"It will make a good bathtub for me," he said, and he laughed merrily.
"Pray don't make us do this," cried his frightened servants.
He laughed all the louder, and answered: "Don't be afraid. The water will be all the better for the fresh night air."
The silver bowl was brought to the daring warrior. But as the servants entered the house, they imagined they heard terrible sounds about them.
They shook with fear as they thought, "We are going to be punished for breaking the magician's command."
One of the servants was so frightened that he left the city and fled to the mountains. It was well for him that he did so, for when the morning came, he looked down into the valley and saw no city at all.
Not a sign of a house or living being was in sight. A sheet of water was stretched out before his astonished eyes. It was the beautiful Lough Lean.
As Mollie's father repeated the legend, the children bent over the lake. Perhaps they could see the roofs of palaces, or the tops of towers, still standing on the bottom of the water. They had heard of people who said they had seen them. But the children were disappointed.
Perhaps when they went rowing in the afternoon, they might yet catch a glimpse of the hidden city. Who could tell?
Mollie's father had more to tell of another man, whose name was also O'Donaghue. He pointed to a little island not far from the shore. It was Ross Island, and an old, old castle, called Ross Castle, was still standing there.