Fairy Tales, Now First Collected/Tale 2
TALE II.
THE SILVER CUP.
There is a village a few miles distant from the eastern sea, near which those famous waters, they vulgarly call Gipse, burst out of the earth with a numerous sprinkling. From this village a certain rustic, having gone to salute a friend dwelling in a neighbouring place, returned, late at night, not perfectly sober: and, behold! from the next hill, which I have very often seen, and is two or three furlongs from the village, he heard the voices of persons singing, and, as it were, festively banqueting. Wondering who, in that place, should break the silence of the unseasonable night, he was willing to inspect this matter more curiously, and seeing, in the side of the hill, a gate open, he approached and looked within, and saw a house spacious and lightsome, and filled with people sitting, as well ment as women, as it were at a solemn feast. Now one of those ministering beholding a man standing at the door, offered to him the cup: which he, having accepted, would not, discreetly, drink of; but, pouring out the contents, and retaining the cup, hastily departed; .and a tumult being made in the feast, for the taking away of the vessel, and the guests pursuing him, he escaped by the fleetness of the horse on which he was carried, and betook himself into his village with his notable booty. Finally, this vessel, of unknown material, and unusual form, was offered to Henry king of the English for a great reward, and, afterward, being delivered to the queens brother, David, that is, king of the Scots, was preserved, for a great many years in the treasury of Scotland; and before some years (as we know from veracious relation) was resigned by William king of the Scots to Henry the second, who desired to see it.[1]
- ↑ W. of Newbrough, Historia rerum Anglicarum, à Hearne, p. 95. See Tam o'Shanter, in Burns's Poems.