The Magic Spring.

Irish legend

There is a beautiful lake in the middle of a green valley just outside the Irish city of Cork. At the very
.bottom of this lake there are buildings and gardens far more beautiful than any you can see now
Many years ago, long before Saxon foot pressed Irish ground, there was a great King, called Cork. His
palace stood where the lake is now. There was a pure and clear spring not far from the palace. It was
the wonder of all Ireland. Many people came from far and near to get some water from the
.wonderful spring
The King was proud of having it, but people came in crowds to take the precious water of this spring,
and he was afraid that in time it might become dry. So he ordered to build a high wall around it. This
was a very great loss to the poor people living about the palace. Whenever the King wanted water
for himself he would send his daughter to get it. He did not trust his servants, because they might
.give some of the water away

One night the King gave a grand ball, and there were many great princes, and lords and nobles. At
this grand entertainment there was a young prince and nobody had ever seen a man as handsome
as he was. He danced merrily with the old King’s daughter, wheeling there, as light as a feather, to
.the admiration of everyone
In the midst of the feast one of the great lords said to King Cork, “May it please your majesty, here is
”.everything that heart can wish for, both to eat and drink, except water
Water!” said the King, much pleased that he might show what he was proud of. “Water shall you “
”.have, my lord, that of such a delicious kind that nothing in the whole world can equal it
He said to his daughter, “Go and fetch some water in the golden vessel which I ordered to be made
”.for the purpose
The King’s daughter, who was called Fior Usga (which means Spring Water), did not much like to be
told to fetch water before so many people. And though she did not wish to refuse her father’s order,
.she hesitated to obey him, and looked down upon the ground
The King, who loved his daughter very much, understood why she did not want to go. But when he
.said a word he never recalled it. So he thought of a way to make his daughter go to the spring
”.Oh, I see, you are afraid to go alone. But I’m sure the young Prince will be glad to go with you “
.The Prince stood up with a happy smile, took the golden vessel, and off they went
When they came to the spring, the Princess took the vessel but it was so heavy that she lost her
balance and fell in. The young Prince tried to save her, but in vain, because the water rose and rose
and quickly covered the whole yard. He ran back to the palace but the water ran faster. And a few
minutes later the water rose to such a height that it filled the entire green valley where the King’s
.palace stood, and so the present Lake of Cork was formed
The King and his guests were not drowned, and neither was his daughter. And every night since then
the same entertainment and dancing goes on in the palace under the water, and it will last until
someone has the luck to bring up out of the lake the golden vessel which was the cause of this
.dreadful event
Nobody can doubt that it was a punishment upon the King for his shutting up the spring from the
poor people. And if you do not believe this story, you might go and see the Lake of Cork. When its
waters are low and clear, the tops of towers and stately buildings may be clearly seen by those who
have good eyesight