born, the seven princes change into gray wild geese and fly away from the castle. It is later revealed that Sheen changed her name to Caintigern and became Queen when she married the King of Ireland, who, in turn, is the father of two of the main characters: the King of Ireland's Son and Gilly of the Goatskin (Gilla Na Chreck An Gour). The seven wild geese are, thus, their uncles. Reception Written in the years before 1916 in America by Colum, a close friend and colleague of some of those who led the Easter Rising, this was the ultimate calling-up of Irish mythology and legend, and, paired with James Stephens' Irish Fairy Tales, made many happy hours for children curled up before glowing turf fires to read by the light of Tilley lamps in the long winter evenings of the new Ireland. Adaptations Another evolution from the original folktale was written by Brendan Behan, published in Brendan Behan's Island, 1962, pp. 136–141. External links The King of Ireland's Son at Sacred Texts http://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/kis/index.htm References 1916 novels Irish children's novels Novels set in Ireland 20th-century Irish novels 1916 children's books Swan maidens