The Fairy Tree of Dooros

But once while the robin was with her the tyrant king’s daughter, who was very beautiful, passed with her maids of honour, and, seeing Rosaleen, the princess said:

“Oh, there is that horrid ugly thing.”

The maids laughed and giggled, and said they had never seen such a fright.

Poor Rosaleen felt as if her heart would break, and when the princess and her maids were out of sight she almost cried her eyes out. When the robin saw her crying he perched on her shoulder and rubbed his little head against her neck and chirruped softly in her ear, and Rosaleen was comforted, for she felt she had at least one friend in the world, although it was only a little robin. But the robin could do more for her than she could dream of. He heard the remark made by the princess, and he saw Rosaleen’s tears, and he knew now why she was shunned by everybody, and why she was so unhappy. And that very evening he flew off to Dooros Wood, and called on a cousin of his and told him all about Rosaleen.

“And you want some of the fairy berries, I suppose,” said his cousin, Robin of the Wood.

“I do,” said Rosaleen’s little friend.

“Ah,” said Robin of the Wood, “times have changed since you were here last. The tree is guarded now all the day long by a surly giant. He sleeps in the branches during the night, and he breathes upon them and around them every morning, and his breath is poison to bird and bee. There is only one chance open, and if you try that it may cost you your life.”

“Then tell me what it is, for I would give a hundred lives for Rosaleen,” said her own little robin.

“Well,” said Robin of the Wood, “every day a champion comes to battle with the giant, and the giant, before he begins the fight, puts a branch of berries in the iron belt that’s around his waist, so that when he feels tired or thirsty he can refresh himself, and there is just a bare chance, while he is fighting, of picking one of the berries from the branch; but if his breath fall on you it is certain death.”

“I will take the chance,” said Rosaleen’s robin.