"Your Majesties," he said, "it is my daughter who is the real magician. I know that she will be glad to entertain you for a short time. In fact she has consented to take my place."
Just then Yellow Lily entered the room in a gown of gold that swept the floor. Her golden hair shone like the sun. No one present had ever seen such glorious hair nor such a beautiful face and form. All were too much amazed at her beauty and elegance to utter a word of welcome.
Yellow Lily sat down at the table and threw two grains of wheat into the air. They lit upon the table and turned into a male and a female pigeon. Immediately the former began to peck at his mate, almost driving her from the table. To the surprise of all, the female pigeon shrieked:
"You didn't treat me thus on the day I cleaned the stable for you and found the slumber-pin."
Yellow Lily laid two grains of wheat before them, but the male pigeon greedily devoured them and continued to abuse his mate.
"You would not have done that to me the day I thatched the stables for you with the feathers of birds, and no two of them alike," shrieked the female pigeon.
When some more wheat was laid before them, the male pigeon ate more greedily than before, and after he had eaten every grain he pushed his mate off the table. She fluttered to the floor screaming:
"You wouldn't have done that the day you killed me and took my bones to make steps on the glass tree nine hundred feet high, to get the crow's egg for the supper of the Giant of Loch Lein—and forgot my little toe, and made me lame for life!"
The Prince of Erin rose to his feet, red with shame, and turning to the King of Loch Lein, said:
"When I was younger I roamed about hunting and playing games. Once while away from home, I lost the key to a valuable chest. After a new key was made I found the old one. Which of the two keys should be kept, the old one or the new one?"