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 in these rocks , and I will change myself into the colt , and go with you to the house of the Seven Big Women . ' Joy filed the hearts of the Big Women when they beheld the bay colt led up to their door by Ian Direach . And the youngest of them fetched the White Sword of Light , and gave it into the hands of Ian Direach , who took off the golden saddle and the silver bridle , and went down the hill with the sword to the place where the princess and the real colt awaited him . ` Now we shall have the ride that we have longed for ! ' cried the Seven Big Women ; and they saddled and bridled the colt , and the eldest one got upon the saddle . Then the second sister sat on the back of the first , and the third on the back of the second , and so on for the whole seven . And when they were all seated , the eldest struck her side with a whip and the colt bounded forward . Over the moors she flew , and round and round the mountains , and still the Big Women clung to her and snorted with pleasure . At last she leapt high in the air , and came down on top of Monadh the high hill , where the crag is . And she rested her fore feet on the crag , and threw up her hind legs , and the Seven Big Women fell over the crag , and were dead when they reached the bottom . And the colt laughed , and became a fox again and galloped away to the sea shore , where Ian Direach , and the princess and the real colt and the White Sword of Light were awaiting him . '
I will make myself into a ship , ' said Gille Mairtean the fox , ` and will carry you and the princess , and the bay colt and the White Sword XXXXX Light , back to the land . '
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