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Speaker 1: and if my sisters were to see me there, they'd
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Speaker 1: kill me for going out of the house. I'll give you,
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Speaker 1: said the hen wife, a finer dress than either of
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Speaker 1: them has ever seen. And now tell me what dress
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Speaker 1: will ye have. I'll have, said Trembling, a dress as
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Speaker 1: white as snow, and green shoes for my feet. Then
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Speaker 1: the hen wife put on the cloak of darkness, clipped
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Speaker 1: a piece from the old clothes the young woman had on,
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Speaker 1: and asked for the whitest robes in the world, and
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Speaker 1: the most beautiful it could be found, and a pair
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Speaker 1: of green shoes. That moment she had the robe in
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Speaker 1: the shoes, and she brought them the Trembling, who put
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Speaker 1: them on. When Trembling was dressed and ready, the hen
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Speaker 1: wife said, I have a honey bird here to sit
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Speaker 1: on your right shoulder, and a honey finger to put
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Speaker 1: on your left. At the door stands a milk white
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Speaker 1: mare with a golden saddle for you to sit on,
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Speaker 1: and a golden bridle to hold in your hand. Trembling
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Speaker 1: sat on the golden saddle, and when she was ready
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Speaker 1: to start, the hen wife said, you must not go
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Speaker 1: inside the door of the church, and the minute the
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Speaker 1: people rise up at the end of Mass, do you
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Speaker 1: make off and ride home as fast as the mayor
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Speaker 1: will carry you. When Trembling came to the door of
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Speaker 1: the church, there was no one inside who could get
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Speaker 1: a glimpse of her, but was striving to know who
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Speaker 1: she was. And when they saw her hurrying away at
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Speaker 1: the end of Mass, they ran out to overtake her,
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Speaker 1: but no use in their running. She was away before
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Speaker 1: any man could come near her. From the minute she
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Speaker 1: left the church till she got home, she overtook the
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Speaker 1: wind before her and outstripped the wind behind. She came
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Speaker 1: down at the door, went in and found the hen
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Speaker 1: wife had dinner ready. She put off the white robes
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Speaker 1: and had on her old dress in a twinkling. When
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Speaker 1: the two sisters came home, the hen wife asked, have
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Speaker 1: you any news to day from the church? We have
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Speaker 1: great news, they said. We saw a wonderful grand lady
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Speaker 1: at the church door. The like of the robes she had,
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Speaker 1: we have never seen one woman before. It's little that
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Speaker 1: was thought of our dresses beside what she had on.
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Speaker 1: And there wasn't a man at the church. From the
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Speaker 1: king to the beggar, but was trying to look at
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Speaker 1: her and know who she was. The sisters would give
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Speaker 1: no peace till they had two dresses like the robes
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Speaker 1: of the strange lady, but honey birds and honey fingers
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Speaker 1: were not to be found. Next Sunday, the two sisters
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Speaker 1: went to church again and left the youngest at home
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Speaker 1: to cook the dinner. After they had gone, the hen
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Speaker 1: wife came in and asked, will you go to church
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Speaker 1: to day? I would go, said Trembling if I could
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Speaker 1: get the going. What robe will you wear, asked the
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Speaker 1: hen wife, The finest black satin that can be found,
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Speaker 1: and red shoes for my feet. What color do you
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Speaker 1: want the mare to be? I want her to be
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Speaker 1: so black and so glossy that I can see myself
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Speaker 1: in her body. The hen wife put on the cloak
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Speaker 1: of darkness and asked for the robes and the mare.
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Speaker 1: That moment she had them. When Trembling was dressed, the
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Speaker 1: henwife put the honey bird on her right shoulder and
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Speaker 1: the honey finger on her left. The saddle on the
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Speaker 1: mare was silver, and so was the bridle. When Trembling
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Speaker 1: sat in the saddle and was going away, the hen
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Speaker 1: wife ordered her strictly not to go inside the door
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Speaker 1: of the church, but to rush away as soon as
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Speaker 1: the people rose at the end of Mass, and hurry
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Speaker 1: home on the mare before any man could stop her.
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Speaker 1: That Sunday, the people were more astonished than ever, and
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Speaker 1: gazed at her more than the first time, And all
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Speaker 1: they were thinking of was how to know who she was.
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Speaker 1: But they had no chance. For the moment the people
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Speaker 1: rose at the end of Mass, she slipped from the church,
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Speaker 1: was in the silver saddle, and home before a man
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Speaker 1: could stop her or talk to her. The hen wife
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Speaker 1: had the dinner ready, trembling, took off her satin robe,
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Speaker 1: and had on her old clothes before her sisters got home.
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Speaker 1: What news have you to day, asked the hen wife
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Speaker 1: of the sisters when they came from the church. Oh,
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Speaker 1: we saw the grand strange lady again, and had so
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Speaker 1: that any man could think of our dresses after looking
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Speaker 1: at the robes of satin that she had on. And
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Speaker 1: all a church from hide to low had their mouths
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Speaker 1: open gazing at her, and no man was looking at us.
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Speaker 1: The two sisters gave neither rest nor peace till they
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Speaker 1: got dresses as nearly like the strange lady's robes as
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Speaker 1: they could find. Of course, they were not so good,
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Speaker 1: for the like of those robes could not be found
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Speaker 1: in Arran. When the third Sunday came, Fair and Brown
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Speaker 1: went to church dressed in black satin. They left Trembling
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Speaker 1: at home to work in the kitchen and told her
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Speaker 1: to be sure and have dinner ready when they came back.
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Speaker 1: After they had gone and were out of sight, the
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Speaker 1: hen wife came to the kitchen and said, well, my dear,
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Speaker 1: are you ready for church to day? I would go
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Speaker 1: if I had a new dress to wear. I'll get
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Speaker 1: you any dress you ask for. What dress would you like,
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Speaker 1: asked the hen wife. A dress red as a rose
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Speaker 1: from the waist down, and white as snow from the
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Speaker 1: waist up. A cape of green on my shoulders, and
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Speaker 1: a hat on my head with a red, a white
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Speaker 1: and a green feather in it. And shoes for my feet,
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Speaker 1: with the toes red, the middle light, and the backs
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Speaker 1: and heels green. The hen wife put on the cloak
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Speaker 1: of darkness, wished for all these things, and had them.
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Speaker 1: When Trembling was dressed, the henwife put the honey bird
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Speaker 1: on her right shoulder and the honey finger on her left,
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Speaker 1: and placing the hat on her head, clipped a few
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Speaker 1: hairs from one lock and a few from another with
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Speaker 1: her scissors, and that moment the most beautiful golden hair
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Speaker 1: was flowing down over the girl's shoulders. Then the hen
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Speaker 1: wife asked what kind of mare she would ride. She said, white,
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Speaker 1: with blue and gold colored diamond shaped spots all over
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Speaker 1: her body, on her back a saddle of gold, and
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Speaker 1: on her head a golden bridle. The mare stood there
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Speaker 1: before the door, and a bird sitting between her ears,
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Speaker 1: which began to sing as soon as trembling was in
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Speaker 1: the saddle, and never stopped till she came home from
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Speaker 1: the church. The fame of the beautiful strange lady had
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Speaker 1: gone out through the world, and all the princes and
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Speaker 1: great men that were in it came to church that Sunday,
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Speaker 1: each one hoping that it was himself that would have
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Speaker 1: her home with him. After Mass, the son of the
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Speaker 1: King of Emenia forgot all about the eldest sister and
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Speaker 1: remained outside the church so as to catch the strange
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Speaker 1: lady before she could hurry away. The church was much
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Speaker 1: more crowded than before, and there were three times as
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Speaker 1: many outside. There was such a throng before the church
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Speaker 1: that Trembling could only come inside the gate as soon
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Speaker 1: as the people were rising. At the end of Mass.
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Speaker 1: The lady slipped out through the gate, was in the
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Speaker 1: golden saddle in an instant and sweeping away ahead of
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Speaker 1: the wind. But if she was, the Prince of Emenia
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Speaker 1: was at her side and seizing her by the foot.
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Speaker 1: He ran with the mare for thirty perches and never
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Speaker 1: let go of the beautiful lady till the shoe was
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Speaker 1: pulled from her foot, and he was left behind with
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Speaker 1: it in his hand. She came home as fast as
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Speaker 1: the mare could carry her, and was thinking all the
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Speaker 1: time that the hen wife would kill her for losing
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Speaker 1: the shoe. Seeing her so vexed and so changed in
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Speaker 1: the face, the woman asked, what's the trouble that's on
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Speaker 1: you now? Oh, I've lost one of the shoes off
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Speaker 1: my feet, said Trembling. Don't mind that. Don't be vexed,
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Speaker 1: said the hen wife. Maybe it's the best thing that
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Speaker 1: ever happened to you. Then Trembling gave up all the
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Speaker 1: things she had to The hen wife put on her
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Speaker 1: old clothes and went to work in the kitchen. When
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Speaker 1: the sisters came home. The hen wife asked, have you
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Speaker 1: any news from the church. We have, indeed, they said,
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Speaker 1: for we saw the grandest sight. To day the strange
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Speaker 1: lady came again, in grander array than before. On herself
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Speaker 1: and the horse she rode were the finest colors of
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Speaker 1: the world. And between the ears of the horse was
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Speaker 1: a bird which never stopped singing from the time she
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Speaker 1: came till the time she went away. The lady herself
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Speaker 1: is the most beautiful woman ever seen by man and eron.
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Speaker 1: After Trembling had disappeared from the church, the son of
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Speaker 1: the King of Amenia said to the other king's sons,
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Speaker 1: I will have that lady for my own. They all said,
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Speaker 1: you didn't win her just by taking the shoes shoe
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Speaker 1: off her foot. You'll have to win her by the
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Speaker 1: point of the sword. You'll have to fight for her
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Speaker 1: with us before you can call her your own. Well
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Speaker 1: said the King of Emenia. When I find the lady
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Speaker 1: that the shoe will fit, I will fight for her,
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Speaker 1: never fear before I leave her to any of you.
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Speaker 1: Then all the king's sons were uneasy and anxious to
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Speaker 1: know who was she that lost the shoe, and they
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Speaker 1: began to travel all over Erin to know could they
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Speaker 1: find her. The Prince of Amenia and all the others
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Speaker 1: went in a great company together and made the round
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Speaker 1: of Erin. They went everywhere, north, south, east and west.
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Speaker 1: They visited every place where a woman was to be found,
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Speaker 1: and left not a house in the kingdom. They did
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Speaker 1: not search to know could they find the woman the
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Speaker 1: shoe would fit, not caring whether she was rich or poor,
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Speaker 1: of high or low degree. The Prince of Amenia always
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Speaker 1: kept the shoe, and when the young women saw it
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Speaker 1: they had great hopes, for it was of proper size,
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Speaker 1: neither large nor small, and it would be any man
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Speaker 1: to know of what material it was made. One thought
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Speaker 1: it would fit her if she cut a little from
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Speaker 1: her great toe, and another, with too short a foot,
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Speaker 1: put something in the tip of her stocking. But no use.
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Speaker 1: They only spoiled their feet and were curing them for months. Afterwards.
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Speaker 1: The two sisters Fair and Brown heard that the princes
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Speaker 1: of the world were looking all over Erin for the
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Speaker 1: woman that could wear the shoe, and every day they
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Speaker 1: were talking of trying it on. And one day Trembling
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Speaker 1: spoke up and said, maybe it's my foot that the
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Speaker 1: shoe will fit. Oh, the breaking of the dog's foot
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Speaker 1: on you? Why say so? When you were at home
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Speaker 1: every Sunday they were in that way, waiting and scolding
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Speaker 1: the younger sister till the princes were near the palace.
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Speaker 1: The day they were to come. The sisters put Trembling
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Speaker 1: in a closet and locked the door on her. When
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Speaker 1: the company came to the house, the Prince of Amenia
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Speaker 1: gave the shoe to the sisters. But though they tried
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Speaker 1: and tried, it would fit neither of them. Is there
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Speaker 1: any other young woman in the house, asked the prince.
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Speaker 1: There is, said Trembling, speaking up them closet. I'm here. Oh,
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Speaker 1: we have her for nothing but to put out the ashes,
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Speaker 1: said the sisters. But the Prince and the others wouldn't
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Speaker 1: leave the house till they had seen her. So the
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Speaker 1: two sisters had to open the door, and Trembling came out.
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Speaker 1: The shoe was given to her, and it fitted exactly.
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Speaker 1: The Prince of the Mania looked at her and said,
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Speaker 1: you are the woman the shoe fits, and you are
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Speaker 1: the woman. I took the shoe from and Trembling spoke
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Speaker 1: up and said, do you stay here? Till I return.
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Speaker 1: Then she went to the hen wife's house. The old
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Speaker 1: woman put on the cloak of darkness, got everything for her.
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Speaker 1: She had the first sunday at church and put her
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Speaker 1: on the white mare in the same fashion. Then, trembling,
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Speaker 1: rode along the highway to the front of the house.
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Speaker 1: All who saw her the first time said, this is
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Speaker 1: the lady we saw at church. Then she went away
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Speaker 1: a second time, and a second time came back on
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Speaker 1: the black mare in the second dress which the hen
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Speaker 1: wife gave her. All who saw her the second sunday
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Speaker 1: said that is the lady we saw at church. A
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Speaker 1: third time, she asked for a short absence, and soon
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Speaker 1: came back on the third mare, and in the third dress.
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Speaker 1: All who saw her the third time said, that is
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Speaker 1: the lady we saw at church. Every man was satisfied
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Speaker 1: and knew that she was the woman, and all the
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Speaker 1: princes and great men spoke up and said to the
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Speaker 1: son of the King of Amenia, you'll have to fight
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Speaker 1: now for her before we let her go with you.
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Speaker 1: I'm here before you, ready for combat, answered the prince.
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Speaker 1: Then the son of the King of Lochlan stepped forth.
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Speaker 1: The struggle began in a terrible struggle it was. They
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Speaker 1: fought for nine hours, and then the son of the
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Speaker 1: King of Lochlan stopped, gave up his claim, and left
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Speaker 1: the field. Next day, the son of the King of
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Speaker 1: Spain fought six hours and yielded his claim. On the
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Speaker 1: third day, the son of the King of Naophi fought
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Speaker 1: eight hours and stopped. The fourth day, the son of
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Speaker 1: the King of Greece fought six hours and stopped. On
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Speaker 1: the fifth day, no more strange princes wanted to fight,
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Speaker 1: and all the sons of the kings and errands said
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Speaker 1: they would not fight with a man of their own land.
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Speaker 1: That the strangers had had their chance, and as no
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Speaker 1: one came to claim the woman, she belonged of right
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Speaker 1: to the son of the King of Amenia. The marriage
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Speaker 1: day was fixed and the invitations were sent out. The
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Speaker 1: wedding lasted for a year and a day. When the
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Speaker 1: wedding was over, the king's son brought home the bride,
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Speaker 1: and when the time came a son was born. The
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Speaker 1: young woman sent for her eldest sister Fair to be
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Speaker 1: with her and care for her. One day, when trembling
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Speaker 1: was well, and when her husband was away hunting, the
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Speaker 1: two sisters went out to walk, and when they came
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Speaker 1: to the sea side, the eldest pushed the youngest in.
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Speaker 1: A great whale came and swallowed her. The eldest sister
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Speaker 1: came home alone, and the husband asked, where is your sister.
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Speaker 1: She has gone home to her father and valley Shannon.
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Speaker 1: Now that I am well, I don't need her well,
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Speaker 1: said the husband, looking at her. I'm in dread. It's
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Speaker 1: my wife that was gone. Oh no, said she, it's
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Speaker 1: my sister Fair that's gone. Since the sisters were very
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Speaker 1: much alike, the prince was in doubt. That night. He
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Speaker 1: put his sword between them and said, if you are
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Speaker 1: my wife, the sword will get warm. If not, it
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Speaker 1: will stay cold. In the morning, when he rose up,
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Speaker 1: the sword was as cold as when he put it there.
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Speaker 1: It happened when the two sisters were walking by the
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Speaker 1: sea shore, that a little cowboy was down by the
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Speaker 1: water minding cattle, and saw Fair push trembling into the sea.
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Speaker 1: And next day, when the tide came in, he saw
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Speaker 1: the whale swim up and throw her out on the sand.
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Speaker 1: When she was on the sand, she said to the cowboy,
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Speaker 1: when you go home in the evening with the cowles
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Speaker 1: tell the Master that my sister fair pushed me into
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Speaker 1: the sea yesterday, that a whale swallowed me and then
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Speaker 1: threw me out. But we'll come again and swallow me
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Speaker 1: with the coming of the next tide. Then he'll go
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Speaker 1: out with the tide and come again with tomorrow's tide
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Speaker 1: and throw me again on the strand the whale will
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Speaker 1: cast me out three times. I'm under the enchantment of
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Speaker 1: this whale and cannot leave the beach or escape myself
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Speaker 1: unless my husband saves me before I am swallowed. The
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Speaker 1: fourth time, I shall be lost. He must come and
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Speaker 1: shoot the whale with a silver bullet. When he turns
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Speaker 1: on the broad of his back. Under the breast fin
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Speaker 1: of the whale is a reddish brown spot. My husband
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Speaker 1: must hit him in that spot, for it is the
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Speaker 1: only place in which he can be killed. When the
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Speaker 1: cowboy got home, the eldest sister gave him a draft
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Speaker 1: of oblivion, and he did not tell. Next day he
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Speaker 1: went again to the sea, the whale came and cast
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Speaker 1: trembling on shore again. She asked the boy, did you
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Speaker 1: tell the master what I told you to tell him?
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Speaker 1: I did not, said he I forgot how did you forget?
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Speaker 1: Asked she. The woman of the house gave me a
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Speaker 1: drink that made me forget. Well, don't forget telling him
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Speaker 1: this night, And if she gives you a drink, don't
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Speaker 1: take it from her. As soon as the cowboy came home,
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Speaker 1: the eldest sister offered him a drink. He refused to
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Speaker 1: take it till he had delivered his message and told
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Speaker 1: all to the master. The third day, the prince went
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Speaker 1: down with his gun and a siller bullet in it.
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Speaker 1: He was not long down when the whale came and
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Speaker 1: threw Trembling upon the beach. As the two days before,
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Speaker 1: she had no power to speak to her husband till
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Speaker 1: he had killed the whale. Then the whale went out,
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Speaker 1: turned over one son the broad of his back, and
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Speaker 1: showed the spot for a moment. Only that moment the
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Speaker 1: prince fired. He had but the one chance, and a
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Speaker 1: short one at that, but he took it, and he
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Speaker 1: hit the spot, and the whale, mad with pain, made
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Speaker 1: the sea all around red with blood and dyed. That minute.
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Speaker 1: Trembling was able to speak and went home with her husband,
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Speaker 1: who sent word to her father what the eldest sister
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Speaker 1: had done. The father came and told him any death
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Speaker 1: he chose to give her to give it, the prince
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Speaker 1: told the father he would leave her life and death
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Speaker 1: with himself. The father had her put out then on
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Speaker 1: the sea in a barrel with provisions in it for
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Speaker 1: seven years. In time, Trembling had a second child, a
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Speaker 1: daughter the prince. And she sent the cowboy to school
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Speaker 1: and trained him up as one of their own children,
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Speaker 1: and said, if the little girl that is born to
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Speaker 1: us now lives, no other man in the world will
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Speaker 1: get her but him. The cowboy and the prince's daughter
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Speaker 1: lived on till they were married. The mother said to
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Speaker 1: her husband, you could not have saved me from the
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Speaker 1: whale before the little cowboy. On that account, I don't
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Speaker 1: grudge him My daughter, the son of the King of Amenia,
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Speaker 1: and Trembling had fourteen children, and they lived happily till
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Speaker 1: the two died of old age. End of section nineteen