_(Goes.)_

_King_: Oh, my poor child! My poor little Nu! I thought it never would come to pa.s.s, I to be sending you to the slaughter. And I too bulky to go out and face him, having led an easy life!

_Princess_: Do not be fretting.

_King_: The world is gone to and fro! I'll never ask satisfaction again either in bed or board, but to be wasting away with watercresses and rising up of a morning before the sun rises in Babylon!

_(Weeps.)_ Oh, we might make out a way to baffle him yet! Is there no meal will serve him only flesh and blood? Try him with Grecian wine, and with what was left of the big dinner a while ago!

_Gateman: (Coming in.)_ There is some strange thing in the ocean from Aran out. At first it was but like a bird's shadow on the sea, and now you would nearly say it to be the big island would have left its moorings, and it steering its course towards Aughanish!

_Dall Glic_: I'm in dread it should be the Dragon that has cleared the ocean at a leap!

_King: (Holding Princess.)_ I will not give you up! Let him devour myself along with you!

_Dull Glic: (To Princess.)_ It is best for me to put you in a hiding-hole under the ground, that has seven locked doors and seven locks on the farthest door. It might fail him to make you out.

_Nurse_: Oh, it would be hard for her to go where she cannot hear the voice of a friend or see the light of day!

_Princess_: Would you wish me to save myself and let all the district perish? You heard what Fintan said. It is not right for destruction to be put on a whole province, and the women and the children that I know.

_Queen_: There is maybe time yet for you to wed.

_Princess_: So long as I am living I have a choice.

I will not be saved in that way. It is alone I will be in my death.

_Ma.n.u.s: (Coming to King.)_ I am going out from you, King. I might not be coming in to you again. I would wish to set you free from the promise you made me a while ago, and the bond.

_King_: What does it signify now? What does anything signify, and the world turning here and there!

_Ma.n.u.s_: And another thing. I would wish to ask pardon of the King's daughter. I ought not to have laid any claim to her, being a stranger in this place and without treasure or attendance.

And yet ...and yet ..._(stoops and kisses hem of her dress)_, she was dear to me. It is a man who never may look on her again is saying that.

_(Turns to door.)_

_Taig_: He is going to run from the Dragon!

It is kind father for a scullion to be timid!

_Queen_: It is in his blood. He is maybe not to blame for what is according to his nature.

_Ma.n.u.s_: That is so. I am doing what is according to my nature.

_(Goes, Nurse goes after him.)_

_Queen: (To Dall Glic.)_ Go throw a dishcloth after him that the little lads may be mocking him along the road!

_Dall Glic_: I will not. I have meddled enough at your bidding. I am done with living under dread. Let you blind me entirely! I am free of you. It might be best for me the two eyes to be withered, and I seeing nothing but the ever-living laws!

_Prince of Marshes: (Coming to Princess.)_ It is my grief that with all the teachers I had there was not one to learn me the handling of weapons or of arms. But for all that I will not run away, but will strive to strike one blow in your defence against that wicked beast.

_Princess_: It is a good friend that would rid us of him. But it grieves me that you should go into such danger.

_Prince of Marshes: (To Dall Glic.)_ Give me some sword or casting spears.

_(Dall Glic gives him spears.)_

_Princess_: I am sorry I made fun of you a while ago. I think you are a good kind man.

_Prince of Marshes; (Kissing her hand.)_ Having that word of praise I will bring a good heart into the fight.

_(Goes.)_

_(Taig is slipping out after him.)_

_Queen_: See now the King of Sorcha slipping away into the fight. Stop here now! _(Pulls him back.)_ You have a life that is precious to many besides yourself. Do not go without being well armed--and with a troop of good fighting men at your back.

_Taig_: I am greatly obliged to you. I think I'll be best with myself.

_Queen_: You have no suit or armour upon you.

_Taig_: That is what I was thinking.

_Queen_: Here anyway is a sword.

_Taig: (Taking it.)_ That's a nice belt now.

Well worked, silver thread and gold.

_Queen_: The King's own guard will go out with you.

_Taig_: I wouldn't ask one of them! What would you think of me wanting help! A Dragon!

Little I'd think of him. I'll knock the life out of him. I'll give him cruelty!

_Queen_: You have great courage indeed!

_Taig_: I'll cut him crossways and lengthways the same as a yard of frieze! I'll make garters of his body! I'll smooth him with a smoothing iron!

Not a fear of me! I never lost a bet yet that I wasn't able to pay it!

_Gateman: (As he rushes in, Taig slips away.)_ The Dragon! The Dragon! I seen it coming and its mouth open and a fiery flame from it! And nine miles of the sea is dry with all it drank of it!

The whole country is gathering the same as of a fair day for to see him devour the Princess.

_(Princess trembles and sinks into a chair.

King, Queen and Dall Glic look from window. They turn to her as they speak.)_

_Queen_: There is a terrible splashing in the sea!

It is like as if the Dragon's tail had beaten it into suds of soap!

_Dall Glic_: He is near as big as a whale!

_King_: He is, and bigger!