III.
When the fairies got home the queen told her daughter:
“I have no power over the old witch for twelve months from to-day, and then I have no power over her life. She must lose that by the arm of a man.”
So the next day the daughter was sent out again to see whether she could find a person suited to that purpose.
In the village lived a small crofter, who was afraid of nothing; he was the boldest man thereabouts; and one day he passed the miser without saluting him. The old fellow went off at once and told the witch.
“Oh, I’ll settle his cows to-night!” said she, and they were taken sick, and gave no milk that night.
The fairy’s daughter arrived at his croft-yard after the cows were taken ill, and she heard him say to his son, a bright lad:
“It must be the old witch!”
When she heard this, she sent him to the queen.
So next day the fairy queen took six fairies and went to the croft, taking her blue pot of perfume. When she got there she asked the crofter if he would like his cows cured?
“God bless you, yes!” he said.
The queen made him bring a round table into the yard, whereon she placed the blue pot of perfume, and having lit it, as before, they formed in line and walked round thrice, chanting the words:
“Round and round three times three,
We have come to cure thee.”
Then she dipped the end of her wand into the perfume, and touched the cows on the forehead, saying to each one:
“Be thou whole.”
Whereupon they jumped up cured.
The little farmer was overjoyed, and cried:
“Oh, what can I do for you? What can I do for you?”
“Money I care not for,” said the queen, “all I want is your son to avenge you and me.”
The lad jumped up and said:
“What I can do I’ll do it for you, my lady fairy.”
She told him to be at the walled plot the following day at noon, and left.