Once upon a time there was an Irish fisherman who had seven sons. He was very poor, and his family was starving. One day as he sailed home, pulling in his empty fishing nets, a mermaid rose from the sea and swam toward his boat. "I will save your family from poverty," she said, "but in return you must give me your eldest son on the day of his 21st birthday."
Not knowing what else he could do, the fisherman agreed. When he came ashore that evening, his baskets were brimming with fresh fish, enough for all the family, and plenty to share. The family gave fish to the neighbors and in return they gave the family potato pies and oatmeal cakes. Every day after that the fisherman caught all the fish there were to catch. Before long he was a rich man, rich enough to send each of his seven sons to school and to buy a large farm. And all of County Cork spoke proudly of the lucky fisherman, for he was a kind man.Time passed, and soon the eldest son, James, was nearing 21. The father grew so ill remembering his bargain, he took to his bed. He had revealed his secret bargain to no one. One chilly evening, he called James to his bed and told him all there was to tell.
"Never mind," James said, "I will go away. She will never find me. I'll be fine if you give me your blessing before I set off."
The fisherman gave James his blessing. At dawn the next morning, James saddled his finest horse and rode away.
Late in the morning he came upon a hedgehog, a bear and a hawk fighting over a carcass that lay in the road.
"Stop your quarreling," James said. "I will divide the carcass and each of you shall have his fair share." This he did. The animals were so pleased with his good sense and generosity, they wanted to give their thanks. As James turned to leave, the hedgehog said, "Whenever you need help, just speak my name and you'll become a hedgehog." The hawk called after him, "Speak my name to become a hawk." And the bear said, "Call my name to turn into a bear."
James thanked the animals and rode on, but soon he was so eager to try out his magical powers, he dismounted. "I'd like to be a hawk," he said aloud, and instantly he turned into a hawk, and soared into the bright blue sky.
As he was flying, he spied below him a carriage. He flew closer to see who might be riding in such a fine carriage, and saw a lovely princess. So dazzled was he by her beauty, he flew closer still and fluttered round her head.
"What's this?" the princess asked, and reached up and seized his tail. "You're a fine bird. I'll take you home with me." She reached for a cage near her feet, placed the hawk inside and snapped the door closed. Then she journeyed on to the fairground.
You can imagine the young lady's surprise when she returned and saw a handsome young man on her seat. James had turned himself back into a lad while she was enjoying the fair. She fell in love at once, thinking him the finest man she had ever seen. And he, for his part, was enchanted. "Do I dare ask?" he whispered.
"Ask what you will," the lady said.
"Marry me," James said.
"It is not so simple," she answered. "In three days my father is holding a championship. All the suitors in the land will come to seek my hand. My father's castle is surrounded by a high wall topped by sharp spikes. Only the man who can leap the castle wall, in and out again, can marry me. I hope you will join the contest."
The day of the trial came. Champion riders from across the land gathered outside the palace. From the castle's tower, the princess searched for James. When she spotted him, she waved to him and prayed that he would be the winner.
The trial began. The first fellows tried their best, but none could reach even the top of the wall. The next contestants reached the top but landed on the spikes, which so wounded them they were forced to give up. Finally James' turn came. He took a long, long run, far from everyone's sight, and out of sight he turned himself into a hawk. He soared swiftly over the castle wall and back again. When he returned, everyone cheered, for no one had noticed that he had changed shape for the contest.
The king announced to all that his daughter would marry brave James. All seemed joyous, except on the morning of the wedding day James woke in terror. This was his 21st birthday, and he remembered his father's pledge to the mermaid.
"Ahh, she shall forget," he told himself. But later, in the middle of the wedding feast, the castle doors flew open and a horrid-looking hag entered. No longer was she disguised as a mermaid. Now she was wet and wrinkled as a toad. Slimy green seaweed dripped from her tangled black hair. Saying not a word, she grabbed James in her arms and rose, like steam, into the sky.
The guests stared in wonder at this sorcery, but James's bride-to-be was quick to act. She swiftly saddled up her horse and rode like the wind in pursuit, following the wisp of steam ahead of her, keeping her eye trained on the sight of her beloved's purple cape. Just as the sun was setting, she saw the green hag holding James take shape once more above the sea. A moment later she and James dropped below the rolling waves.
The princess stood on shore and cried, "Give me back my husband," and as she wept, the hag appeared above the water once more. She held James in her arms.
"You'll have your wish," the hag cried. She dropped James on the shore, snatched up the princess, and then disappeared beneath the waves with her new captive.
James wept bitterly, for search as he did, he could see no sign of his princess in the darkness that had fallen. He stayed upon the shore until dawn, and as the first rays of light broke the water's surface, he turned himself into a hawk. He flew close to the sea, until at last he saw smoke curling out of the water. He knew this was the hag's chimney smoke.
"Hedgehog," he called. He turned into a hedgehog, curled himself into a prickly ball and dropped into the chimney. He landed beside his princess, who was cooking for her cruel mistress. James turned into a man again, and his bride threw herself into his arms. "Why did you come, my dearest?" she wept. "No one can overcome the sea hag. She has nails of steel and the strength of 20 horses. She will destroy you."
But James was not afraid, even when the hag came through the door and flew at him. He turned himself into a bear and held the hag so tightly, he took her breath away. She fell into a lifeless heap on the floor.
Once more James turned himself into a man and embraced his wife. "Now we are safe," he said to her. "I shall take you to my father's home."
He turned himself into a hawk again, and holding her closely, he flew from the sea and across the land, all the way back to County Cork. When they arrived at his family's home, he turned himself back into James.
James and his wife settled down on the farm, and if James' family was poor in times gone by, they now were forever rich - rich in love and gratitude.