Before the sky was streaked with red he was at home again , and the queen was sitting waiting till he arrived , for sleep was far from her eyes . Glad was she to see him enter , but she said little , only took her harp and sang softly the songs which he loved , till he went to bed , soothed and happy . It was broad day when he woke , and he sprang up saying : ` Now I must go to the Gruagach , to find out if the spells he laid on me are loose . ' ` Have a care , ' answered the queen , ` for it is not with a smile as on the other days that he will greet you . Furiously he will meet you , and will ask you in his wrath if you have got the sword , and you will reply that you have got it . Next he will want to know how you got it , and to this you must say that but for the knob you had not got it at all . Then he will raise his head to look at the knob , and you must stab him in the mole which is on the right side of his neck ; but take heed , for if you miss the mole with the point of the sword , then my death and your death are certain . He is brother to the king of the oak windows , and sure will he be that the king must be head , or the sword would not be in your hands . ' After that she kissed him , and bade him good speed . ` Didst thou get the sword ? ' asked the Gruagach , when they met in the usual place . ' I got the sword . ' ` And how didst thou get it ? ' ` If it had not had a knob on the top , then I had not got it , ' answered the king . ` Give me the sword to look at , ' said the Gruagach , peering forward ; but like a flash the king had drawn it from under his nose and pierced the mole , so that the Gruagach rolled over on the ground . ` Now I shall be at peace , ' thought the king . But he was wrong , for when he reached home he found his servants tied together back to back with cloths bound round their mouths , so that they could not speak . He hastened to set them free , and he asked who had treated them in so evil a manner . ` No sooner had you gone than a great giant came , and dealt with us as you see , and carried off your wife and your two horses , ' said the men . ` Then my eyes will not close nor will my head lay itself down till I fetch my wife and horses home again , ' answered he , and he stopped and noted the tracks of the horses on the grass , and followed after them till he arrived at the wood , when the darkness fell . '
I will sleep here , ' he said to himself , ` but first I will make a fire , ' And he gathered together some twigs that were lying about , and then took two dry sticks and rubbed them together XXXXX the fire came , and he sat by it .
Before after as for from in of than that till