The Black Bull Of Norroway

: The Scottish Fairy Book

In bygone days, long centuries ago, there lived a widowed Queen who had

three daughters. And this widowed Queen was so poor, and had fallen upon

such evil days, that she and her daughters had often much ado to get

enough to eat.



So the eldest Princess determined that she would set out into the world

to seek her fortune. And her mother was quite willing that she should do

so. "For," said she, "'tis better o work abroad than to starve at

home."



But as there was an old hen-wife living near the Castle who was said to

be a witch, and to be able to foretell the future, the Queen sent the

Princess to her cottage, before she set out on her travels, to ask her

in which of the Four Airts she ought to go, in order to find the best

fortune.



"Thou needst gang nae farther than my back door, hinnie," answered the

old Dame, who had always felt very sorry for the Queen and her pretty

daughters, and was glad to do them a good turn.



So the Princess ran through the passage to the hen-wife's back door and

peeped out, and what should she see but a magnificent coach, drawn by

six beautiful cream-coloured horses, coming along the road.



Greatly excited at this unusual sight, she hurried back to the kitchen,

and told the hen-wife what she had seen.



"Aweel, aweel, ye've seen your fortune," said the old woman, in a tone

of satisfaction, "for that coach-and-six is coming for thee."



Sure enough, the coach-and-six stopped at the gate of the Castle, and

the second Princess came running down to the cottage to tell her sister

to make haste, because it was waiting for her. Delighted beyond measure

at the wonderful luck that had come to her, she hurried home, and,

saying farewell to her mother and sisters, took her seat within, and the

horses galloped off immediately.



And I've heard tell that they drew her to the Palace of a great and

wealthy Prince, who married her; but that is outside my story.



A few weeks afterwards, the second Princess thought that she would do as

her sister had done, and go down to the hen-wife's cottage, and tell her

that she, too, was going out into the world to seek her fortune. And, of

course, in her heart of hearts she hoped that what had happened to her

sister would happen to her also.



And, curious to say, it did. For the old hen-wife sent her to look out

at her back door, and she went, and, lo and behold! another

coach-and-six was coming along the road. And when she went and told the

old woman, she smiled upon her kindly, and told her to hurry home, for

the coach-and-six was her fortune also, and that it had come for her.



So she, too, ran home, and got into her grand carriage, and was driven

away. And, of course, after all these lucky happenings, the youngest

Princess was anxious to try what her fortune might be; so the very

night, in high good humour, she tripped away down to the old witch's

cottage.



She, too, was told to look out at the back door, and she was only too

glad to do so; for she fully expected to see a third coach-and-six

coming rolling along the high road, straight for the Castle door.



But, alas and alack! no such sight greeted her eager eyes, for the high

road was quite deserted, and in great disappointment she ran back to the

hen-wife to tell her so.



"Then it is clear that thy fortune is not coming to meet thee this day,"

said the old Dame, "so thou must e'en come back to-morrow."



So the little Princess went home again, and next day she turned up

once more at the old wife's cottage.



But once more she was disappointed, for although she looked out long and

eagerly, no glad sight of a coach-and-six, or of any other coach,

greeted her eyes. On the third day, however, what should she see but a

great Black Bull coming rushing along the road, bellowing as it came,

and tossing its head fiercely in the air.



In great alarm, the little Princess shut the door, and ran to the

hen-wife to tell her about the furious animal that was approaching.



"Hech, hinnie," cried the old woman, holding up her hands in dismay,

"and who would have thocht that the Black Bull of Norroway wad be your

fate!"



At the words, the poor little maiden grew pale. She had come out to seek

her fortune, but it had never dawned upon her that her fortune could be

anything so terrible as this.



"But the Bull cannot be my fortune," she cried in terror. "I cannot go

away with a bull."



"But ye'll need tae," replied the hen-wife calmly. "For you lookit out

of my door with the intent of meeting your fortune; and when your

fortune has come tae ye, you must just thole it."



And when the poor Princess ran weeping to her mother, to beg to be

allowed to stay at home, she found her mother of the same mind as the

Wise Woman; and so she had to allow herself to be lifted up on to the

back of the enormous Black Bull that had come up to the door of the

Castle, and was now standing there quietly enough. And when she was

settled, he set off again on his wild career, while she sobbed and

trembled with terror, and clung to his horns with all her might.



On and on they went, until at last the poor maiden was so faint with

fear and hunger that she could scarce keep her seat.



Just as she was losing her hold of the great beast's horns, however, and

feeling that she must fall to the ground, he turned his massive head

round a little, and, speaking in a wonderfully soft and gentle voice,

said: "Eat out of my right ear, and drink out of my left ear, so wilt

thou be refreshed for thy journey."



So the Princess put a trembling hand into the Bull's right ear, and drew

out some bread and meat, which, in spite of her terror, she was glad to

swallow; then she put her hand into his left ear, and found there a tiny

flagon of wine, and when she had drunk that, her strength returned to

her in a wonderful way.



Long they went, and sore they rode, till, just as it seemed to the

Princess that they must be getting near the World's End, they came in

sight of a magnificent Castle.



"That's where we maun bide this night," said the Black Bull of Norroway,

"for that is the house of one of my brothers."



The Princess was greatly surprised at these words; but by this time she

was too tired to wonder very much at anything, so she did not answer,

but sat still where she was, until the Bull ran into the courtyard of

the Castle and knocked his great head against the door.






The door was opened at once by a very splendid footman, who treated the

Black Bull with great respect, and helped the Princess to alight from

his back. Then he ushered her into a magnificent hall, where the Lord of

the Castle, and his Lady, and a great and noble company were assembled;

while the Black Bull trotted off quite contentedly to the grassy park

which stretched all round the building, to spend the night there.



The Lord and his Lady were very kind to the Princess, and gave her her

supper, and led her to a richly furnished bedroom, all hung round with

golden mirrors, and left her to rest there; and in the morning, just as

the Black Bull came trotting up to the front door, they handed her a

beautiful apple, telling her not to break it, but to put it in her

pocket, and keep it till she was in the greatest strait that mortal

could be in. Then she was to break it, and it would bring her out of it.



So she put the apple in her pocket, and they lifted her once more on to

the Black Bull's back, and she and her strange companion continued on

their journey.



All that day they travelled, far further than I can tell you, and at

night they came in sight of another Castle, which was even bigger and

grander than the first.



"That's where we maun bide this night," said the Black Bull, "for that

is the home of another of my brothers."



And here the Princess rested for the night in a very fine bedroom

indeed, all hung with silken curtains; and the Lord and Lady of the

Castle did everything to please her and make her comfortable.



And in the morning, before she left, they presented her with the largest

pear that she had ever seen, and warned her that she must not break it

until she was in the direst strait that she had ever been in, and then,

if she broke it, it would bring her out of it.



The third day was the same as the other two had been. The Princess and

the Black Bull of Norroway rode many a weary mile, and at sundown they

came to another Castle, more splendid by far than the other two.



This Castle belonged to the Black Bull's youngest brother, and here the

Princess abode all night; while the Bull, as usual, lay outside in the

park. And this time, when they departed, the Princess received a most

lovely plum, with the warning not to break it till she was in the

greatest strait that mortal could be in. Then she was to break it, and

it would set her free.



On the fourth day, however, things were changed. For there was no fine

Castle waiting for them at the end of their journey; on the contrary, as

the shadows began to lengthen, they came to a dark, deep glen, which was

so gloomy and so awesome-looking that the poor Princess felt her courage

sinking as they approached it.



At the entrance the Black Bull stopped. "Light down here, Lady," he

said, "for in this glen a deadly conflict awaits me, which I must face

unaided and alone. For the dark and gloomy region that lies before us is

the abode of a great Spirit of Darkness, who worketh much ill in the

world. I would fain fight with him and overcome him; and, by my troth,

I have good hope that I shall do so. As for thee, thou must seat thyself

on this stone, and stir neither hand, nor foot, nor tongue till I

return. For, if thou but so much as move, then the Evil Spirit of the

Glen will have thee in his power."



"But how shall I know what is happening to thee?" asked the Princess

anxiously, for she was beginning to grow quite fond of the huge black

creature that had carried her so gallantly these last four days, "if I

have neither to move hand nor foot, nor yet to speak."



"Thou wilt know by the signs around thee," answered the Bull. "For if

everything about thee turn blue, then thou wilt know that I have

vanquished the Evil Spirit; but if everything about thee turn red, then

the Evil Spirit hath vanquished me."



With these words he departed, and was soon lost to sight in the dark

recesses of the glen, leaving the little Princess sitting motionless on

her stone, afraid to move so much as her little finger, in case some

unknown evil fell upon her.



At last, when she had sat there for well-nigh an hour, a curious change

began to pass over the landscape. First it turned grey, and then it

turned a deep azure blue, as if the sky had descended on the earth.



"The Bull hath conquered," thought the Princess. "Oh! what a noble

animal he is!" And in her relief and delight she moved her position and

crossed one leg over the other.



Oh, woe-a-day! In a moment a mystic spell fell upon her, which caused

her to become invisible to the eyes of the Prince of Norroway, who,

having vanquished the Evil Spirit, was loosed from the spell which had

lain over him, and had transformed him into the likeness of a great

Black Bull, and who returned in haste down the glen to present himself,

in his rightful form, to the maiden whom he loved, and whom he hoped to

win for his bride.



Long, long he sought, but he could not find her, while all the time she

was sitting patiently waiting on the stone; but the spell was on her

eyes also, and hindered her seeing him, as it hindered him seeing her.



So she sat on and on, till at last she became so wearied, and lonely,

and frightened, that she burst out crying, and cried herself to sleep;

and when she woke in the morning she felt that it was no use sitting

there any longer, so she rose and took her way, hardly knowing whither

she was going.



And she went, and she went, till at last she came to a great hill made

all of glass, which blocked her way and prevented her going any further.

She tried time after time to climb it, but it was all of no avail, for

the surface of the hill was so slippery that she only managed to climb

up a few feet, to slide down again the next moment.



So she began to walk round the bottom of the hill, in the hope of

finding some path that would lead her over it, but the hill was so big,

and she was so tired, that it seemed almost a hopeless quest, and her

spirit died completely within her. And as she went slowly along, sobbing

with despair, she felt that if help did not come soon she must lie down

and die.



About mid-day, however, she came to a little cottage, and beside the

cottage there was a smithy, where an old smith was working at his anvil.



She entered, and asked him if he could tell her of any path that would

lead her over the mountain. The old man laid down his hammer and looked

at her, slowly shaking his head as he did so.



"Na, na, lassie," he said, "there is no easy road over the Mountain of

Glass. Folk maun either walk round it, which is not an easy thing to do,

for the foot of it stretches out for hundreds of miles, and the folk who

try to do so are almost sure to lose their way; or they maun walk over

the top of it, and that can only be done by those who are shod with iron

shoon."



"And how am I to get these iron shoon?" cried the Princess eagerly.

"Couldst thou fashion me a pair, good man? I would gladly pay thee for

them." Then she stopped suddenly, for she remembered that she had no

money.



"These shoon cannot be made for siller," said the old man solemnly.

"They can only be earned by service. I alone can make them, and I make

them for those who are willing to serve me."



"And how long must I serve thee ere thou makest them for me?" asked the

Princess faintly.



"Seven years," replied the old man, "for they be magic shoon, and that

is the magic number."



So, as there seemed nothing else for it, the Princess hired herself to

the smith for seven long years: to clean his house, and cook his food,

and make and mend his clothes.



At the end of that time he fashioned her a pair of iron shoon, with

which she climbed the Mountain of Glass with as much ease as if it had

been covered with fresh green turf.



When she had reached the summit, and descended to the other side, the

first house that she came to was the house of an old washerwoman, who

lived there with her only daughter. And as the Princess was now very

tired, she went up to the door, and knocked, and asked if she might be

allowed to rest there for the night.



The washerwoman, who was old and ugly, with a sly and evil face, said

that she might--on one condition--and that was that she should try to

wash a white mantle that the Black Knight of Norroway had brought to her

to wash, as he had got it stained in a deadly fight.



"Yestreen I spent the lee-long day washing it," went on the old Dame,

"and I might as well have let it lie on the table. For at night, when I

took it out of the wash-tub, the stains were there as dark as ever.

Peradventure, maiden, if thou wouldst try thy hand upon it thou mightest

be more successful. For I am loth to disappoint the Black Knight of

Norroway, who is an exceeding great and powerful Prince."



"Is he in any way connected with the Black Bull of Norroway?" asked the

Princess; for at the name her heart had leaped for joy, for it seemed

that mayhap she was going to find once more him whom she had lost.



The old woman looked at her suspiciously. "The two are one," she

answered; "for the Black Knight chanced to have a spell thrown over him,

which turned him into a Black Bull, and which could not be lifted until

he had fought with, and overcome, a mighty Spirit of Evil that lived in

a dark glen. He fought with the Spirit, and overcame it and once more

regained his true form; but 'tis said that his mind is somewhat clouded

at times, for he speaketh ever of a maiden whom he would fain have

wedded, and whom he hath lost. Though who, or what she was, no living

person kens. But this story can have no interest to a stranger like

thee," she added slowly, as if she were sorry for having said so much.

"I have no more time to waste in talking. But if thou wilt try and wash

the mantle, thou art welcome to a night's lodging; and if not, I must

ask thee to go on thy way."



Needless to say, the Princess said that she would try to wash the

mantle; and it seemed as if her fingers had some magic power in them,

for as soon as she put it into water the stains vanished, and it became

as white and clean as when it was new.



Of course, the old woman was delighted, but she was very suspicious

also, for it appeared to her that there must be some mysterious link

between the maiden and the Knight, if his mantle became clean so easily

when she washed it, when it had remained soiled and stained in spite of

all the labour which she and her daughter had bestowed upon it.



So, as she knew that the young Gallant intended returning for it that

very night, and as she wanted her daughter to get the credit of washing

it, she advised the Princess to go to bed early, in order to get a good

night's rest after all her labours. And the Princess followed her

advice, and thus it came about that she was sound asleep, safely hidden

in the big box-bed in the corner, when the Black Knight of Norroway came

to the cottage to claim his white mantle.



Now you must know that the young man had carried about this mantle with

him for the last seven years--ever since his encounter with the Evil

Spirit of the Glen--always trying to find someone who could wash it for

him, and never succeeding.



For it had been revealed to him by a wise woman that she who could make

it white and clean was destined to be his wife--be she bonnie or ugly,

old or young. And that, moreover, she would prove a loving, a faithful,

and a true helpmeet.



So when he came to the washerwoman's cottage, and received back his

mantle white as the driven snow, and heard that it was the washerwoman's

daughter who had wrought this wondrous change, he said at once that he

would marry her, and that the very next day.



When the Princess awoke in the morning and heard all that had befallen,

and how the Black Knight had come to the cottage while she was asleep,

and had received his mantle, and had promised to marry the washerwoman's

daughter that very day, her heart was like to break. For now she felt

that she never would have the chance of speaking to him and telling him

who she really was.



And in her sore distress she suddenly remembered the beautiful fruit

which she had received on her journey seven long years before, and which

she had carried with her ever since.



"Surely I will never be in a sorer strait than I am now," she said to

herself; and she drew out the apple and broke it. And, lo and behold! it

was filled with the most beautiful precious stones that she had ever

seen; and at the sight of them a plan came suddenly into her head.



She took the precious stones out of the apple, and, putting them into a

corner of her kerchief, carried them to the washerwoman.



"See," said she, "I am richer than mayhap thou thoughtest I was. And if

thou wilt, all these riches may be thine."



"And how could that come about?" asked the old woman eagerly, for she

had never seen so many precious stones in her life before, and she had a

great desire to become the possessor of them.



"Only put off thy daughter's wedding for one day," replied the Princess.

"And let me watch beside the Black Knight as he sleeps this night, for I

have long had a great desire to see him."



To her astonishment the washerwoman agreed to this request; for the wily

old woman was very anxious to get the jewels, which would make her rich

for life, and it did not seem to her that there was any harm in the

Princess's request; for she had made up her mind that she would give the

Black Knight a sleeping-draught, which would effectually prevent him as

much as speaking to this strange maiden.



So she took the jewels and locked them up in her kist, and the wedding

was put off, and that night the little Princess slipped into the Black

Knight's apartment when he was asleep, and watched all through the long

hours by his bedside, singing this song to him in the hope that he would

awake and hear it:



"Seven lang years I served for thee,

The glassy hill I clamb for thee.

The mantle white I washed for thee,

And wilt thou no waken, and turn to me?"



But although she sang it over and over again, as if her heart would

burst, he neither listened nor stirred, for the old washerwoman's potion

had made sure of that.



Next morning, in her great trouble, the little Princess broke open the

pear, hoping that its contents would help her better than the contents

of the apple had done. But in it she found just what she had found

before--a heap of precious stones; only they were richer and more

valuable than the others had been.



So, as it seemed the only thing to do, she carried them to the old

woman, and bribed her to put the wedding off for yet another day, and

allow her to watch that night also by the Black Prince's bedside.



And the washerwoman did so; "for," said she, as she locked away the

stones, "I shall soon grow quite rich at this rate."



But, alas! it was all in vain that the Princess spent the long hours

singing with all her might:



"Seven lang years I served for thee,

The glassy hill I clamb for thee,

The mantle white I washed for thee,

And wilt thou no waken, and turn to me?"



for the young Prince whom she watched so tenderly, remained deaf and

motionless as a stone.



By the morning she had almost lost hope, for there was only the plum

remaining now, and if that failed her last chance had gone. With

trembling fingers she broke it open, and found inside another

collection of precious stones, richer and rarer than all the others.



She ran with these to the washerwoman, and, throwing them into her lap,

told her she could keep them all and welcome if she would put off the

wedding once again, and let her watch by the Prince for one more night.

And, greatly wondering, the old woman consented.



Now it chanced that the Black Knight, tired with waiting for his

wedding, went out hunting that day with all his attendants behind him.

And as the servants rode they talked together about something that had

puzzled them sorely these two nights gone by. At last an old huntsman

rode up to the Knight, with a question upon his lips.



"Master," he said, "we would fain ken who the sweet singer is who

singeth through the night in thy chamber?"



"Singer!" he repeated. "There is no singer. My chamber hath been as quiet

as the grave, and I have slept a dreamless sleep ever since I came to

live at the cottage."



The old huntsman shook his head. "Taste not the old wife's draught this

night, Master," he said earnestly; "then wilt thou hear what other ears

have heard."



At other times the Black Knight would have laughed at his words, but

to-day the man spoke with such earnestness that he could not but listen

to them. So that evening, when the washerwoman, as was her wont, brought

his sleeping-draught of spiced ale to his bedside, he told her that it

was not sweet enough for his liking. And when she turned and went to the

kitchen to fetch some honey to sweeten it, he jumped out of bed and

poured it all out of the window, and when she came back he pretended

that he had drunk it.



So it came to pass that he lay awake that night and heard the Princess

enter his room, and listened to her plaintive little song, sung in a

voice that was full of sobs:



"Seven lang years I served for thee,

The glassy hill I clamb for thee,

The mantle white I washed for thee,

And wilt thou no waken, and turn to me?"



And when he heard it, he understood it all; and he sprang up and took

her in his arms and kissed her, and asked her to tell him the whole

story.



And when he heard it, he was so angry with the old washerwoman and her

deceitful daughter that he ordered them to leave the country at once;

and he married the little Princess, and they lived happily all their

days.