"Until the Tailkenn (St. Patrick) shall come toIreland and bring the Christian faith, and until you hear the Christianbell, you shall not be freed. Neither your power nor mine can now bringyou back to human shape; but you shall keep your human reason and yourGaelic speech, and you shall sing music so sweet that all who hear itshall gladly listen."She left them, and ere long their father, King Lir, came to the shore andheard their singing. He asked how they came to have human voices. "We arethy four children," said Finola, "changed into swans by our stepmother'sjealousy." "Then come and live with me," said her sorrowing father. "Weare not permitted to leave the lake," she said, "or live with our peopleany more. But we are allowed to dwell together and to keep our reason andour speech, and to sing sweet music to you." Then they sang, and the kingand all his followers were at first amazed and then lulled to sleep.Then King Lir returned and met the cruel stepmother at her father'spalace. When her father, King Bove, was told what she had done, he was hotwith anger. "This wicked deed," he said, "shall bring severer punishmenton thee than on the innocent children, for their suffering shall end, butthine never shall." Then King Bove asked her what form of existence wouldbe most terrible to her. She replied, "That of a demon of the air.
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