What is this that you have done , and whither are we going ? ' ` It is a queen you will be , ' answered Ian Direach , ` for the king of Erin has sent me for you , and in return he will give me his bay colt , that I may take him to the Seven Big Women of Dhiurradh , in exchange for the White Sword of Light . This I must carry to the giant of the Five Heads and Five Necks and Five Humps , and , in place of it , he will bestow on me the blue falcon , which I have promised my stepmother , so that she may free me from the spell which she has laid on me . ' ' I would rather be wife to you , ' answered the princess . By-and-by the ship sailed into a harbour on the coast of Erin , and cast anchor there . And Gille Mairtean the fox bade Ian Direach tell the princess that she must bide yet a while in a cave amongst the rocks , for they had business on land , and after a while they would return to her . Then they took a boat and rowed up to some rocks , and as they touched the land Gille Mairtean changed himself into a fair woman , who laughed , and said to Ian Direach , ' I will give the king a fine wife . ' Now the king of Erin had been hunting on the hill , and when he saw a strange ship sailing towards the harbour , he guessed that it might be Ian Direach , and left his hunting , and ran down to the hill to the stable . Hastily he led the bay colt from his stall , and put the golden saddle on her back , and the silver bridle over his head , and with the colt 's bridle in his hand , he hurried to meet the princess . ' I have brought you the king of France 's daughter , ' said Ian Direach . And the king of Erin looked at the maiden , and was well pleased , not knowing that it was Gille Mairtean the fox . And he bowed low , and besought her to do him the honour to enter the palace ; and Gille Mairtean , as he went in , turned to look back at Ian Direach , and laughed . In the great hall the king paused and pointed to an iron chest which stood in a corner . ` In that chest is the crown that has waited for you for many years , ' he said , ` and at last you have come for it . ' And he stooped down to unlock the box . In an instant Gille Mairtean the fox had sprung on his back , and gave him such a bite that he fell down unconscious . Quickly the fox took his own shape again , and galloped away to the sea shore , where Ian Direach and the princess and the bay colt awaited him . ' I will become a ship , ' cried Gille Mairtean , ` and you shall go on board me . ' And so he did , and Ian Direach let the bay colt into the ship and the princess went after them , and they set sail for Dhiurradh . The wind was behind them , and very soon they saw the rocks of Dhiurradh in front .
Then spoke Gille Mairtean the fox : ` Let the bay colt and the king 's daughter hide XXXXX these rocks , and I will change myself into the colt , and go with you to the house of the Seven Big Women . '
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