The Lad of the Gad by Alan Garner Page B

at the Rock of the Flea on the north side of Jura, and Upright John went totake service with the Seven Big Women there.
    He struck at the door. The Seven Big Women came out and asked him what he wanted.
    â€œI have come to find if you need a polishing-lad,” said John.
    â€œWhat can you polish?” said they.
    â€œI brighten, make clear shining, gold and silver, or iron, or steel,” said John.
    They said, “We have a use for you,” and they set wages on him.
    He was nimble for six weeks, and put everything in exceeding order; and the Big Women said to each other, “This is the best lad we have ever had.” Then they said, “We can trust him with the White Sword of Light.”
    They gave the White Sword of Light to Upright John, and he took exceeding care of it until one day that the Seven Big Women of Jura were not in the house, and he thought that then was the time for him to run.
    He put the White Sword of Light into the sheath, and lifted it on his shoulder; but when he went out of the door, the point touched the lintel, and the lintel let loose a screech.
    The Seven Big Women of Jura came home running, and caught Upright John and took the White Sword of Light from him.
    â€œWe would not give you our White Sword of Light,” said the Big Women, “unless you could get for us the Yellow Horse of the King of Irrua.”
    John went out again to the shore, and the Foxy Lad met with him, and he said, “You are sad, Upright John. You did not, and you will not, as I told you. Bad is the night on which you have come. I have only a trotter and a sheep’s cheek, but they must do.”
    They blew a fire heap, and they roasted flesh and ate the trotter and the sheep’s cheek. And the next morning the Foxy Lad said to the king’s son, “I shall grow into a ship and take you over the sea to Irrua.
    â€œAnd my advice to you,” said the Foxy Lad, “is that you go to the house of the king and ask to be a stabling-lad to him. Be nimble. Do every job with exceeding care, and keep the horses and the harness in exceeding order, till the king trusts the Yellow Horse to you. And when there is the chance, run away: but take care that no morsel of the horse touches anything that is on the inner side of the gate but the hooves of its feet, or your matter will not go well with you.”
    â€œI shall do all those things,” said Upright John.
    The Foxy Lad grew into a ship, and they sailed across to Irrua.
    John went to the king’s house. He struck at the door.
    â€œWhere are you going?” said the gatekeeper.
    â€œTo see if the king has need of a stabling-lad,” said John.
    The king came out and said, “What can you do?”
    â€œI clean and feed horses,” said John, “and I shinetackle.”
    â€œI have a use for you,” said the king, and he set wages on him, and John went to the stable, and he put each thing in exceeding order and took exceeding care of the horses, and fed them, kept their hides clean and sleek, and he was nimble with the tackle.
    The king said, “This is the best stabling-lad I have ever known. I can trust the Yellow Horse to him.”
    The king gave the Yellow Horse to John for him to look after, and he looked after her until she was so sleek and slippery, and so swift, that she would leave the one wind and catch the other.
    Then the king went hunting one day, and Upright John thought that was the time to steal the Yellow Horse. He set her with a bridle and saddle and all that belonged to her, and when he led her out of the stable and was taking her through the gate, she gave a switch of her tail, and a hair of it touched the post of the gate, and the gate let loose a screech.
    The king came home running, and caught Upright John and took the Yellow Horse from him.
    â€œI would not give you my Yellow Horse,” said the king, “unless you could get for me the Daughter of the King of the