The King of Ireland’s Son

The King of Ireland’s Son: An Irish Folk Tale

The King of Ireland’s Son sets out to find the Enchanter of the Black Back-Lands and meets the Enchanter’s daughter, Fedelma. His adventures lead him to the Land of the Mist, the Town of the Red Castle, and the worlds of Gilly of the Goatskin, the Hags of the Long Teeth, Princess Flame-of-Wine, and the Giant Crom Duv.

This is a true Irish wonder tale: a coming of age story of the youngest son of the King of Ireland who sets off on an impossible quest. The stories weave together, stories within stories, in a fantastic tapestry of humor, poetry, action, and adventure. Perfect for reading aloud at bedtime, generations of children have loved Padraic Colum’s unmatched storytelling.

C O N T E N T S:

Fedelma the Enchanter’s Daughter
— The Ass and the Sea
— The Sending of the Crystal Egg
— The Story of the Young Cuckoo
— The Story of the Cloud Woman

When the King of the Cats Came to King Connal’s Dominion

The Sword of Light and the Unique Tale
— The Adventures of Gilly of the Goatskin
— The Unique Tale

The Town of the Red Castle

The King of the Land of Mist

The House of Crom Duv
— The Sotry of Morag
— The Story of the Fairy Rowan Tree

The Spae-Woman

About the Author

Padraic Colum (1881–1972) was born in Longford, Ireland, and typifies the best of the early twentieth-century renaissance of Irish literary. His books for children have delighted several generations, and they are as welcome today as they were when first published. For his contribution to children’s literature, in 1961 he was awarded the Regina Medal by the Catholic Literary Association.