piece of meat into each of the flaming mouths; not one of them did he miss.
At once the serpents were satisfied, and their heads sank down, and they lay as though asleep.
But the steed alighted on the causeway far beyond them, and Conn-eda’s hands held lightly to the reins.
“Conn-eda, are you still astride of me?”
“I am,” answered the Prince, “and none the worse for the danger we passed over.”
“Now it comes to me that you are a noble and heroic Prince,” said the steed, “and I have high hopes that we may win through all our adventures with great reward to both of us at the end of them.”
Then on they went, and on they went until they came to a flaming mountain, and the heat of it was very great.
“Are you sitting firm on my back?” asked the shaggy black horse.
“I am sitting firm,” replied the Prince.