Thus he spoke to himself, when his eyes fell on a golden cock and a silver hen running swiftly along the grass in front of him.In a moment the words that the old man had uttered vanished from his mind and he gave chase.They were so near that he could almost seize their tails, yet each time he felt sure he could catch them his fingers closed on the empty air.At length he could run no more, and stopped to breathe, while the cock and hen went on as before.Then he remembered the cows, and, somewhat frightened, turned back to seek them.Luckily they had not strayed far, and were quietly feeding on the thick green grass.
Ardan son of Gorla was sitting under a tree, when he beheld a staff of gold and a staff of silver doubling themselves in strange ways on the meadow in front of him, and starting up he hastened towards them.He followed them till he was tired, but he could not catch them, though they seemed ever within his reach.When at last he gave up the quest his knees trembled beneath him for very weariness, and glad was he to see a tree growing close by lade with fruits of different sorts, of which he ate greedily.
The sun was by now low in the heavens, and the cows left off feeding, and turned their faces home again, followed by Ardan son of Gorla.At the door of their stable the maiden stood awaiting them, and saying nought to their herd, she sat down and began to milk.But it was not milk that flowed into her pail; instead it was filled with a thin stream of water, and as she rose up from the last cow the old man appeared outside.
'Faithless one, you have betrayed your trust!' he said to Ardan son of Gorla.'Not even for one day could you keep true! Well, you shall have your reward at once, that others may take warning from you.' And waving his wand he touched with it the chest of the youth, who became a pillar of stone.
Now Gorla of the Flocks and his wife were full of grief that they had lost a son as well as a daughter, for no tidings had come to them of Ardan their eldest born.At length, when two years and two days had passed since the maiden had led her kids to feed on the mountain and had been seen no more, Ruais, second son of Gorla, rose up one morning, and said:
'Time is long without my sister and Ardan my brother.So I have vowed to seek them wherever they may be.'
And his father answered:
'Better it had been if you had first asked my consent and that of your mother; but as you have vowed so must you do.' Then he bade his wife make a cake, but instead she made two, and offered Ruais his choice, as she had done to Ardan.Like Ardan, Ruais chose the large, unblessed cake, and set forth on his way, doing always, though he knew it not, that which Ardan had done; so, needless is it to tell what befell him till he too stood, a pillar of stone, on the hill behind the cottage, so that all men might see the fate that awaited those who broke their faith.
Another year and a day passed by, when Covan the Brown-haired, youngest son of Gorla of the Flocks, one morning spake to his parents, saying:
'It is more than three years since my sister left us.My brothers have also gone, no one know whither, and of us four none remains but I.No, therefore, I long to seek them, and I pray you and my mother to place no hindrance in my way.'
And his father answered:
'Go, then, and take our blessing with you.'
So the wife of Gorla of the Flocks baked two cakes, one large and one small; and Covan took the small one, and started on his quest.In the wood he felt hungry, for he had walked far, and he sat down to eat.
Suddenly a voice behind him cried:
'A bit for me! a bit for me!' And looking round he beheld the black raven of the wilderness.
'Yes, you shall have a bit,' said Covan the Brown-haired; and breaking off a piece he stretched it upwards to the raven, who ate it greedily.
Then Covan arose and went forward, till he saw the light from the cottage streaming before him, and glad was he, for night was at hand.
'Maybe I shall find some work there,' he thought, 'and at least I shall gain money to help me in my search; for who knows how far my sister and my brothers may have wandered?'
The door stood open and he entered, and the old man gave him welcome, and the golden- haired maiden likewise.As happened before, he was offered by the old man to herd his cows; and, as she had done to his brothers, the maiden counselled him to leave such work alone.But, instead of answering rudely, like both Ardan and Ruais, he thanked her, with courtesy, though he had no mind to heed her; and he listened to the warnings and words of his new master.
Next day he set forth at dawn with the dun cows in front of him, and followed patiently wherever they might lead him.On the way he saw the gold cock and silver hen, which ran even closer to him than they had done to his brothers.Sorely tempted, he longed to give them chase;but, remembering in time that he had been bidden to look neither to the right nor to the left, with a mighty effort he turned his eyes away.
Then the gold and silver staffs seemed to spring from the earth before him, but this time also he overcame; and though the fruit from the magic tree almost touched his mouth, he brushed it aside and went steadily on.
That day the cows wandered father than ever they had done before, and never stopped till they had reached a moor where the heather was burning.The fire was fierce, but the cows took no heed, and walked steadily through it, Covan the Brown-haired following them.Next they plunged into a foaming river, and Covan plunged in after them, though the water came high above his waist.On the other side of the river lay a wide plain, and here the cows lay down, while Covan looked about him.Near him was a house built of yellow stone, and from it came sweet songs, and Covan listened, and his heart grew light within him.
While he was thus waiting there ran up to him a youth, scarcely able to speak so swiftly had he sped; and he cried aloud:
'Hasten, hasten, Covan the Brown-haired, for your cows are in the corn, and you must drive them out!'
