For hours they talked , but to no purpose , and in the end they hit upon a plan which they might just as well have thought of at the beginning . And this was the plan . A child was to be brought to the palace , and next the king 's daughter would give her an apple . Then the child was to take the apple and be led into a room where the twenty men with the black dots were sitting in a ring . And to whomsoever the child gave the apple , that man should marry the king 's daughter . ` Of course , ' said the king , ` it may not be the right man , after all , but then again it MAY be . Anyhow , it is the best we can do . ' The princess herself led the child into the room where the twenty men were now seated . She stood in the centre of the ring for a moment , looking at one man after another , and then held out the apple to the Shifty Lad , who was twisting a shaving of wood round his finger , and had the mouthpiece of a bagpipe hanging from his neck . ` You ought not to have anything which the others have not got , ' said the chamberlain , who had accompanied the princess ; and he bade the child stand outside for a minute , while he took away the shaving and the mouthpiece , and made the Shifty Lad change his place . Then he called the child in , but the little girl knew him again , and went straight up to him with the apple . ` This is the man whom the child has twice chosen , ' said the chamberlain , signing to the Shifty Lad to kneel before the king . ` It was all quite fair ; we tried it twice over . ' In this way the Shifty Lad won the king 's daughter , and they were married the next day . A few days later the bride and bridegroom were taking a walk together , and the path led down to the river , and over the river was a bridge . ` And what bridge may this be ? ' asked the Shifty Lad ; and the princess told him that this was the bridge of Dublin . ` Is it indeed ? ' cried he . ` Well , now , many is the time that my mother has said , when I played her a trick , that my end would be that I should hang on the bridge of Dublin . '
` Oh , if you want XXXXX fulfil her prophecies , ' laughed the princess , ` you have only to let me tie my handkerchief round your ankle , and I will hold you as you hang over the wall of the bridge . '
Of after at for into next over to upon with