diff options
Diffstat (limited to '36540.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 36540.txt | 8412 |
1 files changed, 8412 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/36540.txt b/36540.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8a0e0c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/36540.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8412 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland, by Jeremiah +Curtin + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland + + +Author: Jeremiah Curtin + + + +Release Date: June 27, 2011 [eBook #36540] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND FOLK TALES OF IRELAND*** + + +E-text prepared by Ruth Morrison, Matthew Wheaton, David Edwards, and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +MYTHS AND FOLK TALES OF IRELAND + +by + +JEREMIAH CURTIN + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + THE SON OF THE KING OF ERIN, AND THE GIANT OF LOCH LEIN 1 + + THE THREE DAUGHTERS OF KING O'HARA 15 + + THE WEAVER'S SON AND THE GIANT OF THE WHITE HILL 26 + + FAIR, BROWN, AND TREMBLING 37 + + THE KING OF ERIN AND THE QUEEN OF THE LONESOME + ISLAND 49 + + THE SHEE AN GANNON AND THE GRUAGACH GAIRE 65 + + THE THREE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING OF THE EAST, + AND THE SON OF A KING IN ERIN 77 + + THE FISHERMAN'S SON AND THE GRUAGACH OF TRICKS 85 + + THE THIRTEENTH SON OF THE KING OF ERIN 99 + + KIL ARTHUR 113 + + SHAKING-HEAD 121 + + BIRTH OF FIN MACCUMHAIL AND ORIGIN OF THE + FENIANS OF ERIN 135 + + FIN MACCUMHAIL AND THE FENIANS OF ERIN IN + THE CASTLE OF FEAR DUBH 148 + + FIN MACCUMHAIL AND THE KNIGHT OF THE FULL AXE 157 + + GILLA NA GRAKIN AND FIN MACCUMHAIL 166 + + FIN MACCUMHAIL, THE SEVEN BROTHERS, AND THE + KING OF FRANCE 186 + + BLACK, BROWN, AND GRAY 195 + + FIN MACCUMHAIL AND THE SON OF THE KING OF ALBA 203 + + CUCULIN 212 + + OISIN IN TIR NA N-OG 230 + + NOTES 243 + + + + +MYTHS AND FOLK TALES OF IRELAND + + + + +THE SON OF THE KING OF ERIN AND THE GIANT OF LOCH LEIN.[1] + +[1] Loch LA(C)in, former name of one of the Lakes of Killarney. + + +On a time there lived a king and a queen in Erin, and they had an only +son. They were very careful and fond of this son; whatever he asked for +was granted, and what he wanted he had. + +When grown to be almost a young man the son went away one day to the +hills to hunt. He could find no game,--saw nothing all day. Towards +evening he sat down on a hillside to rest, but soon stood up again and +started to go home empty-handed. Then he heard a whistle behind him, and +turning, saw a giant hurrying down the hill. + +The giant came to him, took his hand, and said: "Can you play cards?" + +"I can indeed," said the king's son. + +"Well, if you can," said the giant, "we'll have a game here on this +hillside." + +So the two sat down, and the giant had out a pack of cards in a +twinkling. "What shall we play for?" asked the giant. + +"For two estates," answered the king's son. + +They played: the young man won, and went home the better for two +estates. He was very glad, and hurried to tell his father the luck he +had. + +Next day he went to the same place, and didn't wait long till the giant +came again. + +"Welcome, king's son," said the giant. "What shall we play for to-day?" +"I'll leave that to yourself," answered the young man. + +"Well," said the giant, "I have five hundred bullocks with golden horns +and silver hoofs, and I'll play them against as many cattle belonging to +you." + +"Agreed," said the king's son. + +They played. The giant lost again. He had the cattle brought to the +place; and the king's son went home with the five hundred bullocks. The +king his father was outside watching, and was more delighted than the +day before when he saw the drove of beautiful cattle with horns of gold +and hoofs of silver. + +When the bullocks were driven in, the king sent for the old blind sage +(Sean dall Glic), to know what he would say of the young man's luck. + +"My advice," said the old blind sage, "is not to let your son go the way +of the giant again, for if he plays with him a third time he'll rue it." + +But nothing could keep the king's son from playing the third time. Away +he went, in spite of every advice and warning, and sat on the same +hillside. + +He waited long, but no one came. At last he rose to go home. That moment +he heard a whistle behind him, and turning, saw the giant coming. + +"Well, will you play with me to-day?" asked the giant. + +"I would," said the king's son, "but I have nothing to bet." + +"You have indeed." + +"I have not," said the king's son. + +"Haven't you your head?" asked the giant of Loch LA(C)in, for it was he +that was in it. + +"I have," answered the king's son. + +"So have I my head," said the giant; "and we'll play for each other's +heads." + +This third time the giant won the game; and the king's son was to give +himself up in a year and a day to the giant in his castle. + +The young man went home sad and weary. The king and queen were outside +watching, and when they saw him approaching, they knew great trouble was +on him. When he came to where they were, he wouldn't speak, but went +straight into the castle, and wouldn't eat or drink. + +He was sad and lamenting for a good while, till at last he disappeared +one day, the king and queen knew not whither. After that they didn't +hear of him,--didn't know was he dead or alive. + +The young man after he left home was walking along over the kingdom for +a long time. One day he saw no house, big or little, till after dark he +came in front of a hill, and at the foot of the hill saw a small light. +He went to the light, found a small house, and inside an old woman +sitting at a warm fire, and every tooth in her head as long as a staff. + +She stood up when he entered, took him by the hand, and said, "You are +welcome to my house, son of the king of Erin." Then she brought warm +water, washed his feet and legs from the knees down, gave him supper, +and put him to bed. + +When he rose next morning he found breakfast ready before him. The old +woman said: "You were with me last night; you'll be with my sister +to-night, and what she tells you to do, do, or your head'll be in +danger. Now take the gift I give you. Here is a ball of thread: do you +throw it in front of you before you start, and all day the ball will be +rolling ahead of you, and you'll be following behind winding the thread +into another ball." + +He obeyed the old woman, threw the ball down, and followed. All the day +he was going up hill and down, across valleys and open places, keeping +the ball in sight and winding the thread as he went, till evening, when +he saw a hill in front, and a small light at the foot of it. + +He went to the light and found a house, which he entered. There was no +one inside but an old woman with teeth as long as a crutch. + +"Oh! then you are welcome to my house, king's son of Erin," said she. +"You were with my sister last night; you are with me to-night; and it's +glad I am to see you." + +She gave him meat and drink and a good bed to lie on. + +When he rose next morning breakfast was there before him, and when he +had eaten and was ready for the journey, the old woman gave him a ball +of thread, saying: "You were with my younger sister the night before +last; you were with me last night; and you'll be with my elder sister +to-night. You must do what she tells you, or you'll lose your head. You +must throw this ball before you, and follow the clew till evening." + +He threw down the ball: it rolled on, showing the way up and down +mountains and hills, across valleys and braes. All day he wound the +ball; unceasingly it went till nightfall, when he came to a light, found +a little house, and went in. Inside was an old woman, the eldest sister, +who said: "You are welcome, and glad am I to see you, king's son." + +She treated him as well as the other two had done. After he had eaten +breakfast next morning, she said:-- + +"I know well the journey you are on. You have lost your head to the +Giant of Loch LA(C)in, and you are going to give yourself up. This giant +has a great castle. Around the castle are seven hundred iron spikes, and +on every spike of them but one is the head of a king, a queen, or a +king's son. The seven hundredth spike is empty, and nothing can save +your head from that spike if you don't take my advice. + +"Here is a ball for you: walk behind it till you come to a lake near the +giant's castle. When you come to that lake at midday the ball will be +unwound. + +"The giant has three young daughters, and they come at noon every day of +the year to bathe in the lake. You must watch them well, for each will +have a lily on her breast,--one a blue, another a white, and the third a +yellow lily. You mustn't let your eyes off the one with the yellow lily. +Watch her well: when she undresses to go into the water, see where she +puts her clothes; when the three are out in the lake swimming, do you +slip away with the clothes of Yellow Lily. + +"When the sisters come out from bathing, and find that the one with the +yellow lily has lost her clothes, the other two will laugh and make game +of her, and she will crouch down crying on the shore, with nothing to +cover her, and say, 'How can I go home now, and everybody making sport +of me? Whoever took my clothes, if he'll give them back to me, I'll save +him from the danger he is in, if I have the power.'" + +The king's son followed the ball till nearly noon, when it stopped at a +lake not far from the giant's castle. Then he hid behind a rock at the +water's edge, and waited. + +At midday the three sisters came to the lake, and, leaving their +clothes on the strand, went into the water. When all three were in the +lake swimming and playing with great pleasure and sport, the king's son +slipped out and took the clothes of the sister with the yellow lily. + +After they had bathed in the lake to their hearts' content, the three +sisters came out. When the two with the blue and the white lilies saw +their sister on the shore and her clothes gone, they began to laugh and +make sport of her. Then, cowering and crouching down, she began to cry +and lament, saying: "How can I go home now, with my own sisters laughing +at me? If I stir from this, everybody will see me and make sport of me." + +The sisters went home and left her there. When they were gone, and she +was alone at the water crying and sobbing, all at once she came to +herself and called out: "Whoever took my clothes, I'll forgive him if he +brings them to me now, and I'll save him from the danger he is in if I +can." + +When he heard this, the king's son put the clothes out to her, and +stayed behind himself till she told him to come forth. + +Then she said: "I know well where you are going. My father, the Giant of +Loch LA(C)in, has a soft bed waiting for you,--a deep tank of water for +your death. But don't be uneasy; go into the water, and wait till I come +to save you. Be at that castle above before my father. When he comes +home to-night and asks for you, take no meat from him, but go to rest in +the tank when he tells you." + +The giant's daughter left the king's son, who went his way to the castle +alone at a fair and easy gait, for he had time enough on his hands and +to spare. + +When the Giant of Loch LA(C)in came home that night, the first question he +asked was, "Is the son of the king of Erin here?" + +"I am," said the king's son. + +"Come," said the giant, "and get your evening's meat." + +"I'll take no meat now, for I don't need it," said the king's son. + +"Well, come with me then, and I'll show you your bed." He went, and the +giant put the king's son into the deep tank of water to drown, and being +tired himself from hunting all day over the mountains and hills of Erin, +he went to sleep. + +That minute his youngest daughter came, took the king's son out of the +tank, placed plenty to eat and to drink before him, and gave him a good +bed to sleep on that night. + +The giant's daughter watched till she heard her father stirring before +daybreak; then she roused the king's son, and put him in the tank again. + +Soon the giant came to the tank and called out: "Are you here, son of +the king of Erin?" + +"I am," said the king's son. + +"Well, come out now. There is a great work for you to-day. I have a +stable outside, in which I keep five hundred horses, and that stable has +not been cleaned these seven hundred years. My great-grandmother when a +girl lost a slumber-pin (_bar an suan_) somewhere in that stable, and +never could find it. You must have that pin for me when I come home +to-night; if you don't, your head will be on the seven hundredth spike +to-morrow." + +Then two shovels were brought for him to choose from to clean out the +stable, an old and a new one. He chose the new shovel, and went to work. + +For every shovelful he threw out, two came in; and soon the door of the +stable was closed on him. When the stable-door was closed, the giant's +daughter called from outside: "How are you thriving now, king's son?" + +"I'm not thriving at all," said the king's son; "for as much as I throw +out, twice as much comes in, and the door is closed against me." + +"You must make a way for me to come in, and I'll help you," said she. + +"How can I do that?" asked the king's son. + +However, she did it. The giant's daughter made her way into the stable, +and she wasn't long inside till the stable was cleared, and she saw the +_bar an suan_. + +"There is the pin over there in the corner," said she to the king's son, +who put it in his bosom to give to the giant. + +Now he was happy, and the giant's daughter had good meat and drink put +before him. + +When the giant himself came home, he asked: "How did you do your work +to-day?" + +"I did it well; I thought nothing of it." + +"Did you find the _bar an suan_?" + +"I did indeed; here 'tis for you." + +"Oh! then," said the giant, "it is either the devil or my daughter that +helped you to do that work, for I know you never did it alone." + +"It's neither the devil nor your daughter, but my own strength that did +the work," said the son of the king of Erin. + +"You have done the work; now you must have your meat." "I want no meat +to-day; I am well satisfied as I am," said the king's son. + +"Well," said the giant, "since you'll have no meat, you must go to sleep +in the tank." + +He went into the tank. The giant himself was soon snoring, for he was +tired from hunting over Erin all day. + +The moment her father was away, Yellow Lily came, took the king's son +out of the tank, gave him a good supper and bed, and watched till the +giant was stirring before daybreak. Then she roused the king's son and +put him in the tank. + +"Are you alive in the tank?" asked the giant at daybreak. + +"I am," said the king's son. + +"Well, you have a great work before you to-day. That stable you cleaned +yesterday hasn't been thatched these seven hundred years, and if you +don't have it thatched for me when I come home to-night, with birds' +feathers, and not two feathers of one color or kind, I'll have your head +on the seven hundredth spike to-morrow." + +"Here are two whistles,--an old, and a new one; take your choice of them +to call the birds." + +The king's son took the new whistle, and set out over the hills and +valleys, whistling as he went. But no matter how he whistled, not a bird +came near him. At last, tired and worn out with travelling and +whistling, he sat down on a hillock and began to cry. + +That moment Yellow Lily was at his side with a cloth, which she spread +out, and there was a grand meal before him. He hadn't finished eating +and drinking, before the stable was thatched with birds' feathers, and +no two of them of one color or kind. + +When he came home that evening the giant called out: "Have you the +stable thatched for me to-night?" + +"I have indeed," said the king's son; "and small trouble I had with it." + +"If that's true," said the giant, "either the devil or my daughter +helped you." + +"It was my own strength, and not the devil or your daughter that helped +me," said the king's son. + +He spent that night as he had the two nights before. + +Next morning, when the giant found him alive in the tank, he said: +"There is great work before you to-day, which you must do, or your +head'll be on the spike to-morrow. Below here, under my castle, is a +tree nine hundred feet high, and there isn't a limb on that tree, from +the roots up, except one small limb at the very top, where there is a +crow's nest. The tree is covered with glass from the ground to the +crow's nest. In the nest is one egg: you must have that egg before me +here for my supper to-night, or I'll have your head on the seven +hundredth spike to-morrow." + +The giant went hunting, and the king's son went down to the tree, tried +to shake it, but could not make it stir. Then he tried to climb; but no +use, it was all slippery glass. Then he thought, "Sure I'm done for now; +I must lose my head this time." + +He stood there in sadness, when Yellow Lily came, and said: "How are you +thriving in your work?" + +"I can do nothing," said the king's son. + +"Well, all that we have done up to this time is nothing to climbing this +tree. But first of all let us sit down together and eat, and then we'll +talk," said Yellow Lily. + +They sat down, she spread the cloth again, and they had a splendid +feast. When the feast was over she took out a knife from her pocket and +said:-- + +"Now you must kill me, strip the flesh from my bones, take all the bones +apart, and use them as steps for climbing the tree. When you are +climbing the tree, they will stick to the glass as if they had grown out +of it; but when you are coming down, and have put your foot on each one, +they will drop into your hand when you touch them. Be sure and stand on +each bone, leave none untouched; if you do, it will stay behind. Put all +my flesh into this clean cloth by the side of the spring at the roots of +the tree. When you come to the earth, arrange my bones together, put the +flesh over them, sprinkle it with water from the spring, and I shall be +alive and well before you. But don't forget a bone of me on the tree." + +"How could I kill you," asked the king's son, "after what you have done +for me?" + +"If you won't obey, you and I are done for," said Yellow Lily. "You must +climb the tree, or we are lost; and to climb the tree you must do as I +say." + +The king's son obeyed. He killed Yellow Lily, cut the flesh from her +body, and unjointed the bones, as she had told him. + +As he went up, the king's son put the bones of Yellow Lily's body +against the side of the tree, using them as steps, till he came under +the nest and stood on the last bone. + +Then he took the crow's egg; and coming down, put his foot on every +bone, then took it with him, till he came to the last bone, which was so +near the ground that he failed to touch it with his foot. + +He now placed all the bones of Yellow Lily in order again at the side +of the spring, put the flesh on them, sprinkled it with water from the +spring. She rose up before him, and said: "Didn't I tell you not to +leave a bone of my body without stepping on it? Now I am lame for life! +You left my little toe on the tree without touching it, and I have but +nine toes." + +When the giant came home that night, the first words he had were, "Have +you the crow's egg for my supper?" + +"I have," said the king's son. + +"If you have, then either the devil or my daughter is helping you." + +"It is my own strength that's helping me," said the king's son. + +"Well, whoever it is, I must forgive you now, and your head is your +own." + +So the king's son was free to go his own road, and away he went, and +never stopped till he came home to his own father and mother, who had a +great welcome before him; and why not? For they thought he was dead. + +When the son was at home a time, the king called up the old blind sage, +and asked, "What must I do with my son now?" + +"If you follow my advice," said the old blind sage, "you'll find a wife +for him; and then he'll not go roaming away again, and leave you as he +did before." + +The king was pleased with the advice, and he sent a message to the king +of Lochlin[2] to ask his daughter in marriage. + +[2] Lochlin,--Denmark. + +The king of Lochlin came with the daughter and a ship full of +attendants, and there was to be a grand wedding at the castle of the +king of Erin. Now, the king's son asked his father to invite the Giant +of Loch LA(C)in and Yellow Lily to the wedding. The king sent messages for +them to come. + +The day before the marriage there was a great feast at the castle. As +the feast went on, and all were merry, the Giant of Loch LA(C)in said: "I +never was at a place like this but one man sang a song, a second told a +story, and the third played a trick." + +Then the king of Erin sang a song, the king of Lochlin told a story, and +when the turn came to the giant, he asked Yellow Lily to take his place. + +She threw two grains of wheat in the air, and there came down on the +table two pigeons. The cock pigeon pecked at the hen and pushed her off +the table. Then the hen called out to him in a human voice, "You +wouldn't do that to me the day I cleaned the stable for you." + +Next time Yellow Lily put two grains of wheat on the table. The cock ate +the wheat, pecked the hen, and pushed her off the table to the floor. +The hen said: "You would not do that to me the day I thatched the stable +for you with birds' feathers, and not two of one color or kind." + +The third time Yellow Lily put two more grains of wheat on the table. +The cock ate both, and pushed the hen off to the floor. Then the hen +called out: "You wouldn't do that to me the day you killed me and took +my bones to make steps up the glass tree nine hundred feet high to get +the crow's egg for the supper of the Giant of Loch LA(C)in, and forget my +little toe when you were coming down, and left me lame for life." + +"Well," said the king's son to the guests at the feast, "when I was a +little younger than I am now, I used to be everywhere in the world +sporting and gaming; and once when I was away, I lost the key of a +casket that I had. I had a new key made, and after it was brought to me +I found the old one. Now, I'll leave it to any one here to tell what am +I to do,--which of the keys should I keep?" + +"My advice to you," said the king of Lochlin, "is to keep the old key, +for it fits the lock better, and you're more used to it." + +Then the king's son stood up and said: "I thank you, king of Lochlin, +for a wise advice and an honest word. This is my bride, the daughter of +the Giant of Loch LA(C)in. I'll have her, and no other woman. Your daughter +is my father's guest, and no worse, but better, for having come to a +wedding in Erin." + +The king's son married Yellow Lily, daughter of the Giant of Loch LA(C)in, +the wedding lasted long, and all were happy. + + + + +THE THREE DAUGHTERS OF KING O'HARA. + + +There was a king in Desmond whose name was Coluath O'Hara, and he had +three daughters. On a time when the king was away from home, the eldest +daughter took a thought that she'd like to be married. So she went up in +the castle, put on the cloak of darkness which her father had, and +wished for the most beautiful man under the sun as a husband for +herself. + +She got her wish; for scarcely had she put off the cloak of darkness, +when there came, in a golden coach with four horses, two black and two +white, the finest man she had ever laid eyes on, and took her away. + +When the second daughter saw what had happened to her sister, she put on +the cloak of darkness, and wished for the next best man in the world as +a husband. + +She put off the cloak; and straightway there came, in a golden coach +with four black horses, a man nearly as good as the first, and took her +away. + +The third sister put on the cloak, and wished for the best white dog in +the world. + +Presently he came, with one man attending, in a golden coach and four +snow-white horses, and took the youngest sister away. + +When the king came home, the stable-boy told him what had happened while +he was gone. He was enraged beyond measure when he heard that his +youngest daughter had wished for a white dog, and gone off with him. + +When the first man brought his wife home he asked: "In what form will +you have me in the daytime,--as I am now in the daytime, or as I am now +at night?" + +"As you are now in the daytime." + +So the first sister had her husband as a man in the daytime; but at +night he was a seal. + +The second man put the same question to the middle sister, and got the +same answer; so the second sister had her husband in the same form as +the first. + +When the third sister came to where the white dog lived, he asked her: +"How will you have me to be in the daytime,--as I am now in the day, or +as I am now at night?" + +"As you are now in the day." + +So the white dog was a dog in the daytime, but the most beautiful of men +at night. + +After a time the third sister had a son; and one day, when her husband +was going out to hunt, he warned her that if anything should happen the +child, not to shed a tear on that account. + +While he was gone, a great gray crow that used to haunt the place came +and carried the child away when it was a week old. + +Remembering the warning, she shed not a tear for the loss. + +All went on as before till another son was born. The husband used to go +hunting every day, and again he said she must not shed a tear if +anything happened. + +When the child was a week old a great gray crow came and bore him away; +but the mother did not cry or drop a tear. + +All went well till a daughter was born. When she was a week old a great +gray crow came and swept her away. This time the mother dropped one tear +on a handkerchief, which she took out of her pocket, and then put back +again. + +When the husband came home from hunting and heard what the crow had +done, he asked the wife, "Have you shed tears this time?" + +"I have dropped one tear," said she. + +Then he was very angry; for he knew what harm she had done by dropping +that one tear. + +Soon after their father invited the three sisters to visit him and be +present at a great feast in their honor. They sent messages, each from +her own place, that they would come. + +The king was very glad at the prospect of seeing his children; but the +queen was grieved, and thought it a great disgrace that her youngest +daughter had no one to come home with her but a white dog. + +The white dog was in dread that the king wouldn't leave him inside with +the company, but would drive him from the castle to the yard, and that +the dogs outside wouldn't leave a patch of skin on his back, but would +tear the life out of him. + +The youngest daughter comforted him. "There is no danger to you," said +she, "for wherever I am, you'll be, and wherever you go, I'll follow and +take care of you." + +When all was ready for the feast at the castle, and the company were +assembled, the king was for banishing the white dog; but the youngest +daughter would not listen to her father,--would not let the white dog +out of her sight, but kept him near her at the feast, and divided with +him the food that came to herself. + +When the feast was over, and all the guests had gone, the three sisters +went to their own rooms in the castle. + +Late in the evening the queen took the cook with her, and stole in to +see what was in her daughters' rooms. They were all asleep at the time. +What should she see by the side of her youngest daughter but the most +beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. + +Then she went to where the other two daughters were sleeping; and there, +instead of the two men who brought them to the feast, were two seals, +fast asleep. + +The queen was greatly troubled at the sight of the seals. When she and +the cook were returning, they came upon the skin of the white dog. She +caught it up as she went, and threw it into the kitchen fire. + +The skin was not five minutes in the fire when it gave a crack that woke +not only all in the castle, but all in the country for miles around. + +The husband of the youngest daughter sprang up. He was very angry and +very sorry, and said: "If I had been able to spend three nights with you +under your father's roof, I should have got back my own form again for +good, and could have been a man both in the day and the night; but now I +must go." + +He rose from the bed, ran out of the castle, and away he went as fast as +ever his two legs could carry him, overtaking the one before him, and +leaving the one behind. He was this way all that night and the next day; +but he couldn't leave the wife, for she followed from the castle, was +after him in the night and the day too, and never lost sight of him. In +the afternoon he turned, and told her to go back to her father; but she +would not listen to him. At nightfall they came to the first house they +had seen since leaving the castle. He turned and said: "Do you go inside +and stay in this house till morning; I'll pass the night outside where I +am." + +The wife went in. The woman of the house rose up, gave her a pleasant +welcome, and put a good supper before her. She was not long in the house +when a little boy came to her knee and called her "Mother." + +The woman of the house told the child to go back to his place, and not +to come out again. + +"Here are a pair of scissors," said the woman of the house to the king's +daughter, "and they will serve you well. Whatever ragged people you see, +if you cut a piece off their rags, that moment they will have new +clothes of cloth of gold." + +She stayed that night, for she had good welcome. Next morning when she +went out, her husband said: "You'd better go home now to your father." + +"I'll not go to my father if I have to leave you," said she. + +So he went on, and she followed. It was that way all the day till night +came; and at nightfall they saw another house at the foot of a hill, and +again the husband stopped and said: "You go in; I'll stop outside till +morning." + +The woman of the house gave her a good welcome. After she had eaten and +drunk, a little boy came out of another room, ran to her knee, and said, +"Mother." The woman of the house sent the boy back to where he had come +from, and told him to stay there. + +Next morning, when the princess was going out to her husband, the woman +of the house gave her a comb, and said: "If you meet any person with a +diseased and a sore head, and draw this comb over it three times, the +head will be well, and covered with the most beautiful golden hair ever +seen." + +She took the comb, and went out to her husband. + +"Leave me now," said he, "and go back to your own father." + +"I will not," said she, "but I will follow you while I have the power." +So they went forward that day, as on the other two. + +At nightfall they came to a third house, at the foot of a hill, where +the princess received a good welcome. After she had eaten supper, a +little girl with only one eye came to her knee and said, "Mother." + +The princess began to cry at sight of the child, thinking that she +herself was the cause that it had but one eye. Then she put her hand +into her pocket where she kept the handkerchief on which she had dropped +the tear when the gray crow carried her infant away. She had never used +the handkerchief since that day, for there was an eye on it. + +She opened the handkerchief, and put the eye in the girl's head. It grew +into the socket that minute, and the child saw out of it as well as out +of the other eye; and then the woman of the house sent the little one to +bed. + +Next morning, as the king's daughter was going out, the woman of the +house gave her a whistle, and said: "Whenever you put this whistle to +your mouth and blow on it, all the birds of the air will come to you +from every quarter under the sun. Be careful of the whistle, as it may +serve you greatly." + +"Go back to your father's castle," said the husband when she came to +him, "for I must leave you to-day." + +They went on together a few hundred yards, and then sat on a green +hillock, and he told the wife: "Your mother has come between us; but for +her we might have lived together all our days. If I had been allowed to +pass three nights with you in your father's house, I should have got +back my form of a man both in the daytime and the night. The Queen of +Tir na n-Og [the land of youth] enchanted and put on me a spell, that +unless I could spend three nights with a wife under her father's roof in +Erin, I should bear the form of a white dog one half of my time; but if +the skin of the dog should be burned before the three nights were over, +I must go down to her kingdom and marry the queen herself. And 'tis to +her I am going to-day. I have no power to stay, and I must leave you; so +farewell, you'll never see me again on the upper earth." + +He left her sitting on the mound, went a few steps forward to some +bulrushes, pulled up one, and disappeared in the opening where the rush +had been. + +She stopped there, sitting on the mound lamenting, till evening, not +knowing what to do. At last she bethought herself, and going to the +rushes, pulled up a stalk, went down, followed her husband, and never +stopped till she came to the lower land. + +After a while she reached a small house near a splendid castle. She went +into the house and asked, could she stay there till morning. "You can," +said the woman of the house, "and welcome." + +Next day the woman of the house was washing clothes, for that was how +she made a living. The princess fell to and helped her with the work. +In the course of that day the Queen of Tir na n-Og and the husband of +the princess were married. + +Near the castle, and not far from the washerwoman's, lived a henwife +with two ragged little daughters. One of them came around the +washerwoman's house to play. The child looked so poor and her clothes +were so torn and dirty that the princess took pity on her, and cut the +clothes with the scissors which she had. + +That moment the most beautiful dress of cloth of gold ever seen on woman +or child in that kingdom was on the henwife's daughter. + +When she saw what she had on, the child ran home to her mother as fast +as ever she could go. + +"Who gave you that dress?" asked the henwife. + +"A strange woman that is in that house beyond," said the little girl, +pointing to the washerwoman's house. + +The henwife went straight to the Queen of Tir na n-Og and said: "There +is a strange woman in the place, who will be likely to take your husband +from you, unless you banish her away or do something to her; for she has +a pair of scissors different from anything ever seen or heard of in this +country." + +When the queen heard this she sent word to the princess that, unless the +scissors were given up to her without delay, she would have the head off +her. + +The princess said she would give up the scissors if the queen would let +her pass one night with her husband. + +The queen answered that she was willing to give her the one night. The +princess came and gave up the scissors, and went to her own husband; +but the queen had given him a drink, and he fell asleep, and never woke +till after the princess had gone in the morning. + +Next day another daughter of the henwife went to the washerwoman's house +to play. She was wretched-looking, her head being covered with scabs and +sores. + +The princess drew the comb three times over the child's head, cured it, +and covered it with beautiful golden hair. The little girl ran home and +told her mother how the strange woman had drawn the comb over her head, +cured it, and given her beautiful golden hair. + +The henwife hurried off to the queen and said: "That strange woman has a +comb with wonderful power to cure, and give golden hair; and she'll take +your husband from you unless you banish her or take her life." + +The queen sent word to the princess that unless she gave up the comb, +she would have her life. + +The princess returned as answer that she would give up the comb if she +might pass one night with the queen's husband. + +The queen was willing, and gave her husband a draught as before. When +the princess came, he was fast asleep, and did not waken till after she +had gone in the morning. + +On the third day the washerwoman and the princess went out to walk, and +the first daughter of the henwife with them. When they were outside the +town, the princess put the whistle to her mouth and blew. That moment +the birds of the air flew to her from every direction in flocks. Among +them was a bird of song and new tales. The princess went to one side +with the bird. "What means can I take," asked she, "against the queen to +get back my husband? Is it best to kill her, and can I do it?" + +"It is very hard," said the bird, "to kill her. There is no one in all +Tir na n-Og who is able to take her life but her own husband. Inside a +holly-tree in front of the castle is a wether, in the wether a duck, in +the duck an egg, and in that egg is her heart and life. No man in Tir na +n-Og can cut that holly-tree but her husband." + +The princess blew the whistle again. A fox and a hawk came to her. She +caught and put them into two boxes, which the washerwoman had with her, +and took them to her new home. + +When the henwife's daughter went home, she told her mother about the +whistle. Away ran the henwife to the queen, and said: "That strange +woman has a whistle that brings together all the birds of the air, and +she'll have your husband yet, unless you take her head." + +"I'll take the whistle from her, anyhow," said the queen. So she sent +for the whistle. + +The princess gave answer that she would give up the whistle if she might +pass one night with the queen's husband. + +The queen agreed, and gave him a draught as on the other nights. He was +asleep when the princess came and when she went away. + +Before going, the princess left a letter with his servant for the +queen's husband, in which she told how she had followed him to Tir na +n-Og, and had given the scissors, the comb, and the whistle, to pass +three nights in his company, but had not spoken to him because the queen +had given him sleeping draughts; that the life of the queen was in an +egg, the egg in a duck, the duck in a wether, the wether in a holly-tree +in front of the castle, and that no man could split the tree but +himself. + +As soon as he got the letter the husband took an axe, and went to the +holly-tree. When he came to the tree he found the princess there before +him, having the two boxes with the fox and the hawk in them. + +He struck the tree a few blows; it split open, and out sprang the +wether. He ran scarce twenty perches before the fox caught him. The fox +tore him open; then the duck flew out. The duck had not flown fifteen +perches when the hawk caught and killed her, smashing the egg. That +instant the Queen of Tir na n-Og died. + +The husband kissed and embraced his faithful wife. He gave a great +feast; and when the feast was over, he burned the henwife with her +house, built a palace for the washerwoman, and made his servant +secretary. + +They never left Tir na n-Og, and are living there happily now; and so +may we live here. + + + + +THE WEAVER'S SON AND THE GIANT OF THE WHITE HILL. + + +There was once a weaver in Erin who lived at the edge of a wood; and on +a time when he had nothing to burn, he went out with his daughter to get +fagots for the fire. + +They gathered two bundles, and were ready to carry them home, when who +should come along but a splendid-looking stranger on horseback. And he +said to the weaver: "My good man, will you give me that girl of yours?" + +"Indeed then I will not," said the weaver. + +"I'll give you her weight in gold," said the stranger, and he put out +the gold there on the ground. + +So the weaver went home with the gold and without the daughter. He +buried the gold in the garden, without letting his wife know what he had +done. When she asked, "Where is our daughter?" the weaver said: "I sent +her on an errand to a neighbor's house for things that I want." + +Night came, but no sight of the girl. The next time he went for fagots, +the weaver took his second daughter to the wood; and when they had two +bundles gathered, and were ready to go home, a second stranger came on +horseback, much finer than the first, and asked the weaver would he give +him his daughter. + +"I will not," said the weaver. + +"Well," said the stranger, "I'll give you her weight in silver if +you'll let her go with me;" and he put the silver down before him. + +The weaver carried home the silver and buried it in the garden with the +gold, and the daughter went away with the man on horseback. + +When he went again to the wood, the weaver took his third daughter with +him; and when they were ready to go home, a third man came on horseback, +gave the weight of the third daughter in copper, and took her away. The +weaver buried the copper with the gold and silver. + +Now, the wife was lamenting and moaning night and day for her three +daughters, and gave the weaver no rest till he told the whole story. + +Now, a son was born to them; and when the boy grew up and was going to +school, he heard how his three sisters had been carried away for their +weight in gold and silver and copper; and every day when he came home he +saw how his mother was lamenting and wandering outside in grief through +the fields and pits and ditches, so he asked her what trouble was on +her; but she wouldn't tell him a word. + +At last he came home crying from school one day, and said: "I'll not +sleep three nights in one house till I find my three sisters." Then he +said to his mother: "Make me three loaves of bread, mother, for I am +going on a journey." + +Next day he asked had she the bread ready. She said she had, and she was +crying bitterly all the time. "I'm going to leave you now, mother," said +he; "and I'll come back when I have found my three sisters." + +He went away, and walked on till he was tired and hungry; and then he +sat down to eat the bread that his mother had given him, when a +red-haired man came up and asked him for something to eat. "Sit down +here," said the boy. He sat down, and the two ate till there was not a +crumb of the bread left. + +The boy told of the journey he was on; then the red-haired man said: +"There may not be much use in your going, but here are three things +that'll serve you,--the sword of sharpness, the cloth of plenty, and the +cloak of darkness. No man can kill you while that sword is in your hand; +and whenever you are hungry or dry, all you have to do is to spread the +cloth and ask for what you'd like to eat or drink, and it will be there +before you. When you put on the cloak, there won't be a man or a woman +or a living thing in the world that'll see you, and you'll go to +whatever place you have set your mind on quicker than any wind." + +The red-haired man went his way, and the boy travelled on. Before +evening a great shower came, and he ran for shelter to a large oak-tree. +When he got near the tree his foot slipped, the ground opened, and down +he went through the earth till he came to another country. When he was +in the other country he put on the cloak of darkness and went ahead like +a blast of wind, and never stopped till he saw a castle in the distance; +and soon he was there. But he found nine gates closed before him, and no +way to go through. It was written inside the cloak of darkness that his +eldest sister lived in that castle. + +He was not long at the gate looking in when a girl came to him and said, +"Go on out of that; if you don't, you'll be killed." + +"Do you go in," said he to the girl, "and tell my sister, the woman of +this castle, to come out to me." The girl ran in; out came the sister, +and asked: "Why are you here, and what did you come for?" + +"I have come to this country to find my three sisters, who were given +away by my father for their weight in gold, silver, and copper; and you +are my eldest sister." + +She knew from what he said that he was her brother, so she opened the +gates and brought him in, saying: "Don't wonder at anything you see in +this castle. My husband is enchanted. I see him only at night. He goes +off every morning, stays away all day, and comes home in the evening." + +The sun went down; and while they were talking, the husband rushed in, +and the noise of him was terrible. He came in the form of a ram, ran up +stairs, and soon after came down a man. + +"Who is this that's with you?" asked he of the wife. + +"Oh! that's my brother, who has come from Erin to see me," said she. + +Next morning, when the man of the castle was going off in the form of a +ram, he turned to the boy and asked, "Will you stay a few days in my +castle? You are welcome." + +"Nothing would please me better," said the boy; "but I have made a vow +never to sleep three nights in one house till I have found my three +sisters." + +"Well," said the ram, "since you must go, here is something for you." +And pulling out a bit of his own wool, he gave it to the boy, saying: +"Keep this; and whenever a trouble is on you, take it out, and call on +what rams are in the world to help you." Away went the ram. The boy +took farewell of his sister, put on the cloak of darkness, and +disappeared. He travelled till hungry and tired, then he sat down, took +off the cloak of darkness, spread the cloth of plenty, and asked for +meat and drink. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he took up the +cloth, put on the cloak of darkness, and went ahead, passing every wind +that was before him, and leaving every wind that was behind. + +About an hour before sunset he saw the castle in which his second sister +lived. When he reached the gate, a girl came out to him and said: "Go +away from that gate, or you'll be killed." + +"I'll not leave this till my sister who lives in the castle comes out +and speaks to me." + +The girl ran in, and out came the sister. When she heard his story and +his father's name, she knew that he was her brother, and said: "Come +into the castle, but think nothing of what you'll see or hear. I don't +see my husband from morning till night. He goes and comes in a strange +form, but he is a man at night." + +About sunset there was a terrible noise, and in rushed the man of the +castle in the form of a tremendous salmon. He went flapping upstairs; +but he wasn't long there till he came down a fine-looking man. + +"Who is that with you?" asked he of the wife. "I thought you would let +no one into the castle while I was gone." + +"Oh! this is my brother, who has come to see me," said she. + +"If he's your brother, he's welcome," said the man. + +They supped, and then slept till morning. When the man of the castle was +going out again, in the form of a great salmon, he turned to the boy +and said: "You'd better stay here with us a while." + +"I cannot," said the boy. "I made a vow never to sleep three nights in +one house till I had seen my three sisters. I must go on now and find my +third sister." + +The salmon then took off a piece of his fin and gave it to the boy, +saying: "If any difficulty meets you, or trouble comes on you, call on +what salmons are in the sea to come and help you." + +They parted. The boy put on his cloak of darkness, and away he went, +more swiftly than any wind. He never stopped till he was hungry and +thirsty. Then he sat down, took off his cloak of darkness, spread the +cloth of plenty, and ate his fill; when he had eaten, he went on again +till near sundown, when he saw the castle where his third sister lived. +All three castles were near the sea. Neither sister knew what place she +was in, and neither knew where the other two were living. + +The third sister took her brother in just as the first and second had +done, telling him not to wonder at anything he saw. + +They were not long inside when a roaring noise was heard, and in came +the greatest eagle that ever was seen. The eagle hurried upstairs, and +soon came down a man. + +"Who is that stranger there with you?" asked he of the wife. (He, as +well as the ram and salmon, knew the boy; he only wanted to try his +wife.) + +"This is my brother, who has come to see me." + +They all took supper and slept that night. When the eagle was going away +in the morning, he pulled a feather out of his wing, and said to the +boy: "Keep this; it may serve you. If you are ever in straits and want +help, call on what eagles are in the world, and they'll come to you." + +There was no hurry now, for the third sister was found; and the boy went +upstairs with her to examine the country all around, and to look at the +sea. Soon he saw a great white hill, and on the top of the hill a +castle. + +"In that castle on the white hill beyond," said the sister, "lives a +giant, who stole from her home the most beautiful young woman in the +world. From all parts the greatest heroes and champions and kings' sons +are coming to take her away from the giant and marry her. There is not a +man of them all who is able to conquer the giant and free the young +woman; but the giant conquers them, cuts their heads off, and then eats +their flesh. When he has picked the bones clean, he throws them out; and +the whole place around the castle is white with the bones of the men +that the giant has eaten." + +"I must go," said the boy, "to that castle to know can I kill the giant +and bring away the young woman." + +So he took leave of his sister, put on the cloak of darkness, took his +sword with him, and was soon inside the castle. The giant was fighting +with champions outside. When the boy saw the young woman he took off the +cloak of darkness and spoke to her. + +"Oh!" said she, "what can you do against the giant? No man has ever come +to this castle without losing his life. The giant kills every man; and +no one has ever come here so big that the giant did not eat him at one +meal." + +"And is there no way to kill him?" asked the boy. + +"I think not," said she. + +"Well, if you'll give me something to eat, I'll stay here; and when the +giant comes in, I'll do my best to kill him. But don't let on that I am +here." + +Then he put on the cloak of darkness, and no one could see him. When the +giant came in, he had the bodies of two men on his back. He threw down +the bodies and told the young woman to get them ready for his dinner. +Then he snuffed around, and said: "There's some one here; I smell the +blood of an Erineach." + +"I don't think you do," said the young woman; "I can't see any one." + +"Neither can I," said the giant; "but I smell a man." + +With that the boy drew his sword; and when the giant was struck, he ran +in the direction of the blow to give one back; then he was struck on the +other side. + +They were at one another this way, the giant and the boy with the cloak +of darkness on him, till the giant had fifty wounds, and was covered +with blood. Every minute he was getting a slash of a sword, but never +could give one back. At last he called out: "Whoever you are, wait till +to-morrow, and I'll face you then." + +So the fighting stopped; and the young woman began to cry and lament as +if her heart would break when she saw the state the giant was in. "Oh! +you'll be with me no longer; you'll be killed now: what can I do alone +without you?" and she tried to please him, and washed his wounds. + +"Don't be afraid," said the giant; "this one, whoever he is, will not +kill me, for there is no man in the world that can kill me." Then the +giant went to bed, and was well in the morning. + +Next day the giant and the boy began in the middle of the forenoon, and +fought till the middle of the afternoon. The giant was covered with +wounds, and he had not given one blow to the boy, and could not see him, +for he was always in his cloak of darkness. So the giant had to ask for +rest till next morning. + +While the young woman was washing and dressing the wounds of the giant +she cried and lamented all the time, saying: "What'll become of me now? +I'm afraid you'll be killed this time; and how can I live here without +you?" + +"Have no fear for me," said the giant; "I'll put your mind at rest. In +the bottom of the sea is a chest locked and bound, in that chest is a +duck, in the duck an egg; and I never can be killed unless some one gets +the egg from the duck in the chest at the bottom of the sea, and rubs it +on the mole that is under my right breast." + +While the giant was telling this to the woman to put her mind at rest, +who should be listening to the story but the boy in the cloak of +darkness. The minute he heard of the chest in the sea, he thought of the +salmons. So off he hurried to the seashore, which was not far away. Then +he took out the fin that his eldest sister's husband had given him, and +called on what salmons were in the sea to bring up the chest with the +duck inside, and put it out on the beach before him. + +He had not long to wait till he saw nothing but salmon,--the whole sea +was covered with them, moving to land; and they put the chest out on the +beach before him. + +But the chest was locked and strong; how could he open it? He thought +of the rams; and taking out the lock of wool, said: "I want what rams +are in the world to come and break open this chest!" + +That minute the rams of the world were running to the seashore, each +with a terrible pair of horns on him; and soon they battered the chest +to splinters. Out flew the duck, and away she went over the sea. + +The boy took out the feather, and said: "I want what eagles are in the +world to get me the egg from that duck." + +That minute the duck was surrounded by the eagles of the world, and the +egg was soon brought to the boy. He put the feather, the wool, and the +fin in his pocket, put on the cloak of darkness, and went to the castle +on the white hill, and told the young woman, when she was dressing the +wounds of the giant again, to raise up his arm. + +Next day they fought till the middle of the afternoon. The giant was +almost cut to pieces, and called for a cessation. + +The young woman hurried to dress the wounds, and he said: "I see you +would help me if you could: you are not able. But never fear, I shall +not be killed." Then she raised his arm to wash away the blood, and the +boy, who was there in his cloak of darkness, struck the mole with the +egg. The giant died that minute. + +The boy took the young woman to the castle of his third sister. Next day +he went back for the treasures of the giant, and there was more gold in +the castle than one horse could draw. + +They spent nine days in the castle of the eagle with the third sister. +Then the boy gave back the feather, and the two went on till they came +to the castle of the salmon, where they spent nine more days with the +second sister; and he gave back the fin. + +When they came to the castle of the ram, they spent fifteen days with +the first sister, and had great feasting and enjoyment. Then the boy +gave back the lock of wool to the ram, and taking farewell of his sister +and her husband, set out for home with the young woman of the white +castle, who was now his wife, bringing presents from the three daughters +to their father and mother. + +At last they reached the opening near the tree, came up through the +ground, and went on to where he met the red-haired man. Then he spread +the cloth of plenty, asked for every good meat and drink, and called the +red-haired man. He came. The three sat down, ate and drank with +enjoyment. + +When they had finished, the boy gave back to the red-haired man the +cloak of darkness, the sword of sharpness, and the cloth of plenty, and +thanked him. + +"You were kind to me," said the red-haired man; "you gave me of your +bread when I asked for it, and told me where you were going. I took pity +on you; for I knew you never could get what you wanted unless I helped +you. I am the brother of the eagle, the salmon, and the ram." + +They parted. The boy went home, built a castle with the treasure of the +giant, and lived happily with his parents and wife. + + + + +FAIR, BROWN, AND TREMBLING. + + +King Aedh Curucha lived in Tir Conal, and he had three daughters, whose +names were Fair, Brown, and Trembling. + +Fair and Brown had new dresses, and went to church every Sunday. +Trembling was kept at home to do the cooking and work. They would not +let her go out of the house at all; for she was more beautiful than the +other two, and they were in dread she might marry before themselves. + +They carried on in this way for seven years. At the end of seven years +the son of the king of Omanya[3] fell in love with the eldest sister. + +[3] The ancient Emania in Ulster. + +One Sunday morning, after the other two had gone to church, the old +henwife came into the kitchen to Trembling, and said: "It's at church +you ought to be this day, instead of working here at home." + +"How could I go?" said Trembling. "I have no clothes good enough to wear +at church; and if my sisters were to see me there, they'd kill me for +going out of the house." + +"I'll give you," said the henwife, "a finer dress than either of them +has ever seen. And now tell me what dress will you have?" + +"I'll have," said Trembling, "a dress as white as snow, and green shoes +for my feet." + +Then the henwife put on the cloak of darkness, clipped a piece from the +old clothes the young woman had on, and asked for the whitest robes in +the world and the most beautiful that could be found, and a pair of +green shoes. + +That moment she had the robe and the shoes, and she brought them to +Trembling, who put them on. When Trembling was dressed and ready, the +henwife said: "I have a honey-bird here to sit on your right shoulder, +and a honey-finger to put on your left. At the door stands a milk-white +mare, with a golden saddle for you to sit on, and a golden bridle to +hold in your hand." + +Trembling sat on the golden saddle; and when she was ready to start, the +henwife said: "You must not go inside the door of the church, and the +minute the people rise up at the end of Mass, do you make off, and ride +home as fast as the mare will carry you." + +When Trembling came to the door of the church there was no one inside +who could get a glimpse of her but was striving to know who she was; and +when they saw her hurrying away at the end of Mass, they ran out to +overtake her. But no use in their running; she was away before any man +could come near her. From the minute she left the church till she got +home, she overtook the wind before her, and outstripped the wind behind. + +She came down at the door, went in, and found the henwife had dinner +ready. She put off the white robes, and had on her old dress in a +twinkling. + +When the two sisters came home the henwife asked: "Have you any news +to-day from the church?" + +"We have great news," said they. "We saw a wonderful, grand lady at the +church-door. The like of the robes she had we have never seen on woman +before. It's little that was thought of our dresses beside what she had +on; and there wasn't a man at the church, from the king to the beggar, +but was trying to look at her and know who she was." + +The sisters would give no peace till they had two dresses like the robes +of the strange lady; but honey-birds and honey-fingers were not to be +found. + +Next Sunday the two sisters went to church again, and left the youngest +at home to cook the dinner. + +After they had gone, the henwife came in and asked: "Will you go to +church to-day?" + +"I would go," said Trembling, "if I could get the going." + +"What robe will you wear?" asked the henwife. + +"The finest black satin that can be found, and red shoes for my feet." + +"What color do you want the mare to be?" + +"I want her to be so black and so glossy that I can see myself in her +body." + +The henwife put on the cloak of darkness, and asked for the robes and +the mare. That moment she had them. When Trembling was dressed, the +henwife put the honey-bird on her right shoulder and the honey-finger on +her left. The saddle on the mare was silver, and so was the bridle. + +When Trembling sat in the saddle and was going away, the henwife ordered +her strictly not to go inside the door of the church, but to rush away +as soon as the people rose at the end of Mass, and hurry home on the +mare before any man could stop her. + +That Sunday the people were more astonished than ever, and gazed at her +more than the first time; and all they were thinking of was to know who +she was. But they had no chance; for the moment the people rose at the +end of Mass she slipped from the church, was in the silver saddle, and +home before a man could stop her or talk to her. + +The henwife had the dinner ready. Trembling took off her satin robe, and +had on her old clothes before her sisters got home. + +"What news have you to-day?" asked the henwife of the sisters when they +came from the church. + +"Oh, we saw the grand strange lady again! And it's little that any man +could think of our dresses after looking at the robes of satin that she +had on! And all at church, from high to low, had their mouths open, +gazing at her, and no man was looking at us." + +The two sisters gave neither rest nor peace till they got dresses as +nearly like the strange lady's robes as they could find. Of course they +were not so good; for the like of those robes could not be found in +Erin. + +When the third Sunday came, Fair and Brown went to church dressed in +black satin. They left Trembling at home to work in the kitchen, and +told her to be sure and have dinner ready when they came back. + +After they had gone and were out of sight, the henwife came to the +kitchen and said: "Well, my dear, are you for church to-day?" + +"I would go if I had a new dress to wear." + +"I'll get you any dress you ask for. What dress would you like?" asked +the henwife. + +"A dress red as a rose from the waist down, and white as snow from the +waist up; a cape of green on my shoulders; and a hat on my head with a +red, a white, and a green feather in it; and shoes for my feet with the +toes red, the middle white, and the backs and heels green." + +The henwife put on the cloak of darkness, wished for all these things, +and had them. When Trembling was dressed, the henwife put the honey-bird +on her right shoulder and the honey-finger on her left, and placing the +hat on her head, clipped a few hairs from one lock and a few from +another with her scissors, and that moment the most beautiful golden +hair was flowing down over the girl's shoulders. Then the henwife asked +what kind of a mare she would ride. She said white, with blue and +gold-colored diamond-shaped spots all over her body, on her back a +saddle of gold, and on her head a golden bridle. + +The mare stood there before the door, and a bird sitting between her +ears, which began to sing as soon as Trembling was in the saddle, and +never stopped till she came home from the church. + +The fame of the beautiful strange lady had gone out through the world, +and all the princes and great men that were in it came to church that +Sunday, each one hoping that it was himself would have her home with him +after Mass. + +The son of the king of Omanya forgot all about the eldest sister, and +remained outside the church, so as to catch the strange lady before she +could hurry away. + +The church was more crowded than ever before, and there were three times +as many outside. There was such a throng before the church that +Trembling could only come inside the gate. + +As soon as the people were rising at the end of Mass, the lady slipped +out through the gate, was in the golden saddle in an instant, and +sweeping away ahead of the wind. But if she was, the prince of Omanya +was at her side, and, seizing her by the foot, he ran with the mare for +thirty perches, and never let go of the beautiful lady till the shoe was +pulled from her foot, and he was left behind with it in his hand. She +came home as fast as the mare could carry her, and was thinking all the +time that the henwife would kill her for losing the shoe. + +Seeing her so vexed and so changed in the face, the old woman asked: +"What's the trouble that's on you now?" + +"Oh! I've lost one of the shoes off my feet," said Trembling. + +"Don't mind that; don't be vexed," said the henwife; "maybe it's the +best thing that ever happened to you." + +Then Trembling gave up all the things she had to the henwife, put on her +old clothes, and went to work in the kitchen. When the sisters came +home, the henwife asked: "Have you any news from the church?" + +"We have indeed," said they; "for we saw the grandest sight to-day. The +strange lady came again, in grander array than before. On herself and +the horse she rode were the finest colors of the world, and between the +ears of the horse was a bird which never stopped singing from the time +she came till she went away. The lady herself is the most beautiful +woman ever seen by man in Erin." + +After Trembling had disappeared from the church, the son of the king of +Omanya said to the other kings' sons: "I will have that lady for my +own." + +They all said: "You didn't win her just by taking the shoe off her +foot, you'll have to win her by the point of the sword; you'll have to +fight for her with us before you can call her your own." + +"Well," said the son of the king of Omanya, "when I find the lady that +shoe will fit, I'll fight for her, never fear, before I leave her to any +of you." + +Then all the kings' sons were uneasy, and anxious to know who was she +that lost the shoe; and they began to travel all over Erin to know could +they find her. The prince of Omanya and all the others went in a great +company together, and made the round of Erin; they went +everywhere,--north, south, east, and west. They visited every place +where a woman was to be found, and left not a house in the kingdom they +did not search, to know could they find the woman the shoe would fit, +not caring whether she was rich or poor, of high or low degree. + +The prince of Omanya always kept the shoe; and when the young women saw +it, they had great hopes, for it was of proper size, neither large nor +small, and it would beat any man to know of what material it was made. +One thought it would fit her if she cut a little from her great toe; and +another, with too short a foot, put something in the tip of her +stocking. But no use, they only spoiled their feet, and were curing them +for months afterwards. + +The two sisters, Fair and Brown, heard that the princes of the world +were looking all over Erin for the woman that could wear the shoe, and +every day they were talking of trying it on; and one day Trembling spoke +up and said: "Maybe it's my foot that the shoe will fit." + +"Oh, the breaking of the dog's foot on you! Why say so when you were at +home every Sunday?" They were that way waiting, and scolding the +younger sister, till the princes were near the place. The day they were +to come, the sisters put Trembling in a closet, and locked the door on +her. When the company came to the house, the prince of Omanya gave the +shoe to the sisters. But though they tried and tried, it would fit +neither of them. + +"Is there any other young woman in the house?" asked the prince. + +"There is," said Trembling, speaking up in the closet; "I'm here." + +"Oh! we have her for nothing but to put out the ashes," said the +sisters. + +But the prince and the others wouldn't leave the house till they had +seen her; so the two sisters had to open the door. When Trembling came +out, the shoe was given to her, and it fitted exactly. + +The prince of Omanya looked at her and said: "You are the woman the shoe +fits, and you are the woman I took the shoe from." + +Then Trembling spoke up, and said: "Do you stay here till I return." + +Then she went to the henwife's house. The old woman put on the cloak of +darkness, got everything for her she had the first Sunday at church, and +put her on the white mare in the same fashion. Then Trembling rode along +the highway to the front of the house. All who saw her the first time +said: "This is the lady we saw at church." + +Then she went away a second time, and a second time came back on the +black mare in the second dress which the henwife gave her. All who saw +her the second Sunday said: "That is the lady we saw at church." A +third time she asked for a short absence, and soon came back on the +third mare and in the third dress. All who saw her the third time said: +"That is the lady we saw at church." Every man was satisfied, and knew +that she was the woman. + +Then all the princes and great men spoke up, and said to the son of the +king of Omanya: "You'll have to fight now for her before we let her go +with you." + +"I'm here before you, ready for combat," answered the prince. + +Then the son of the king of Lochlin stepped forth. The struggle began, +and a terrible struggle it was. They fought for nine hours; and then the +son of the king of Lochlin stopped, gave up his claim, and left the +field. Next day the son of the king of Spain fought six hours, and +yielded his claim. On the third day the son of the king of NyerfA cubedi +fought eight hours, and stopped. The fourth day the son of the king of +Greece fought six hours, and stopped. On the fifth day no more strange +princes wanted to fight; and all the sons of kings in Erin said they +would not fight with a man of their own land, that the strangers had had +their chance, and as no others came to claim the woman, she belonged of +right to the son of the king of Omanya. + +The marriage-day was fixed, and the invitations were sent out. The +wedding lasted for a year and a day. When the wedding was over, the +king's son brought home the bride, and when the time came a son was +born. The young woman sent for her eldest sister, Fair, to be with her +and care for her. One day, when Trembling was well, and when her husband +was away hunting, the two sisters went out to walk; and when they came +to the sea-side, the eldest pushed the youngest sister in. A great whale +came and swallowed her. + +The eldest sister came home alone, and the husband asked, "Where is your +sister?" + +"She has gone home to her father in Ballyshannon; now that I am well, I +don't need her." + +"Well," said the husband, looking at her, "I'm in dread, it's my wife +that has gone." + +"Oh! no," said she; "it's my sister Fair that's gone." + +Since the sisters were very much alike, the prince was in doubt. That +night he put his sword between them, and said: "If you are my wife, this +sword will get warm; if not, it will stay cold." + +In the morning when he rose up, the sword was as cold as when he put it +there. + +It happened when the two sisters were walking by the seashore, that a +little cowboy was down by the water minding cattle, and saw Fair push +Trembling into the sea; and next day, when the tide came in, he saw the +whale swim up and throw her out on the sand. When she was on the sand +she said to the cowboy: "When you go home in the evening with the cows, +tell the master that my sister Fair pushed me into the sea yesterday; +that a whale swallowed me, and then threw me out, but will come again +and swallow me with the coming of the next tide; then he'll go out with +the tide, and come again with to-morrow's tide, and throw me again on +the strand. The whale will cast me out three times. I'm under the +enchantment of this whale, and cannot leave the beach or escape myself. +Unless my husband saves me before I'm swallowed the fourth time, I +shall be lost. He must come and shoot the whale with a silver bullet +when he turns on the broad of his back. Under the breast-fin of the +whale is a reddish-brown spot. My husband must hit him in that spot, for +it is the only place in which he can be killed." + +When the cowboy got home, the eldest sister gave him a draught of +oblivion, and he did not tell. + +Next day he went again to the sea. The whale came and cast Trembling on +shore again. She asked the boy: "Did you tell the master what I told you +to tell him?" + +"I did not," said he; "I forgot." + +"How did you forget?" asked she. + +"The woman of the house gave me a drink that made me forget." + +"Well, don't forget telling him this night; and if she gives you a +drink, don't take it from her." + +As soon as the cowboy came home, the eldest sister offered him a drink. +He refused to take it till he had delivered his message and told all to +the master. The third day the prince went down with his gun and a silver +bullet in it. He was not long down when the whale came and threw +Trembling upon the beach as the two days before. She had no power to +speak to her husband till he had killed the whale. Then the whale went +out, turned over once on the broad of his back, and showed the spot for +a moment only. That moment the prince fired. He had but the one chance, +and a short one at that; but he took it, and hit the spot, and the +whale, mad with pain, made the sea all around red with blood, and died. + +That minute Trembling was able to speak, and went home with her husband, +who sent word to her father what the eldest sister had done. The father +came, and told him any death he chose to give her to give it. The prince +told the father he would leave her life and death with himself. The +father had her put out then on the sea in a barrel, with provisions in +it for seven years. + +In time Trembling had a second child, a daughter. The prince and she +sent the cowboy to school, and trained him up as one of their own +children, and said: "If the little girl that is born to us now lives, no +other man in the world will get her but him." + +The cowboy and the prince's daughter lived on till they were married. +The mother said to her husband: "You could not have saved me from the +whale but for the little cowboy; on that account I don't grudge him my +daughter." + +The son of the king of Omanya and Trembling had fourteen children, and +they lived happily till the two died of old age. + + + + +THE KING OF ERIN AND THE QUEEN OF THE LONESOME ISLAND. + + +There was a king in Erin long ago, and this king went out hunting one +day, but saw nothing till near sunset, when what should come across him +but a black pig. + +"Since I've seen nothing all day but this black pig, I'll be at her +now," said the king; so he put spurs to his horse and raced after the +pig. + +When the pig was on a hill he was in the valley behind her; when he was +on a hill, the pig was in the valley before him. At last they came to +the sea-side, and the pig rushed out into the deep water straight from +the shore. The king spurred on his horse and followed the black pig +through the sea till his horse failed under him and was drowned. + +Then the king swam on himself till he was growing weak, and said: "It +was for the death of me that the black pig came in my way." + +But he swam on some distance yet, till at last he saw land. The pig went +up on an island; the king too went on shore, and said to himself: "Oh! +it is for no good that I came here; there is neither house nor shelter +to be seen." But he cheered up after a while, walked around, and said: +"I'm a useless man if I can't find shelter in some place." + +After going on a short space he saw a great castle in a valley before +him. When he came to the front of the castle he saw that it had a low +door with a broad threshold all covered with sharp-edged razors, and a +low lintel of long-pointed needles. The path to the castle was covered +with gravel of gold. The king came up, and went in with a jump over the +razors and under the needles. When inside he saw a great fire on a broad +hearth, and said to himself, "I'll sit down here, dry my clothes, and +warm my body at this fire." + +As he sat and warmed himself, a table came out before him with every +sort of food and drink, without his seeing any one bring it. + +"Upon my honor and power," said the king of Erin, "there is nothing bad +in this! I'll eat and drink my fill." + +Then he fell to, and ate and drank his fill. When he had grown tired, he +looked behind him, and if he did he saw a fine room, and in it a bed +covered with gold. "Well," said he, "I'll go back and sleep in that bed +a while, I'm so tired." + +He stretched himself on the bed and fell asleep. In the night he woke +up, and felt the presence of a woman in the room. He reached out his +hand towards her and spoke, but got no answer; she was silent. + +When morning came, and he made his way out of the castle, she spread a +beautiful garden with her Druidic spells over the island,--so great that +though he travelled through it all day he could not escape from it. At +sunset he was back at the door of the castle; and in he went over the +razors and under the needles, sat at the fire, and the table came out +before him as on the previous evening. He ate, drank, and slept on the +bed; and when he woke in the night, there was the woman in the room; but +she was silent and unseen as before. + +When he went out on the second morning the king of Erin saw a garden +three times more beautiful than the one of the day before. He travelled +all day, but could not escape,--could not get out of the garden. At +sunset he was back at the door of the castle; in he went over the razors +and under the needles, ate, drank, and slept, as before. + +In the middle of the night he woke up, and felt the presence of the +woman in the room. "Well," said he, "it is a wonderful thing for me to +pass three nights in a room with a woman, and not see her nor know who +she is!" + +"You won't have that to say again, king of Erin," answered a voice. And +that moment the room was filled with a bright light, and the king looked +upon the finest woman he had ever seen. "Well, king of Erin, you are on +Lonesome Island. I am the black pig that enticed you over the land and +through the sea to this place, and I am queen of Lonesome Island. My two +sisters and I are under a Druidic spell, and we cannot escape from this +spell till your son and mine shall free us. Now, king of Erin, I will +give you a boat to-morrow morning, and do you sail away to your own +kingdom." + +In the morning she went with him to the seashore to the boat. The king +gave the prow of the boat to the sea, and its stern to the land; then he +raised the sails, and went his way. The music he had was the roaring of +the wind with the whistling of eels, and he broke neither oar nor mast +till he landed under his own castle in Erin. + +Three quarters of a year after, the queen of Lonesome Island gave birth +to a son. She reared him with care from day to day and year to year till +he was a splendid youth. She taught him the learning of wise men one +half of the day, and warlike exercises with Druidic spells the other +half. One time the young man, the prince of Lonesome Island, came in +from hunting, and found his mother sobbing and crying. + +"Oh! what has happened to you, mother?" he asked. + +"My son, great grief has come on me. A friend of mine is going to be +killed to-morrow." + +"Who is he?" + +"The king of Erin. The king of Spain has come against him with a great +army. He wishes to sweep him and his men from the face of the earth, and +take the kingdom himself." + +"Well, what can we do? If I were there, I'd help the king of Erin." + +"Since you say that, my son, I'll send you this very evening. With the +power of my Druidic spells, you'll be in Erin in the morning." + +The prince of Lonesome Island went away that night, and next morning at +the rising of the sun he drew up his boat under the king's castle in +Erin. He went ashore, and saw the whole land black with the forces of +the king of Spain, who was getting ready to attack the king of Erin and +sweep him and his men from the face of the earth. + +The prince went straight to the king of Spain, and said, "I ask one +day's truce." + +"You shall have it, my champion," answered the king of Spain. + +The prince then went to the castle of the king of Erin, and stayed there +that day as a guest. Next morning early he dressed himself in his +champion's array, and, taking his nine-edged sword, he went down alone +to the king of Spain, and, standing before him, bade him guard himself. + +They closed in conflict, the king of Spain with all his forces on one +side, and the prince of Lonesome Island on the other. They fought an +awful battle that day from sunrise till sunset. They made soft places +hard, and hard places soft; they made high places low, and low places +high; they brought water out of the centre of hard gray rocks, and made +dry rushes soft in the most distant parts of Erin till sunset; and when +the sun went down, the king of Spain and his last man were dead on the +field. + +Neither the king of Erin nor his forces took part in the battle. They +had no need, and they had no chance. + +Now the king of Erin had two sons, who were such cowards that they hid +themselves from fright during the battle; but their mother told the king +of Erin that her elder son was the man who had destroyed the king of +Spain and all his men. + +There was great rejoicing and a feast at the castle of the king of Erin. +At the end of the feast the queen said: "I wish to give the last cup to +this stranger who is here as a guest;" and taking him to an adjoining +chamber which had a window right over the sea, she seated him in the +open window and gave him a cup of drowsiness to drink. When he had +emptied the cup and closed his eyes, she pushed him out into the +darkness. + +The prince of Lonesome Island swam on the water for four days and +nights, till he came to a rock in the ocean, and there he lived for +three months, eating the seaweeds of the rock, till one foggy day a +vessel came near and the captain cried out: "We shall be wrecked on this +rock!" Then he said, "There is some one on the rock; go and see who it +is." + +They landed, and found the prince, his clothes all gone, his body black +from the seaweed, which was growing all over it. + +"Who are you?" asked the captain. + +"Give me first to eat and drink, and then I'll talk," said he. + +They brought him food and drink; and when he had eaten and drunk, the +prince said to the captain: "What part of the world have you come from?" + +"I have just sailed from Lonesome Island," said the captain. "I was +obliged to sail away, for fire was coming from every side to burn my +ship." + +"Would you like to go back?" + +"I should indeed." + +"Well, turn around; you'll have no trouble if I am with you." + +The captain returned. The queen of Lonesome Island was standing on the +shore as the ship came in. + +"Oh, my child!" cried she, "why have you been away so long?" + +"The queen of Erin threw me into the sea after I had kept the head of +the king of Erin on him, and saved her life too." + +"Well, my son, that will come up against the queen of Erin on another +day." + +Now, the prince lived on Lonesome Island three years longer, till one +time he came home from hunting, and found his mother wringing her hands +and shedding bitter tears. + +"Oh! what has happened?" asked he. + +"I am weeping because the king of Spain has gone to take vengeance on +the king of Erin for the death of his father, whom you killed." + +"Well, mother, I'll go to help the king of Erin, if you give me leave." +"Since you have said it, you shall go this very night." + +He went to the shore. Putting the prow of his bark to the sea and her +stern to land, he raised high the sails, and heard no sound as he went +but the pleasant wind and the whistling of eels, till he pulled up his +boat next morning under the castle of the king of Erin and went on +shore. + +The whole country was black with the troops of the king of Spain, who +was just ready to attack, when the prince stood before him, and asked a +truce till next morning. + +"That you shall have, my champion," answered the king. So there was +peace for that day. + +Next morning at sunrise, the prince faced the king of Spain and his +army, and there followed a struggle more terrible than that with his +father; but at sunset neither the king of Spain nor one of his men was +left alive. + +The two sons of the king of Erin were frightened almost to death, and +hid during the battle, so that no one saw them or knew where they were. +But when the king of Spain and his army were destroyed, the queen said +to the king: "My elder son has saved us." Then she went to bed, and +taking the blood of a chicken in her mouth, spat it out, saying: "This +is my heart's blood; and nothing can cure me now but three bottles of +water from Tubber Tintye, the flaming well." + +When the prince was told of the sickness of the queen of Erin, he came +to her and said: "I'll go for the water if your two sons will go with +me." + +"They shall go," said the queen; and away went the three young men +towards the East, in search of the flaming well. + +In the morning they came to a house on the roadside; and going in, they +saw a woman who had washed herself in a golden basin which stood before +her. She was then wetting her head with the water in the basin, and +combing her hair with a golden comb. She threw back her hair, and +looking at the prince, said: "You are welcome, sister's son. What is on +you? Is it the misfortune of the world that has brought you here?" + +"It is not; I am going to Tubber Tintye for three bottles of water." + +"That is what you'll never do; no man can cross the fiery river or go +through the enchantments around Tubber Tintye. Stay here with me, and +I'll give you all I have." + +"No, I cannot stay, I must go on." + +"Well, you'll be in your other aunt's house to-morrow night, and she +will tell you all." + +Next morning, when they were getting ready to take the road, the elder +son of the queen of Erin was frightened at what he had heard, and said: +"I am sick; I cannot go farther." + +"Stop here where you are till I come back," said the prince. Then he +went on with the younger brother, till at sunset they came to a house +where they saw a woman wetting her head from a golden basin, and combing +her hair with a golden comb. She threw back her hair, looked at the +prince, and said: "You are welcome, sister's son! What brought you to +this place? Was it the misfortune of the world that brought you to live +under Druidic spells like me and my sisters?" This was the elder sister +of the queen of the Lonesome Island. + +"No," said the prince; "I am going to Tubber Tintye for three bottles of +water from the flaming well." + +"Oh, sister's son, it's a hard journey you're on! But stay here +to-night; to-morrow morning I'll tell you all." + +In the morning the prince's aunt said: "The queen of the Island of +Tubber Tintye has an enormous castle, in which she lives. She has a +countless army of giants, beasts, and monsters to guard the castle and +the flaming well. There are thousands upon thousands of them, of every +form and size. When they get drowsy, and sleep comes on them, they sleep +for seven years without waking. The queen has twelve attendant maidens, +who live in twelve chambers. She is in the thirteenth and innermost +chamber herself. The queen and the maidens sleep during the same seven +years as the giants and beasts. When the seven years are over, they all +wake up, and none of them sleep again for seven other years. If any man +could enter the castle during the seven years of sleep, he could do what +he liked. But the island on which the castle stands is girt by a river +of fire and surrounded by a belt of poison-trees." + +The aunt now blew on a horn, and all the birds of the air gathered +around her from every place under the heavens, and she asked each in +turn where it dwelt, and each told her; but none knew of the flaming +well, till an old eagle said: "I left Tubber Tintye to-day." + +"How are all the people there?" asked the aunt. + +"They are all asleep since yesterday morning," answered the old eagle. + +The aunt dismissed the birds; and turning to the prince, said, "Here is +a bridle for you. Go to the stables, shake the bridle, and put it on +whatever horse runs out to meet you." + +Now the second son of the queen of Erin said: "I am too sick to go +farther." + +"Well, stay here till I come back," said the prince, who took the bridle +and went out. + +The prince of the Lonesome Island stood in front of his aunt's stables, +shook the bridle, and out came a dirty, lean little shaggy horse. + +"Sit on my back, son of the king of Erin and the queen of Lonesome +Island," said the little shaggy horse. + +This was the first the prince had heard of his father. He had often +wondered who he might be, but had never heard who he was before. + +He mounted the horse, which said: "Keep a firm grip now, for I shall +clear the river of fire at a single bound, and pass the poison-trees; +but if you touch any part of the trees, even with a thread of the +clothing that's on you, you'll never eat another bite; and as I rush by +the end of the castle of Tubber Tintye with the speed of the wind, you +must spring from my back through an open window that is there; and if +you don't get in at the window, you're done for. I'll wait for you +outside till you are ready to go back to Erin." + +The prince did as the little horse told him. They crossed the river of +fire, escaped the touch of the poison-trees, and as the horse shot past +the castle, the prince sprang through the open window, and came down +safe and sound inside. + +The whole place, enormous in extent, was filled with sleeping giants and +monsters of sea and land,--great whales, long slippery eels, bears, and +beasts of every form and kind. The prince passed through them and over +them till he came to a great stairway. At the head of the stairway he +went into a chamber, where he found the most beautiful woman he had ever +seen, stretched on a couch asleep. "I'll have nothing to say to you," +thought he, and went on to the next; and so he looked into twelve +chambers. In each was a woman more beautiful than the one before. But +when he reached the thirteenth chamber and opened the door, the flash of +gold took the sight from his eyes. He stood a while till the sight came +back, and then entered. In the great bright chamber was a golden couch, +resting on wheels of gold. The wheels turned continually; the couch went +round and round, never stopping night or day. On the couch lay the queen +of Tubber Tintye; and if her twelve maidens were beautiful, they would +not be beautiful if seen near her. At the foot of the couch was Tubber +Tintye itself,--the well of fire. There was a golden cover upon the +well, and it went around continually with the couch of the queen. + +"Upon my word," said the prince, "I'll rest here a while." And he went +up on the couch, and never left it for six days and nights. + +On the seventh morning he said, "It is time for me now to leave this +place." So he came down and filled the three bottles with water from the +flaming well. In the golden chamber was a table of gold, and on the +table a leg of mutton with a loaf of bread; and if all the men in Erin +were to eat for a twelvemonth from the table, the mutton and the bread +would be in the same form after the eating as before. + +The prince sat down, ate his fill of the loaf and the leg of mutton, and +left them as he had found them. Then he rose up, took his three bottles, +put them in his wallet, and was leaving the chamber, when he said to +himself: "It would be a shame to go away without leaving something by +which the queen may know who was here while she slept." So he wrote a +letter, saying that the son of the king of Erin and the queen of the +Lonesome Island had spent six days and nights in the golden chamber of +Tubber Tintye, had taken away three bottles of water from the flaming +well, and had eaten from the table of gold. Putting this letter under +the pillow of the queen, he went out, stood in the open window, sprang +on the back of the lean and shaggy little horse, and passed the trees +and the river unharmed. + +When they were near his aunt's house, the horse stopped, and said: "Put +your hand into my ear, and draw out of it a Druidic rod; then cut me +into four quarters, and strike each quarter with the rod. Each one of +them will become the son of a king, for four princes were enchanted and +turned into the lean little shaggy horse that carried you to Tubber +Tintye. When you have freed the four princes from this form you can free +your two aunts from the spell that is on them, and take them with you to +Lonesome Island." + +The prince did as the horse desired; and straightway four princes stood +before him, and thanking him for what he had done, they departed at +once, each to his own kingdom. + +The prince removed the spell from his aunts, and, travelling with them +and the two sons of the queen of Erin, all soon appeared at the castle +of the king. + +When they were near the door of their mother's chamber, the elder of the +two sons of the queen of Erin stepped up to the prince of Lonesome +Island, snatched the three bottles from the wallet that he had at his +side, and running up to his mother's bed, said: "Here, mother, are the +three bottles of water which I brought you from Tubber Tintye." + +"Thank you, my son; you have saved my life," said she. + +The prince went on his bark and sailed away with his aunts to Lonesome +Island, where he lived with his mother seven years. + +When seven years were over, the queen of Tubber Tintye awoke from her +sleep in the golden chamber; and with her the twelve maidens and all the +giants, beasts, and monsters that slept in the great castle. + +When the queen opened her eyes, she saw a boy about six years old +playing by himself on the floor. He was very beautiful and bright, and +he had gold on his forehead and silver on his poll. When she saw the +child, she began to cry and wring her hands, and said: "Some man has +been here while I slept." + +Straightway she sent for her Seandallglic (old blind sage), told him +about the child, and asked: "What am I to do now?" + +The old blind sage thought a while, and then said: "Whoever was here +must be a hero; for the child has gold on his forehead and silver on his +poll, and he never went from this place without leaving his name behind +him. Let search be made, and we shall know who he was." + +Search was made, and at last they found the letter of the prince under +the pillow of the couch. The queen was now glad, and proud of the child. + +Next day she assembled all her forces, her giants and guards; and when +she had them drawn up in line, the army was seven miles long from van to +rear. The queen opened through the river of fire a safe way for the +host, and led it on till she came to the castle of the king of Erin. She +held all the land near the castle, so the king had the sea on one side, +and the army of the queen of Tubber Tintye on the other, ready to +destroy him and all that he had. The queen sent a herald for the king to +come down. + +"What are you going to do?" asked the king when he came to her tent. "I +have had trouble enough in my life already, without having more of it +now." + +"Find for me," said the queen, "the man who came to my castle and +entered the golden chamber of Tubber Tintye while I slept, or I'll sweep +you and all you have from the face of the earth." + +The king of Erin called down his elder son, and asked: "Did you enter +the chamber of the queen of Tubber Tintye?" + +"I did." + +"Go, then, and tell her so, and save us." + +He went; and when he told the queen, she said: "If you entered my +chamber, then mount my gray steed." + +He mounted the steed; and if he did, the steed rose in the air with a +bound, hurled him off his back, in a moment, threw him on a rock, and +dashed the brains out of his head. + +The king called down his second son, who said that he had been in the +golden chamber. Then he mounted the gray steed, which killed him as it +had his brother. + +Now the queen called the king again, and said: "Unless you bring the man +who entered my golden chamber while I slept, I'll not leave a sign of +you or anything you have upon the face of the earth." Straightway the +king sent a message to the queen of Lonesome Island, saying: "Come to me +with your son and your two sisters!" + +The queen set out next morning, and at sunset she drew up her boat under +the castle of the king of Erin. Glad were they to see her at the castle, +for great dread was on all. + +Next morning the king went down to the queen of Tubber Tintye, who said: +"Bring me the man who entered my castle, or I'll destroy you and all you +have in Erin this day." + +The king went up to the castle; immediately the prince of Lonesome +Island went to the queen. + +"Are you the man who entered my castle?" asked she. + +"I don't know," said the prince. + +"Go up now on my gray steed!" said the queen. + +He sat on the gray steed, which rose under him into the sky. The prince +stood on the back of the horse, and cut three times with his sword as he +went up under the sun. When he came to the earth again, the queen of +Tubber Tintye ran over to him, put his head on her bosom, and said: "You +are the man." + +Now she called the queen of Erin to her tent, and drawing from her own +pocket a belt of silk, slender as a cord, she said: "Put this on." + +The queen of Erin put it on, and then the queen of Tubber Tintye said: +"Tighten, belt!" The belt tightened till the queen of Erin screamed with +pain. "Now tell me," said the queen of Tubber Tintye, "who was the +father of your elder son." + +"The gardener," said the queen of Erin. + +Again the queen of Tubber Tintye said; "Tighten, belt!" The queen of +Erin screamed worse than before; and she had good reason, for she was +cut nearly in two. "Now tell me who was the father of your second son." + +"The big brewer," said the queen of Erin. + +Said the queen of Tubber Tintye to the king of Erin: "Get this woman +dead." + +The king put down a big fire then, and when it was blazing high, he +threw the wife in, and she was destroyed at once. + +"Now do you marry the queen of Lonesome Island, and my child will be +grandchild to you and to her," said the queen of Tubber Tintye. + +This was done, and the queen of Lonesome Island became queen of Erin and +lived in the castle by the sea. And the queen of Tubber Tintye married +the prince of Lonesome Island, the champion who entered the golden +chamber while she slept. + +Now the king of Erin sent ten ships with messages to all the kings of +the world, inviting them to come to the wedding of the queen of Tubber +Tintye and his son, and to his own wedding with the queen of Lonesome +Island. + +The queen removed the Druidic spells from her giants, beasts, and +monsters; then went home, and made the prince of Lonesome Island king of +Tubber Tintye and lord of the golden chamber. + + + + +THE SHEE AN GANNON AND THE GRUAGACH GAIRE. + + +The Shee an Gannon[4] was born in the morning, named at noon, and went +in the evening to ask his daughter of the king of Erin. + +[4] Shee an Gannon, in Gaelic "Sighe an Gannon," the fairy of the +Gannon. + +"I will give you my daughter in marriage," said the king of Erin; "you +won't get her, though, unless you go and bring me back the tidings that +I want, and tell me what it is that put a stop to the laughing of the +Gruagach Gaire,[5] who before this laughed always, and laughed so loud +that the whole world heard him. There are twelve iron spikes out here in +the garden behind my castle. On eleven of the spikes are the heads of +kings' sons who came seeking my daughter in marriage, and all of them +went away to get the knowledge I wanted. Not one was able to get it and +tell me what stopped the Gruagach Gaire from laughing. I took the heads +off them all when they came back without the tidings for which they +went, and I'm greatly in dread that your head'll be on the twelfth +spike, for I'll do the same to you that I did to the eleven kings' sons +unless you tell what put a stop to the laughing of the Gruagach." + +[5] The laughing Gruagach. + +The Shee an Gannon made no answer, but left the king and pushed away to +know could he find why the Gruagach was silent. + +He took a glen at a step, a hill at a leap, and travelled all day till +evening. Then he came to a house. The master of the house asked him what +sort was he, and he said: "A young man looking for hire." + +"Well," said the master of the house, "I was going to-morrow to look for +a man to mind my cows. If you'll work for me, you'll have a good place, +the best food a man could have to eat in this world, and a soft bed to +lie on." + +The Shee an Gannon took service, and ate his supper. Then the master of +the house said: "I am the Gruagach Gaire; now that you are my man and +have eaten your supper, you'll have a bed of silk to sleep on." + +Next morning after breakfast the Gruagach said to the Shee an Gannon: +"Go out now and loosen my five golden cows and my bull without horns, +and drive them to pasture; but when you have them out on the grass, be +careful you don't let them go near the land of the giant." + +The new cowboy drove the cattle to pasture, and when near the land of +the giant, he saw it was covered with woods and surrounded by a high +wall. He went up, put his back against the wall, and threw in a great +stretch of it; then he went inside and threw out another great stretch +of the wall, and put the five golden cows and the bull without horns on +the land of the giant. + +Then he climbed a tree, ate the sweet apples himself, and threw the sour +ones down to the cattle of the Gruagach Gaire. + +Soon a great crashing was heard in the woods,--the noise of young trees +bending, and old trees breaking. The cowboy looked around, and saw a +five-headed giant pushing through the trees; and soon he was before +him. "Poor miserable creature!" said the giant; "but weren't you +impudent to come to my land and trouble me in this way? You're too big +for one bite, and too small for two. I don't know what to do but tear +you to pieces." + +"You nasty brute," said the cowboy, coming down to him from the tree, +"'tis little I care for you;" and then they went at each other. So +great was the noise between them that there was nothing in the world but +what was looking on and listening to the combat. + +They fought till late in the afternoon, when the giant was getting the +upper hand; and then the cowboy thought that if the giant should kill +him, his father and mother would never find him or set eyes on him +again, and he would never get the daughter of the king of Erin. The +heart in his body grew strong at this thought. He sprang on the giant, +and with the first squeeze and thrust he put him to his knees in the +hard ground, with the second thrust to his waist, and with the third to +his shoulders. + +"I have you at last; you're done for now!" said the cowboy. Then he took +out his knife, cut the five heads off the giant, and when he had them +off he cut out the tongues and threw the heads over the wall. + +Then he put the tongues in his pocket and drove home the cattle. That +evening the Gruagach couldn't find vessels enough in all his place to +hold the milk of the five golden cows. + +After supper the cowboy would give no talk to his master, but kept his +mind to himself, and went to the bed of silk to sleep. + +Next morning after breakfast the cowboy drove out his cattle, and going +on farther than the day before, stopped at a high wall. He put his back +to the wall, threw in a long stretch of it, then went in and threw out +another long stretch of it. + +After that he put the five golden cows and the bull without horns on the +land, and going up on a tree, ate sweet apples himself, and threw down +the sour ones to the cattle. + +Now the son of the king of Tisean set out from the king of Erin on the +same errand, after asking for his daughter; and as soon as the cowboy +drove in his cattle on the second day, he came along by the giant's +land, found the five heads of the giant thrown out by the cowboy the day +before, and picking them up, ran off to the king of Erin and put them +down before him. + +"Oh, you have done good work!" said the king. "You have won one third of +my daughter." + +Soon after the cowboy had begun to eat sweet apples, and the son of the +king of Tisean had run off with the five heads, there came a great noise +of young trees bending, and old trees breaking, and presently the cowboy +saw a giant larger than the one he had killed the day before. + +"You miserable little wretch!" cried the giant; "what brings you here on +my land?" + +"You wicked brute!" said the cowboy, "I don't care for you;" and +slipping down from the tree, he fell upon the giant. + +The fight was fiercer than his first one; but towards evening, when he +was growing faint, the cowboy remembered that if he should fall, neither +his father nor mother would see him again, and he would never get the +daughter of the king of Erin. + +This thought gave him strength; and jumping up, he caught the giant, +put him with one thrust to his knees in the hard earth, with a second to +his waist, with a third to his shoulders, and then swept the five heads +off him and threw them over the wall, after he had cut out the tongues +and put them in his pocket. + +Leaving the body of the giant, the cowboy drove home the cattle, and the +Gruagach had still greater trouble in finding vessels for the milk of +the five golden cows. + +After supper the cowboy said not a word, but went to sleep. + +Next morning he drove the cattle still farther, and came to green woods +and a strong wall. Putting his back to the wall, he threw in a great +piece of it, and going in, threw out another piece. Then he drove the +five golden cows and the bull without horns to the land inside, ate +sweet apples himself, and threw down sour ones to the cattle. + +The son of the king of Tisean came and carried off the heads as on the +day before. + +Presently a third giant came crashing through the woods, and a battle +followed more terrible than the other two. + +Towards evening the giant was gaining the upper hand, and the cowboy, +growing weak, would have been killed; but the thought of his parents and +the daughter of the king of Erin gave him strength, and he swept the +five heads off the giant, and threw them over the wall after he had put +the tongues in his pocket. + +Then the cowboy drove home his cattle; and the Gruagach didn't know what +to do with the milk of the five golden cows, there was so much of it. + +But when the cowboy was on the way home with the cattle, the son of the +king of Tisean came, took the five heads of the giant, and hurried to +the king of Erin. + +"You have won my daughter now," said the king of Erin when he saw the +heads; "but you'll not get her unless you tell me what stops the +Gruagach Gaire from laughing." + +On the fourth morning the cowboy rose before his master, and the first +words he said to the Gruagach were: + +"What keeps you from laughing, you who used to laugh so loud that the +whole world heard you?" + +"I'm sorry," said the Gruagach, "that the daughter of the king of Erin +sent you here." + +"If you don't tell me of your own will, I'll make you tell me," said the +cowboy; and he put a face on himself that was terrible to look at, and +running through the house like a madman, could find nothing that would +give pain enough to the Gruagach but some ropes made of untanned +sheepskin hanging on the wall. + +He took these down, caught the Gruagach, fastened his two hands behind +him, and tied his feet so that his little toes were whispering to his +ears. When he was in this state the Gruagach said: "I'll tell you what +stopped my laughing if you set me free." + +So the cowboy unbound him, the two sat down together, and the Gruagach +said:-- + +"I lived in this castle here with my twelve sons. We ate, drank, played +cards, and enjoyed ourselves, till one day when my sons and I were +playing, a wizard hare came rushing in, jumped on our table, defiled it, +and ran away. + +"On another day he came again; but if he did, we were ready for him, my +twelve sons and myself. As soon as he defiled our table and ran off, we +made after him, and followed him till nightfall, when he went into a +glen. We saw a light before us. I ran on, and came to a house with a +great apartment, where there was a man with twelve daughters, and the +hare was tied to the side of the room near the women. + +"There was a large pot over the fire in the room, and a great stork +boiling in the pot. The man of the house said to me: 'There are bundles +of rushes at the end of the room, go there and sit down with your men!' + +"He went into the next room and brought out two pikes, one of wood, the +other of iron, and asked me which of the pikes would I take. I said, +'I'll take the iron one;' for I thought in my heart that if an attack +should come on me, I could defend myself better with the iron than the +wooden pike. + +"The man of the house gave me the iron pike, and the first chance of +taking what I could out of the pot on the point of the pike. I got but a +small piece of the stork, and the man of the house took all the rest on +his wooden pike. We had to fast that night; and when the man and his +twelve daughters ate the flesh of the stork, they hurled the bare bones +in the faces of my sons and myself. + +"We had to stop all night that way, beaten on the faces by the bones of +the stork. + +"Next morning, when we were going away, the man of the house asked me to +stay a while; and going into the next room, he brought out twelve loops +of iron and one of wood, and said to me: 'Put the heads of your twelve +sons into the iron loops, or your own head into the wooden one;' and I +said: 'I'll put the twelve heads of my sons in the iron loops, and keep +my own out of the wooden one.' + +"He put the iron loops on the necks of my twelve sons, and put the +wooden one on his own neck. Then he snapped the loops one after another, +till he took the heads off my twelve sons and threw the heads and bodies +out of the house; but he did nothing to hurt his own neck. + +"When he had killed my sons he took hold of me and stripped the skin and +flesh from the small of my back down, and when he had done that he took +the skin of a black sheep that had been hanging on the wall for seven +years and clapped it on my body in place of my own flesh and skin; and +the sheepskin grew on me, and every year since then I shear myself, and +every bit of wool I use for the stockings that I wear I clip off my own +back." + +When he had said this, the Gruagach showed the cowboy his back covered +with thick black wool. + +After what he had seen and heard, the cowboy said: "I know now why you +don't laugh, and small blame to you. But does that hare come here still +to spoil your table?" + +"He does indeed," said the Gruagach. + +Both went to the table to play, and they were not long playing cards +when the hare ran in; and before they could stop him he was on the +table, and had put it in such a state that they could not play on it +longer if they had wanted to. + +But the cowboy made after the hare, and the Gruagach after the cowboy, +and they ran as fast as ever their legs could carry them till +nightfall; and when the hare was entering the castle where the twelve +sons of the Gruagach were killed, the cowboy caught him by the two hind +legs and dashed out his brains against the wall; and the skull of the +hare was knocked into the chief room of the castle, and fell at the feet +of the master of the place. + +"Who has dared to interfere with my fighting pet?" screamed he. + +"I," said the cowboy; "and if your pet had had manners, he might be +alive now." + +The cowboy and the Gruagach stood by the fire. A stork was boiling in +the pot, as when the Gruagach came the first time. The master of the +house went into the next room and brought out an iron and a wooden pike, +and asked the cowboy which would he choose. + +"I'll take the wooden one," said the cowboy; "and you may keep the iron +one for yourself." + +So he took the wooden one; and going to the pot, brought out on the pike +all the stork except a small bite, and he and the Gruagach fell to +eating, and they were eating the flesh of the stork all night. The +cowboy and the Gruagach were at home in the place that time. + +In the morning the master of the house went into the next room, took +down the twelve iron loops with a wooden one, brought them out, and +asked the cowboy which would he take, the twelve iron or the one wooden +loop. + +"What could I do with the twelve iron ones for myself or my master? I'll +take the wooden one." + +He put it on, and taking the twelve iron loops, put them on the necks of +the twelve daughters of the house, then snapped the twelve heads off +them, and turning to their father, said: "I'll do the same thing to you +unless you bring the twelve sons of my master to life, and make them as +well and strong as when you took their heads." + +The master of the house went out and brought the twelve to life again; +and when the Gruagach saw all his sons alive and as well as ever, he let +a laugh out of himself, and all the Eastern world heard the laugh. + +Then the cowboy said to the Gruagach: "It's a bad thing you have done to +me, for the daughter of the king of Erin will be married the day after +your laugh is heard." + +"Oh! then we must be there in time," said the Gruagach; and they all +made away from the place as fast as ever they could, the cowboy, the +Gruagach, and his twelve sons. + +On the road they came to a woman who was crying very hard. + +"What is your trouble?" asked the cowboy. + +"You need have no care," said she, "for I will not tell you." + +"You must tell me," said he, "for I'll help you out of it." + +"Well," said the woman, "I have three sons, and they used to play hurley +with the three sons of the king of the Sasenach,[6] and they were more +than a match for the king's sons. And it was the rule that the winning +side should give three wallops of their hurleys to the other side; and +my sons were winning every game, and gave such a beating to the king's +sons that they complained to their father, and the king carried away my +sons to London, and he is going to hang them there to-day." + +[6] Sasenach, English. + +"I'll bring them here this minute," said the cowboy. "You have no +time," said the Gruagach. + +"Have you tobacco and a pipe?" asked the cowboy of the Gruagach. + +"I have not," said he. + +"Well, I have," said the cowboy; and putting his hand in his pocket, he +took out tobacco and a pipe, gave them to the Gruagach, and said: "I'll +be in London and back before you can put tobacco in this pipe and light +it." + +He disappeared, was back from London with the three boys all safe and +well, and gave them to their mother before the Gruagach could get a +taste of smoke out of the pipe. + +"Now come with us," said the cowboy to the woman and her sons, "to the +wedding of the daughter of the king of Erin." + +They hurried on; and when within three miles of the king's castle there +was such a throng of people that no one could go a step ahead. "We must +clear a road through this," said the cowboy. + +"We must indeed," said the Gruagach; and at it they went, threw the +people some on one side and some on the other, and soon they had an +opening for themselves to the king's castle. + +As they went in, the daughter of the king of Erin and the son of the +king of Tisean were on their knees just going to be married. The cowboy +drew his hand on the bridegroom, and gave a blow that sent him spinning +till he stopped under a table at the other side of the room. + +"What scoundrel struck that blow?" asked the king of Erin. + +"It was I," said the cowboy. + +"What reason had you to strike the man who won my daughter?" + +"It was I who won your daughter, not he; and if you don't believe me, +the Gruagach Gaire is here himself. He'll tell you the whole story from +beginning to end, and show you the tongues of the giants." + +So the Gruagach came up and told the king the whole story, how the Shee +an Gannon had become his cowboy, had guarded the five golden cows and +the bull without horns, cut off the heads of the five-headed giants, +killed the wizard hare, and brought his own twelve sons to life. "And +then," said the Gruagach, "he is the only man in the whole world I have +ever told why I stopped laughing, and the only one who has ever seen my +fleece of wool." + +When the king of Erin heard what the Gruagach said, and saw the tongues +of the giants fitted into the heads, he made the Shee an Gannon kneel +down by his daughter, and they were married on the spot. + +Then the son of the king of Tisean was thrown into prison, and the next +day they put down a great fire, and the deceiver was burned to ashes. + +The wedding lasted nine days, and the last day was better than the +first. + + + + +THE THREE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING OF THE EAST, AND THE SON +OF A KING IN ERIN. + + +There was once a king in Erin, and he had an only son. While this son +was a little child his mother died. + +After a time the king married and had a second son. + +The two boys grew up together; and as the elder was far handsomer and +better than the younger, the queen became jealous, and was for banishing +him out of her sight. + +The king's castle stood near the shore of Loch Erne, and three swans +came every day to be in the water and swim in the lake. The elder +brother used to go fishing; and once when he sat at the side of the +water, the three swans made young women of themselves, came to where he +sat, and talked to the king's son. + +The queen had a boy minding cows in the place, and when he went home +that night he told about what he had seen,--that there were three young +women at the lake, and the king's son was talking to the three that day. +Next morning the queen called the cowboy to her, and said: "Here is a +pin of slumber; and do you stick it in the clothes of the king's son +before the young women come, and when they go away, take out the pin and +bring it back to me." + +That day when the cowboy saw the three young women coming, he went near +and threw the pin, which stuck in the clothes of the king's son. That +instant he fell asleep on the ground. + +When the young women came, one of them took a towel, dipped it in the +cold water of the lake, and rubbed his face; but she could not rouse +him. When their time came to go, they were crying and lamenting because +the young man was asleep; and one of the three put a gold pin in his +bosom, so that when he woke up he would find it and keep her in mind. + +After they had gone a couple of hours, the cowboy came up, took out the +sleeping-pin, and hurried off. The king's son woke up without delay; and +finding the gold pin in his bosom, he knew the young woman had come to +see him. + +Next day he fished and waited again. When the cowboy saw the young women +coming out of the lake, he stole up a second time, and threw the pin, +which stuck in his clothes, and that moment he was drowsy and fell +asleep. When the young women came he was lying on the ground asleep. One +of them rubbed him with a towel dipped in the water of the lake; but no +matter what she did, he slept on, and when they had to go, she put a +gold ring in his bosom. When the sisters were leaving the lake, and had +put on their swan-skins and become swans, they all flew around him and +flapped their wings in his face to know could they rouse him; but there +was no use in trying. + +After they had gone, the cowboy came and took out the sleeping-pin. When +the king's son was awake he put his hand in his bosom, found the +keepsake, and knew that the sisters had come to him. + +When he went fishing the third day, he called up the cowboy and said: +"I fall asleep every day. I know something is done to me. Now do you +tell me all. In time I'll reward you well. I know my stepmother sends +something by you that takes my senses away." + +"I would tell," said the cowboy, "but I'm in dread my mistress might +kill or banish me." + +"She will not, for I'll put you in the way she'll not harm you. You see +my fishing-bag here? Now throw the pin, which I know you have, towards +me, and hit the bag." + +The cowboy did as he was told, and threw the pin into the fishing-bag, +where it remained without harm to any one. The cowboy went back to his +cattle, and the prince fished on as before. The three swans were out in +the middle of the lake swimming around for themselves in the water, and +the prince moved on, fishing, till he came to a bend in the shore. On +one side of him a tongue of land ran out into the lake. The swans came +to the shore, leaving the piece of land between themselves and the +prince. Then they took off their swan-skins, were young women, and +bathed in the lake. + +After that they came out, put on the dress of young women, and went to +where the king's son was fishing. + +He spoke to them, and asked where were they from, in what place were +they born, and why were they swans. + +They said: "We are three sisters, daughters of the king of the East, and +we have two brothers. Our mother died, and our father married again, and +had two other daughters; and these two are not so good looking nor so +well favored as we, and their mother was in dread they wouldn't get such +fine husbands as we, so she enchanted us, and now we are going about +the world from lake to lake in the form of swans." + +Then the eldest of the three sisters said to the king's son: "What kind +are you, and where were you born?" + +"I was born in Erin," said he; "and when I was a little boy my mother +died, my father married again and had a second son, and that son wasn't +to the eye what I was, and my stepmother was for banishing me from my +father's house because she thought her own son was not so good as I was, +and I am fishing here every day by the lake to keep out of her sight." + +"Well," said the eldest sister, "I thought you were a king's son, and so +I came to you in my own form to know could we go on in the world +together." + +"I don't know yet what to do," said the king's son. + +"Well, be sure of your mind to-morrow, for that will be the last day for +me here." + +When the cowboy was going home, the king's son gave him the sleeping-pin +for the stepmother. When he had driven in the cattle, the cowboy told +the queen that the young man had fallen asleep as on the two other days. + +But there was an old witch in the place who was wandering about the lake +that day. She saw everything, went to the queen, and told her how the +three swans had made young women of themselves, and talked with her +stepson. + +When the queen heard the old witch, she fell into a terrible rage at the +cowboy for telling her a lie, and banished him out of her sight forever. +Then she got another cowboy, and sent him off with the sleeping-pin next +day. When he came near the lake, the king's son tried to drive him off; +but the cowboy threw the sleeping-pin into his clothes, and he fell down +near the edge of the water without sight or sense. + +The three sisters came, and found him sleeping. They rubbed him, and +threw water on his face, but they could not wake him. And the three were +lamenting sorely, for they had brought a swan's skin with them that day, +so the king's son might make a swan of himself and fly away with them, +for this was their last day at that place; but they could do nothing +now, for he lay there dead asleep on the ground before them. + +The eldest sister pulled out her handkerchief, and the falling tears +dropped on it. Then she took a knife, and cut one of the nipples from +her breast. The second sister wrote on the handkerchief: "Keep this in +mind till you get more account from us." They put it in his bosom and +went away. + +As soon as the sisters had gone, the cowboy came, drew out the pin, and +hurried away. The stepmother was always trying to banish the king's son, +hoping that something might happen to him, and her own son be the heir. +So now he went off and wandered away through Erin, always inquiring for +the eldest sister, but never could find her. + +At the end of seven years he came home, and was fishing at the side of +Loch Erne again, when a swan flew up to him and said: "Your love is +lying on her death-bed, unless you go to save her. She is bleeding from +the breast, and you must go to her now. Go straight to the East!" + +The king's son went straight to the East, and on the way there rose up +storm and fog against him; but they did not stop him. He was going on +always, and when he was three weeks' journey from his father's castle he +stumbled one dark, misty day and fell over a ditch. When he rose up +there stood on the other side of the ditch before him a little horse, +all bridled and saddled, with a whip on the saddle. The horse spoke up +and said: "If you are the king's son, I was sent here to meet you, and +carry you to the castle of the king of the East. There is a young woman +at the castle who thinks it long till she sees you. Now ask me no +questions, for I'm not at liberty to talk to you till I bring you to the +East." + +"I suppose we are to be a long time going?" said the king's son. + +"Don't trouble yourself about the going; I'll take you safely. Sit on my +back now, and be sure you're a good rider, and you'll not be long on the +road. This is my last word." + +They went on, and were going always; and as he travelled, the prince met +the wind that was before him, and the wind that blew behind could not +come up with him. When he was hungry the pommel of the saddle opened, +and he found the best of eating inside. + +They went on sweeping over the world for two weeks, and when they were +near the East the horse said: "Get down from my back now, for it's tired +I am." + +"How far are we from the castle?" asked the king's son. + +"Five days' journey," answered the horse. "When you come to the castle, +don't stop a moment till you ask where the young woman is lying; and +tell them to be sure to give good stabling and food to the horse. Come +and see me yourself every day. If you don't, there will be nothing for +me but fasting; and that's what I don't like." + +When the king's son came to the castle it was evening. The two younger +sisters welcomed him. (These were two of the swans at the lake in Erin, +and now at home by the enchantment of their stepmother. They were swans +in the daytime, and women only at night, so as not to be under the eye +of young men when these came to see the stepmother's own daughters.) +They said: "Our sister is on an island, and we'll go to her." They got a +boat for the young man, and went with him to where their sister was +lying. They said to her: "The son of the king of Erin is here." + +"Let him come in, that I may look at him," said she. + +The king's son went in, and when she saw him she was glad. "Have you +anything that belongs to me?" asked she. + +"I have." + +"Then throw it on my breast." + +He threw the handkerchief on her breast and went away. Next day she rose +from the bed as well as ever. On the third day after his arrival, the +son of the king of Erin married the eldest daughter of the king of the +East, and the stepmother's enchantment was destroyed; and there was the +grandest wedding that ever was seen in that kingdom. + +The king's son, thinking only of his bride, forgot all about the horse +that had brought him over the long road. When at last he went to see +him, the stable was empty; the horse had gone. And neither his father in +Erin nor the stepmother came to his mind, he was living so pleasantly in +the East. But after he had been there a long time, and a son and a +daughter had been born to him, he remembered his father. Then he made up +his mind not to let the stepmother's son be heir to the kingdom in place +of himself. So taking his wife and children, he left the East and +travelled to Erin. He stopped on the road, and sent word to the father +that he was coming. + +When the stepmother heard the news, a great weakness came on her. She +fell into a fit and died. + +The king's son waited in a convenient place till the funeral was over, +and then he came to the castle and lived with his father. He was not +long in the place when he sent messengers to know could they find the +cowboy that the stepmother banished for telling about the sleeping-pin. +They brought the cowboy to the castle, and the king made him his +coachman. + +The cowboy was not twelve months in his new place before he married. +Then the king's son gave him a fine piece of land to live on, with six +cows and four horses. There was not a happier man in the kingdom than +the cowboy. When the father died, the king's son became king in Erin +himself. + + + + +THE FISHERMAN'S SON AND THE GRUAGACH OF TRICKS. + + +There was an old fisherman once in Erin who had a wife and one son. + +The old fisherman used to go about with a fishing-rod and tackle to the +rivers and lochs and every place where fish resort, and he was killing +salmon and other fish to keep the life in himself and his wife and son. + +The son was not so keen nor so wise as another, and the father was +instructing him every day in fishing, so that if himself should be taken +from the world, the son would be able to support the old mother and get +his own living. + +One day when the father and son were fishing in a river near the sea, +they looked out over the water and saw a small dark speck on the waves. +It grew larger and larger, till they saw a boat, and when the boat drew +near they saw a man sitting in the stern of it. + +There was a nice beach near the place where they were fishing. The man +brought the boat straight to the beach, and stepping out drew it up on +the sand. + +They saw then that the stranger was a man of high degree (_duine +uasal_). + +After he had put the boat high on the sand, he came to where the two +were at work, and said: "Old fisherman, you'd better let this son of +yours with me for a year and a day, and I will make a very wise man of +him. I am the Gruagach na g-cleasan[7] (Gruagach of tricks), and I'll +bind myself to be here with your son this day year." + +[7] Pronounced nAi glAissan. + +"I can't let him go," said the old fisherman, "till he gets his mother's +advice." + +"Whatever goes as far as women I'll have nothing to do with," said the +Gruagach. "You had better give him to me now, and let the mother alone." + +They talked till at last the fisherman promised to let his son go for +the year and a day. Then the Gruagach gave his word to have the boy +there at the seashore that day year. + +The Gruagach and the boy went into the boat and sailed away. + +When the year and a day were over, the old fisherman went to the same +place where he had parted with his son and the Gruagach, and stood +looking over the sea, thinking would he see his son that day. + +At last he saw a black spot on the water, then a boat. When it was near +he saw two men sitting in the stern of the boat. When it touched land, +the two, who were _duine uasal_ in appearance, jumped out, and one of +them pulled the boat to the top of the strand. Then that one, followed +by the other, came to where the old fisherman was waiting, and asked: +"What trouble is on you now, my good man?" + +"I had a son that wasn't so keen nor so wise as another, and myself and +this son were here fishing, and a stranger came, like yourself to-day, +and asked would I let my son with him for a year and a day. I let the +son go, and the man promised to be here with him to-day, and that's why +I am waiting at this place now." "Well," said the Gruagach, "am I your +son?" + +"You are not," said the fisherman. + +"Is this man here your son?" + +"I don't know him," said the fisherman. + +"Well, then, he is all you will have in place of your son," said the +Gruagach. + +The old man looked again, and knew his son. He caught hold of him and +welcomed him home. + +"Now," said the Gruagach, "isn't he a better man than he was a year +ago?" + +"Oh, he's nearly a smart man now!" said the old fisherman. + +"Well," said the Gruagach, "will you let him with me for another year +and a day?" + +"I will not," said the old man; "I want him myself." + +The Gruagach then begged and craved till the fisherman promised to let +the son with him for a year and a day again. But the old man forgot to +take his word of the Gruagach to bring back the son at the end of the +time; and when the Gruagach and the boy were in the boat, and had pushed +out to sea, the Gruagach shouted to the old man: "I kept my promise to +bring back your son to-day. I haven't given you my word at all now. I'll +not bring him back, and you'll never see him again." + +The fisherman went home with a heavy and sorrowful heart, and the old +woman scolded him all that night till next morning for letting her son +go with the Gruagach a second time. + +Then himself and the old woman were lamenting a quarter of a year; and +when another quarter had passed, he said to her: "I'll leave you here +now, and I'll be walking on myself till I wear my legs off up to my +knees, and from my knees to my waist, till I find where is my son." So +away went the old man walking, and he used to spend but one night in a +house, and not two nights in any house, till his feet were all in +blisters. One evening late he came to a hut where there was an old woman +sitting at a fire. + +"Poor man!" said she, when she laid eyes on him, "it's a great distress +you are in, to be so disfigured with wounds and sores. What is the +trouble that's on you?" + +"I had a son," said the old man, "and the Gruagach na g-cleasan came on +a day and took him from me." + +"Oh, poor man!" said she. "I have a son with that same Gruagach these +twelve years, and I have never been able to get him back or get sight of +him, and I'm in dread you'll not be able to get your son either. But +to-morrow, in the morning, I'll tell you all I know, and show you the +road you must go to find the house of the Gruagach na g-cleasan." + +Next morning she showed the old fisherman the road. He was to come to +the place by evening. + +When he came and entered the house, the Gruagach shook hands with him, +and said: "You are welcome, old fisherman. It was I that put this +journey on you, and made you come here looking for your son." + +"It was no one else but you," said the fisherman. + +"Well," said the Gruagach, "you won't see your son to-day. At noon +to-morrow I'll put a whistle in my mouth and call together all the birds +in my place, and they'll come. Among others will be twelve doves. I'll +put my hand in my pocket, this way, and take out wheat and throw it +before them on the ground. The doves will eat the wheat, and you must +pick your son out of the twelve. If you find him, you'll have him; if +you don't, you'll never get him again." + +After the Gruagach had said these words the old man ate his supper and +went to bed. + +In the dead of night the old fisherman's son came. "Oh, father!" said +he, "it would be hard for you to pick me out among the twelve doves, if +you had to do it alone; but I'll tell you. When the Gruagach calls us +in, and we go to pick up the wheat, I'll make a ring around the others, +walking for myself; and as I go I'll give some of them a tip of my bill, +and I'll lift my wings when I'm striking them. There was a spot under +one of my arms when I left home, and you'll see that spot under my wing +when I raise it to-morrow. Don't miss the bird that I'll be, and don't +let your eyes off it; if you do, you'll lose me forever." + +Next morning the old man rose, had his breakfast, and kept thinking of +what his son had told him. + +At midday the Gruagach took his whistle and blew. Birds came to him from +every part, and among others the twelve doves. + +He took wheat from his pocket, threw it to the doves, and said to the +father: "Now pick out your son from the twelve." + +The old man was watching, and soon he saw one of the doves walking +around the other eleven and hitting some of them a clip of its bill, and +then it raised its wings, and the old man saw the spot. The bird let its +wings down again, and went to eating with the rest. + +The father never let his eyes off the bird. After a while he said to the +Gruagach: "I'll have that bird there for my son." "Well," said the +Gruagach, "that is your son. I can't blame you for having him; but I +blame your instructor for the information he gave you, and I give him my +curse." + +So the old fisherman got his son back in his proper shape, and away they +went, father and son, from the house of the Gruagach. The old man felt +stronger now, and they never stopped travelling a day till they came +home. + +The old mother was very glad to see her son, and see him such a wise, +smart man. + +After coming home they had no means but the fishing; they were as poor +as ever before. + +At this time it was given out at every crossroad in Erin, and in all +public places in the kingdom, that there were to be great horse-races. +Now, when the day came, the old fisherman's son said: + +"Come away with me, father, to the races." + +The old man went with him, and when they were near the race-course, the +son said: + +"Stop here till I tell you this: I'll make myself into the best horse +that's here to-day, and do you take me to the place where the races are +to be, and when you take me in, I'll open my mouth, trying to kill and +eat every man that'll be near me, I'll have such life and swiftness; and +do you find a rider for me that'll ride me, and don't let me go till the +other horses are far ahead on the course. Then let me go. I'll come up +to them, and I'll run ahead of them and win the race. After that every +rich man there will want to buy me of you; but don't you sell me to any +man for less than five hundred pounds; and be sure you get that price +for me. And when you have the gold, and you are giving me up, take the +bit out of my mouth, and don't sell the bridle for any money. Then come +to this spot, shake the bridle, and I'll be here in my own form before +you." + +The son made himself a horse, and the old fisherman took him to the +race. He reared and snorted, trying to take the head off every man that +came near him. + +The old man shouted for a rider. A rider came; he mounted the horse and +held him in. The old man didn't let him start till the other horses were +well ahead on the course; then he let him go. + +The new horse caught up with the others and shot past them. So they had +not gone half way when he was in at the winning-post. + +When the race was ended, there was a great noise over the strange horse. +Men crowded around the old fisherman from every corner of the field, +asking what would he take for the horse. + +"Five hundred pounds," said he. + +"Here 'tis for you," said the next man to him. + +In a moment the horse was sold, and the money in the old man's pocket. +Then he pulled the bridle off the horse's head, and made his way out of +the place as fast as ever he could. + +It was not long till he was at the spot where the son had told him what +to do. The minute he came, he shook the bridle, and the son was there +before him in his own shape and features. + +Oh, but the old fisherman was glad when he had his son with him again, +and the money in his pocket! + +The two went home together. They had money enough now to live, and quit +the fishing. They had plenty to eat and drink, and they spent their +lives in ease and comfort till the next year, when it was given out at +all the cross-roads in Erin, and every public place in the kingdom, +that there was to be a great hunting with hounds, in the same place +where the races had been the year before. + +When the day came, the fisherman's son said: "Come, father, let us go +away to this hunting." + +"Ah!" said the old man, "what do we want to go for? Haven't we plenty to +eat at home, with money enough and to spare? What do we care for hunting +with hounds?" + +"Oh! they'll give us more money," said the son, "if we go." + +The fisherman listened to his son, and away they went. When the two came +to the spot where the son had made a horse of himself the year before, +he stopped, and said to the father: "I'll make a hound of myself to-day, +and when you bring me in sight of the game, you'll see me wild with +jumping and trying to get away; but do you hold me fast till the right +time comes, then let go. I'll sweep ahead of every hound in the field, +catch the game, and win the prize for you. + +"When the hunt is over, so many men will come to buy me that they'll put +you in a maze; but be sure you get three hundred pounds for me, and when +you have the money, and are giving me up, don't forget to keep my rope. +Come to this place, shake the rope, and I'll be here before you, as I am +now. If you don't keep the rope, you'll go home without me." + +The son made a hound of himself, and the old father took him to the +hunting-ground. + +When the hunt began, the hound was springing and jumping like mad; but +the father held him till the others were far out in the field. Then he +let him loose, and away went the son. + +Soon he was up with the pack, then in front of the pack, and never +stopped till he caught the game and won the prize. + +When the hunt was over, and the dogs and game brought in, all the people +crowded around the old fisherman, saying: "What do you want of that +hound? Better sell him; he's no good to you." + +They put the old man in a maze, there were so many of them, and they +pressed him so hard. + +He said at last: "I'll sell the hound; and three hundred pounds is the +price I want for him." + +"Here 'tis for you," said a stranger, putting the money into his hand. + +The old man took the money and gave up the dog, without taking off the +rope. He forgot his son's warning. + +That minute the Gruagach na g-cleasan called out: "I'll take the worth +of my money out of your son now;" and away he went with the hound. + +The old man walked home alone that night, and it is a heavy heart he had +in him when he came to the old woman without the son. And the two were +lamenting their lot till morning. + +Still and all, they were better off than the first time they lost their +son, as they had plenty of everything, and could live at their ease. + +The Gruagach went away home, and put the fisherman's son in a cave of +concealment that he had, bound him hand and foot, and tied hard knots on +his neck up to the chin. From above there fell on him drops of poison, +and every drop that fell went from the skin to the flesh, from the flesh +to the bone, from the bone to the marrow, and he sat there under the +poison drops, without meat, drink, or rest. + +In the Gruagach's house was a servant-maid, and the fisherman's son had +been kind to her the time he was in the place before. + +On a day when the Gruagach and his eleven sons were out hunting, the +maid was going with a tub of dirty water to throw it into the river that +ran by the side of the house. She went through the cave of concealment +where the fisherman's son was bound, and he asked of her the wetting of +his mouth from the tub. + +"Oh! the Gruagach would take the life of me," said she, "when he comes +home, if I gave you as much as one drop." + +"Well," said he, "when I was in this house before, and when I had power +in my hands, it's good and kind I was to you; and when I get out of this +confinement I'll do you a turn, if you give me the wetting of my mouth +now." + +The maid put the tub near his lips. + +"Oh! I can't stoop to drink unless you untie one knot from my throat," +said he. + +Then she put the tub down, stooped to him, and loosed one knot from his +throat. When she loosed the one knot he made an eel of himself, and +dropped into the tub. There he began shaking the water, till he put some +of it on the ground, and when he had the place about him wet, he sprang +from the tub, and slipped along out under the door. The maid caught him; +but could not hold him, he was so slippery. He made his way from the +door to the river, which ran near the side of the house. + +When the Gruagach na g-cleasan came home in the evening with his eleven +sons, they went to take a look at the fisherman's son; but he was not to +be seen. Then the Gruagach called the maid, and taking his sword, said: +"I'll take the head off you if you don't tell me this minute what +happened while I was gone." + +"Oh!" said the maid, "he begged so hard for a drop of dirty water to wet +his mouth that I hadn't the heart to refuse, for 'tis good he was to me +and kind each time he saw me when he was here in the house before. When +the water touched his mouth, he made an eel of himself, spilled water +out of the tub, and slipped along over the wet place to the river +outside. I caught him to bring him back, but I couldn't hold him; in +spite of all I could do, he made away." + +The Gruagach dropped his sword, and went to the water side with his +sons. + +The sons made eleven eels of themselves, and the Gruagach their father +was the twelfth. They went around in the water, searching in every +place, and there was not a stone in the river that they passed without +looking under and around it for the old fisherman's son. + +And when he knew that they were after him, he made himself into a +salmon; and when they knew he was a salmon, the sons made eleven otters +of themselves, and the Gruagach made himself the twelfth. + +When the fisherman's son found that twelve otters were after him, he was +weak with hunger, and when they had come near, he made himself a whale. +But the eleven brothers and their father made twelve cannon whales of +themselves, for they had all gone out of the river, and were in the sea +now. + +When they were coming near him, the fisherman's son was weak from +pursuit and hunger, so he jumped up out of the water, and made a +swallow of himself; but the Gruagach and his sons became twelve hawks, +and chased the swallow through the air; and as they whirled round and +darted, they pressed him hard, till all of them came near the castle of +the king of Erin. + +Now the king had made a summer-house for his daughter; and where should +she be at this time but sitting on the top of the summer-house. + +The old fisherman's son dropped down till he was near her; then he fell +into her lap in the form of a ring. The daughter of the king of Erin +took up the ring, looked at it, and put it on her finger. The ring took +her fancy, and she was glad. + +When the Gruagach and his sons saw this, they let themselves down at the +king's castle, having the form of the finest men that could be seen in +the kingdom. + +When the king's daughter had the ring on her finger she looked at it and +liked it. Then the ring spoke, and said: "My life is in your hands now; +don't part from the ring, and don't let it go to any man, and you'll +give me a long life." + +The Gruagach na g-cleasan and his eleven sons went into the king's +castle and played on every instrument known to man, and they showed +every sport that could be shown before a king. This they did for three +days and three nights. When that time was over, and they were going +away, the king spoke up and asked: + +"What is the reward that you would like, and what would be pleasing to +you from me?" + +"We want neither gold nor silver," said the Gruagach; "all the reward we +ask of you is the ring that I lost on a time, and which is now on your +daughter's finger." "If my daughter has the ring that you lost, it +shall be given to you," said the king. + +Now the ring spoke to the king's daughter and said: "Don't part with me +for anything till you send your trusted man for three gallons of strong +spirits and a gallon of wheat; put the spirits and the wheat together in +an open barrel before the fire. When your father says you must give up +the ring, do you answer back that you have never left the summer-house, +that you have nothing on your hand but what is your own and paid for. +Your father will say then that you must part with me, and give me up to +the stranger. When he forces you in this way, and you can keep me no +longer, then throw me into the fire; and you'll see great sport and +strange things." + +The king's daughter sent for the spirits and the wheat, had them mixed +together, and put in an open barrel before the fire. + +The king called the daughter in, and asked: "Have you the ring which +this stranger lost?" + +"I have a ring," said she, "but it's my own, and I'll not part with it. +I'll not give it to him nor to any man." + +"You must," said the king, "for my word is pledged, and you must part +with the ring!" + +When she heard this, she slipped the ring from her finger and threw it +into the fire. + +That moment the eleven brothers made eleven pairs of tongs of +themselves; their father, the old Gruagach, was the twelfth pair. + +The twelve jumped into the fire to know in what spark of it would they +find the old fisherman's son; and they were a long time working and +searching through the fire, when out flew a spark, and into the barrel. +The twelve made themselves men, turned over the barrel, and spilled the +wheat on the floor. Then in a twinkling they were twelve cocks strutting +around. + +They fell to and picked away at the wheat to know which one would find +the fisherman's son. Soon one dropped on one side, and a second on the +opposite side, until all twelve were lying drunk from the wheat. + +Then the old fisherman's son made a fox of himself, and the first cock +he came to was the old Gruagach na g-cleasan himself. He took the head +off the Gruagach with one bite, and the heads off the eleven brothers +with eleven other bites. + +When the twelve were dead, the old fisherman's son made himself the +finest-looking man in Erin, and began to give music and sport to the +king; and he entertained him five times better than had the Gruagach and +his eleven sons. + +Then the king's daughter fell in love with him, and she set her mind on +him to that degree that there was no life for her without him. + +When the king saw the straits that his daughter was in, he ordered the +marriage without delay. + +The wedding lasted for nine days and nine nights, and the ninth night +was the best of all. + +When the wedding was over, the king felt he was losing his strength, so +he took the crown off his own head, and put it on the head of the old +fisherman's son, and made him king of Erin in place of himself. + +The young couple were the luck, and we the stepping-stones. The presents +we got at the marriage were stockings of buttermilk and shoes of paper, +and these were worn to the soles of our feet when we got home from the +wedding. + + + + +THE THIRTEENTH SON OF THE KING OF ERIN. + + +There was a king in Erin long ago who had thirteen sons, and as they +grew up he taught them good learning and every exercise and art +befitting their rank. + +One day the king went hunting, and saw a swan swimming in a lake with +thirteen little ones. She kept driving away the thirteenth, and would +not let it come near the others. + +The king wondered greatly at this, and when he came home he summoned his +Sean dall Glic (old blind sage), and said: "I saw a great wonder to-day +while out hunting,--a swan with thirteen cygnets, and she driving away +the thirteenth continually, and keeping the twelve with her. Tell me the +cause and reason of this. Why should a mother hate her thirteenth little +one, and guard the other twelve?" + +"I will tell you," said the old blind sage: "all creatures on earth, +whether beast or human, which have thirteen young, should put the +thirteenth away, and let it wander for itself through the world and find +its fate, so that the will of Heaven may work upon it, and not come down +on the others. Now you have thirteen sons, and you must give the +thirteenth to the Diachbha."[8] + +[8] Diachbha, "divinity," "fate." + +"Then that is the meaning of the swan on the lake,--I must give up my +thirteenth son to the Diachbha?" + +"It is," said the old blind sage; "you must give up one of your thirteen +sons." + +"But how can I give one of them away when I am so fond of all; and which +one shall it be?" + +"I'll tell you what to do. When the thirteen come home to-night, shut +the door against the last that comes." + +Now one of the sons was slow, not so keen nor so sharp as another; but +the eldest, who was called Sean Ruadh, was the best, the hero of them +all. And it happened that night that he came home last, and when he came +his father shut the door against him. The boy raised his hands and said: +"Father, what are you going to do with me; what do you wish?" + +"It is my duty," said the father, "to give one of my sons to the +Diachbha; and as you are the thirteenth, you must go." + +"Well, give me my outfit for the road." + +The outfit was brought, Sean Ruadh put it on; then the father gave him a +black-haired steed that could overtake the wind before him, and outstrip +the wind behind. + +Sean Ruadh mounted the steed and hurried away. He went on each day +without rest, and slept in the woods at night. + +One morning he put on some old clothes which he had in a pack on the +saddle, and leaving his horse in the woods, went aside to an opening. He +was not long there when a king rode up and stopped before him. + +"Who are you, and where are you going?" asked the king. "Oh!" said Sean +Ruadh, "I am astray. I do not know where to go, nor what I am to do." + +"If that is how you are, I'll tell you what to do,--come with me." + +"Why should I go with you?" asked Sean Ruadh. + +"Well, I have a great many cows, and I have no one to go with them, no +one to mind them. I am in great trouble also. My daughter will die a +terrible death very soon." + +"How will she die?" asked Sean Ruadh. + +"There is an urfeist,[9] a great serpent of the sea, a monster which +must get a king's daughter to devour every seven years. Once in seven +years this thing comes up out of the sea for its meat. The turn has now +come to my daughter, and we don't know what day will the urfeist appear. +The whole castle and all of us are in mourning for my wretched child." + +[9] Urfeist, "great serpent." + +"Perhaps some one will come to save her," said Sean Ruadh. + +"Oh! there is a whole army of kings' sons who have come, and they all +promise to save her; but I'm in dread none of them will meet the +urfeist." + +Sean Ruadh agreed with the king to serve for seven years, and went home +with him. + +Next morning Sean Ruadh drove out the king's cows to pasture. + +Now there were three giants not far from the king's place. They lived in +three castles in sight of each other, and every night each of these +giants shouted just before going to bed. So loud was the shout that each +let out of himself that the people heard it in all the country around. + +Sean Ruadh drove the cattle up to the giant's land, pushed down the +wall, and let them in. The grass was very high,--three times better than +any on the king's pastures. + +As Sean Ruadh sat watching the cattle, a giant came running towards him +and called out: "I don't know whether to put a pinch of you in my nose, +or a bite of you in my mouth!" + +"Bad luck to me," said Sean Ruadh, "if I came here but to take the life +out of you!" + +"How would you like to fight,--on the gray stones, or with sharp +swords?" asked the giant. + +"I'll fight you," said Sean Ruadh, "on the gray stones, where your great +legs will be going down, and mine standing high." + +They faced one another then, and began to fight. At the first encounter +Sean Ruadh put the giant down to his knees among the hard gray stones, +at the second he put him to his waist, and at the third to his +shoulders. + +"Come, take me out of this," cried the giant, "and I'll give you my +castle and all I've got. I'll give you my sword of light that never +fails to kill at a blow. I'll give you my black horse that can overtake +the wind before, and outstrip the wind behind. These are all up there in +my castle." + +Sean Ruadh killed the giant and went up to the castle, where the +housekeeper said to him: "Oh! it is you that are welcome. You have +killed the dirty giant that was here. Come with me now till I show you +all the riches and treasures." + +She opened the door of the giant's store-room and said: "All these are +yours. Here are the keys of the castle." + +"Keep them till I come again, and wake me in the evening," said Sean +Ruadh, lying down on the giant's bed. + +He slept till evening; then the housekeeper roused him, and he drove the +king's cattle home. The cows never gave so much milk as that night. They +gave as much as in a whole week before. + +Sean Ruadh met the king, and asked: "What news from your daughter?" + +"The great serpent did not come to-day," said the king; "but he may come +to-morrow." + +"Well, to-morrow he may not come till another day," said Sean Ruadh. + +Now the king knew nothing of the strength of Sean Ruadh, who was +bare-footed, ragged, and shabby. + +The second morning Sean Ruadh put the king's cows in the second giant's +land. Out came the second giant with the same questions and threats as +the first, and the cowboy spoke as on the day before. + +They fell to fighting; and when the giant was to his shoulders in the +hard gray rocks, he said: "I'll give you my sword of light and my +brown-haired horse if you'll spare my life." + +"Where is your sword of light?" asked Sean Ruadh. + +"It is hung up over my bed." + +Sean Ruadh ran to the giant's castle, and took the sword, which screamed +out when he seized it; but he held it fast, hurried back to the giant, +and asked, "How shall I try the edge of this sword?" + +"Against a stick," was the reply. + +"I see no stick better than your own head," said Sean Ruadh; and with +that he swept the head off the giant. + +The cowboy now went back to the castle and hung up the sword. "Blessing +to you," said the housekeeper; "you have killed the giant! Come, now, +and I'll show you his riches and treasures, which are yours forever." + +Sean Ruadh found more treasure in this castle than in the first one. +When he had seen all, he gave the keys to the housekeeper till he should +need them. He slept as on the day before, then drove the cows home in +the evening. + +The king said: "I have _the_ luck since you came to me. My cows give +three times as much milk to-day as they did yesterday." + +"Well," said Sean Ruadh, "have you any account of the urfeist?" + +"He didn't come to-day," said the king; "but he may come to-morrow." + +Sean Ruadh went out with the king's cows on the third day, and drove +them to the third giant's land, who came out and fought a more desperate +battle than either of the other two; but the cowboy pushed him down +among the gray rocks to his shoulders and killed him. + +At the castle of the third giant he was received with gladness by the +housekeeper, who showed him the treasures and gave him the keys; but he +left the keys with her till he should need them. That evening the king's +cows had more milk than ever before. + +On the fourth day Sean Ruadh went out with the cows, but stopped at the +first giant's castle. The housekeeper at his command brought out the +dress of the giant, which was all black. He put on the giant's apparel, +black as night, and girded on his sword of light. Then he mounted the +black-haired steed, which overtook the wind before, and outstripped the +wind behind; and rushing on between earth and sky, he never stopped +till he came to the beach, where he saw hundreds upon hundreds of kings' +sons, and champions, who were anxious to save the king's daughter, but +were so frightened at the terrible urfeist that they would not go near +her. + +When he had seen the princess and the trembling champions, Sean Ruadh +turned his black steed to the castle. Presently the king saw, riding +between earth and sky, a splendid stranger, who stopped before him. + +"What is that I see on the shore?" asked the stranger. "Is it a fair, or +some great meeting?" + +"Haven't you heard," asked the king, "that a monster is coming to +destroy my daughter to-day?" + +"No, I haven't heard anything," answered the stranger, who turned away +and disappeared. + +Soon the black horseman was before the princess, who was sitting alone +on a rock near the sea. As she looked at the stranger, she thought he +was the finest man on earth, and her heart was cheered. + +"Have you no one to save you?" he asked. + +"No one." + +"Will you let me lay my head on your lap till the urfeist comes? Then +rouse me." + +He put his head on her lap and fell asleep. While he slept, the princess +took three hairs from his head and hid them in her bosom. As soon as she +had hidden the hairs, she saw the urfeist coming on the sea, great as an +island, and throwing up water to the sky as he moved. She roused the +stranger, who sprang up to defend her. + +The urfeist came upon shore, and was advancing on the princess with +mouth open and wide as a bridge, when the stranger stood before him and +said: "This woman is mine, not yours!" + +Then drawing his sword of light, he swept off the monster's head with a +blow; but the head rushed back to its place, and grew on again. + +In a twinkle the urfeist turned and went back to the sea; but as he +went, he said: "I'll be here again to-morrow, and swallow the whole +world before me as I come." + +"Well," answered the stranger, "maybe another will come to meet you." + +Sean Ruadh mounted his black steed, and was gone before the princess +could stop him. Sad was her heart when she saw him rush off between the +earth and sky more swiftly than any wind. + +Sean Ruadh went to the first giant's castle and put away his horse, +clothes, and sword. Then he slept on the giant's bed till evening, when +the housekeeper woke him, and he drove home the cows. Meeting the king, +he asked: "Well, how has your daughter fared to-day?" + +"Oh! the urfeist came out of the sea to carry her away; but a wonderful +black champion came riding between earth and sky and saved her." + +"Who was he?" + +"Oh! there is many a man who says he did it. But my daughter isn't saved +yet, for the urfeist said he'd come to-morrow." + +"Well, never fear; perhaps another champion will come to-morrow." + +Next morning Sean Ruadh drove the king's cows to the land of the second +giant, where he left them feeding, and then went to the castle, where +the housekeeper met him and said: "You are welcome. I'm here before you, +and all is well." "Let the brown horse be brought; let the giant's +apparel and sword be ready for me," said Sean Ruadh. + +The apparel was brought, the beautiful blue dress of the second giant, +and his sword of light. Sean Ruadh put on the apparel, took the sword, +mounted the brown steed, and sped away between earth and air three times +more swiftly than the day before. + +He rode first to the seashore, saw the king's daughter sitting on the +rock alone, and the princes and champions far away, trembling in dread +of the urfeist. Then he rode to the king, enquired about the crowd on +the seashore, and received the same answer as before. "But is there no +man to save her?" asked Sean Ruadh. + +"Oh! there are men enough," said the king, "who promise to save her, and +say they are brave; but there is no man of them who will stand to his +word and face the urfeist when he rises from the sea." + +Sean Ruadh was away before the king knew it, and rode to the princess in +his suit of blue, bearing his sword of light. "Is there no one to save +you?" asked he. + +"No one." + +"Let me lay my head on your lap, and when the urfeist comes, rouse me." + +He put his head on her lap, and while he slept she took out the three +hairs, compared them with his hair, and said to herself: "You are the +man who was here yesterday." + +When the urfeist appeared, coming over the sea, the princess roused the +stranger, who sprang up and hurried to the beach. + +The monster, moving at a greater speed, and raising more water than on +the day before, came with open mouth to land. Again Sean Ruadh stood in +his way, and with one blow of the giant's sword made two halves of the +urfeist. But the two halves rushed together, and were one as before. + +Then the urfeist turned to the sea again, and said as he went: "All the +champions on earth won't save her from me to-morrow!" + +Sean Ruadh sprang to his steed and back to the castle. He went, leaving +the princess in despair at his going. She tore her hair and wept for the +loss of the blue champion,--the one man who had dared to save her. + +Sean Ruadh put on his old clothes, and drove home the cows as usual. The +king said: "A strange champion, all dressed in blue, saved my daughter +to-day; but she is grieving her life away because he is gone." + +"Well, that is a small matter, since her life is safe," said Sean Ruadh. + +There was a feast for the whole world that night at the king's castle, +and gladness was on every face that the king's daughter was safe again. + +Next day Sean Ruadh drove the cows to the third giant's pasture, went to +the castle, and told the housekeeper to bring the giant's sword and +apparel, and have the red steed led to the door. The third giant's dress +had as many colors as there are in the sky, and his boots were of blue +glass. + +Sean Ruadh, dressed and mounted on his red steed, was the most beautiful +man in the world. When ready to start, the housekeeper said to him: "The +beast will be so enraged this time that no arms can stop him; he will +rise from the sea with three great swords coming out of his mouth, and +he could cut to pieces and swallow the whole world if it stood before +him in battle. There is only one way to conquer the urfeist, and I will +show it to you. Take this brown apple, put it in your bosom, and when he +comes rushing from the sea with open mouth, do you throw the apple down +his throat, and the great urfeist will melt away and die on the strand." + +Sean Ruadh went on the red steed between earth and sky, with thrice the +speed of the day before. He saw the maiden sitting on the rock alone, +saw the trembling kings' sons in the distance watching to know what +would happen, and saw the king hoping for some one to save his daughter; +then he went to the princess, and put his head on her lap; when he had +fallen asleep, she took the three hairs from her bosom, and looking at +them, said: "You are the man who saved me yesterday." + +The urfeist was not long in coming. The princess roused Sean Ruadh, who +sprang to his feet and went to the sea. The urfeist came up enormous, +terrible to look at, with a mouth big enough to swallow the world, and +three sharp swords coming out of it. When he saw Sean Ruadh, he sprang +at him with a roar; but Sean Ruadh threw the apple into his mouth, and +the beast fell helpless on the strand, flattened out and melted away to +a dirty jelly on the shore. + +Then Sean Ruadh went towards the princess and said: "That urfeist will +never trouble man or woman again." + +The princess ran and tried to cling to him; but he was on the red steed, +rushing away between earth and sky, before she could stop him. She held, +however, so firmly to one of the blue glass boots that Sean Ruadh had to +leave it in her hands. + +When he drove home the cows that night, the king came out, and Sean +Ruadh asked: "What news from the urfeist?" + +"Oh!" said the king, "I've had the luck since you came to me. A champion +wearing all the colors of the sky, and riding a red steed between earth +and air, destroyed the urfeist to-day. My daughter is safe forever; but +she is ready to kill herself because she hasn't the man that saved her." + +That night there was a feast in the king's castle such as no one had +ever seen before. The halls were filled with princes and champions, and +each one said: "I am the man that saved the princess!" + +The king sent for the old blind sage, and asked, what should he do to +find the man who saved his daughter. The old blind sage said,-- + +"Send out word to all the world that the man whose foot the blue glass +boot will fit is the champion who killed the urfeist, and you'll give +him your daughter in marriage." + +The king sent out word to the world to come to try on the boot. It was +too large for some, too small for others. When all had failed, the old +sage said,-- + +"All have tried the boot but the cowboy." + +"Oh! he is always out with the cows; what use in his trying," said the +king. + +"No matter," answered the old blind sage; "let twenty men go and bring +down the cowboy." + +The king sent up twenty men, who found the cowboy sleeping in the shadow +of a stone wall. They began to make a hay rope to bind him; but he woke +up, and had twenty ropes ready before they had one. Then he jumped at +them, tied the twenty in a bundle, and fastened the bundle to the wall. +They waited and waited at the castle for the twenty men and the cowboy, +till at last the king sent twenty men more, with swords, to know what +was the delay. + +When they came, this twenty began to make a hay rope to tie the cowboy; +but he had twenty ropes made before their one, and no matter how they +fought, the cowboy tied the twenty in a bundle, and the bundle to the +other twenty men. + +When neither party came back, the old blind sage said to the king: "Go +up now, and throw yourself down before the cowboy, for he has tied the +forty men in two bundles, and the bundles to each other." + +The king went and threw himself down before the cowboy, who raised him +up and said: "What is this for?" + +"Come down now and try on the glass boot," said the king. + +"How can I go, when I have work to do here?" + +"Oh! never mind; you'll come back soon enough to do the work." + +The cowboy untied the forty men and went down with the king. When he +stood in front of the castle, he saw the princess sitting in her upper +chamber, and the glass boot on the window-sill before her. + +That moment the boot sprang from the window through the air to him, and +went on his foot of itself. The princess was downstairs in a twinkle, +and in the arms of Sean Ruadh. + +The whole place was crowded with kings' sons and champions, who claimed +that they had saved the princess. + +"What are these men here for?" asked Sean Ruadh. "Oh! they have been +trying to put on the boot," said the king. + +With that Sean Ruadh drew his sword of light, swept the heads off every +man of them, and threw heads and bodies on the dirt-heap behind the +castle. + +Then the king sent ships with messengers to all the kings and queens of +the world,--to the kings of Spain, France, Greece, and Lochlin, and to +Diarmuid, son of the monarch of light,--to come to the wedding of his +daughter and Sean Ruadh. + +Sean Ruadh, after the wedding, went with his wife to live in the kingdom +of the giants, and left his father-in-law on his own land. + + + + +KIL ARTHUR. + + +There was a time long ago, and if we had lived then, we shouldn't be +living now. + +In that time there was a law in the world that if a young man came to +woo a young woman, and her people wouldn't give her to him, the young +woman should get her death by the law. + +There was a king in Erin at that time who had a daughter, and he had a +son too, who was called Kil Arthur, son of the monarch of Erin. + +Now, not far from the castle of the king there was a tinker; and one +morning he said to his mother: "Put down my breakfast for me, mother." + +"Where are you going?" asked the mother. + +"I'm going for a wife." + +"Where?" + +"I am going for the daughter of the king of Erin." + +"Oh! my son, bad luck is upon you. It is death to ask for the king's +daughter, and you a tinker." + +"I don't care for that," said he. + +So the tinker went to the king's castle. They were at dinner when he +came, and the king trembled as he saw him. + +Though they were at table, the tinker went into the room. + +The king asked: "What did you come for at this time?" + +"I came to marry your daughter." + +"That life and strength may leave me if ever you get my daughter in +marriage! I'd give her to death before I would to a tinker." + +Now Kil Arthur, the king's son, came in, caught the tinker and hanged +him, facing the front of the castle. When he was dead, they made seven +parts of his body, and flung them into the sea. + +Then the king had a box made so close and tight that no water could +enter, and inside the box they fixed a coffin; and when they had put a +bed with meat and drink into the coffin, they brought the king's +daughter, laid her on the bed, closed the box, and pushed it into the +open sea. The box went out with the tide and moved on the water for a +long time; where it was one day it was not the next,--carried along by +the waves day and night, till at last it came to another land. + +Now, in the other land was a man who had spent his time in going to sea, +till at length he got very poor, and said: "I'll stay at home now, since +God has let me live this long. I heard my father say once that if a man +would always rise early and walk along the strand, he would get his +fortune from the tide at last." + +One morning early, as this man was going along the strand, he saw the +box, and brought it up to the shore, where he opened it and took out the +coffin. When the lid was off the coffin, he found a woman inside alive. + +"Oh!" said he, "I'd rather have you there than the full of the box of +gold." + +"I think the gold would be better for you," said the woman. + +He took the stranger to his house, and gave her food and drink. Then he +made a great cross on the ground, and clasping hands with the woman, +jumped over the arms of the cross, going in the same direction as the +sun. This was the form of marriage in that land. They lived together +pleasantly. She was a fine woman, worked well for her husband, and +brought him great wealth, so that he became richer than any man; and one +day, when out walking alone, he said to himself: "I am able to give a +grand dinner now to Ri Fohin, Sladaire Mor [king under the wave, the +great robber], who owns men, women, and every kind of beast." + +Then he went home and invited Ri Fohin to dinner. He came with all the +men, women, and beasts he had, and they covered the country for six +miles. + +The beasts were fed outside by themselves, but the people in the house. +When dinner was over, he asked Ri Fohin: "Have you ever seen a house so +fine and rich, or a dinner so good, as mine to-night?" + +"I have not," said Ri Fohin. + +Then the man went to each person present. Each gave the same answer, and +said, "I have never seen such a house nor such a dinner." + +He asked his wife, and she said: "My praise is no praise here; but what +is this to the house and the feasting of my father, the king of Erin?" + +"Why did you say that?" asked the man, and he went a second and a third +time to the guests and to his wife. All had the same answers for him. +Then he gave his wife a flip of the thumb on her ear, in a friendly way, +and said: "Why don't you give good luck to my house; why do you give it +a bad name?" + +Then all the guests said: "It is a shame to strike your wife on the +night of a feast." + +Now the man was angry and went out of his house. It was growing dark, +but he saw a champion coming on a black steed between earth and air; +and the champion, who was no other than Kil Arthur, his brother-in-law, +took him up and bore him away to the castle of the king of Erin. + +When Kil Arthur arrived they were just sitting down to dinner in the +castle, and the man dined with his father-in-law. After dinner the king +of Erin had cards brought and asked his son-in-law: "Do you ever play +with these?" + +"No, I have never played with the like of them." + +"Well, shuffle them now," said the king. He shuffled; and as they were +enchanted cards and whoever held them could never lose a game he was the +best player in the world, though he had never played a game before in +his life. + +The king said, "Put them in your pocket, they may do you good." Then the +king gave him a fiddle, and asked: + +"Have you ever played on the like of this?" + +"Indeed I have not," said the man. + +"Well, play on it now," said the king. + +He played, and never in his life had he heard such music. + +"Keep it," said the king; "as long as you don't let it from you, you're +the first musician on earth. Now I'll give you something else. Here is a +cup which will always give you every kind of drink you can wish for; and +if all the men in the world were to drink out of it they could never +empty it. Keep these three things; but never raise hand on your wife +again." + +The king of Erin gave him his blessing; then Kil Arthur took him up on +the steed, and going between earth and sky he was soon back at his own +home. + +Now Ri Fohin had carried off the man's wife and all that he had while he +was at dinner with the King of Erin. Going out on the road the king's +son-in-law began to cry: "Oh, what shall I do; what shall I do!" and as +he cried, who should come but Kil Arthur on his steed, who said, "Be +quiet, I'll go for your wife and goods." + +Kil Arthur went, and killed Ri Fohin and all his people and +beasts,--didn't leave one alive. Then he brought back his sister to her +husband, and stayed with them for three years. + +One day he said to his sister: "I am going to leave you. I don't know +what strength I have; I'll walk the world now till I know is there a man +in it as good as myself." + +Next morning he bade good-bye to his sister, and rode away on his +black-haired steed, which overtook the wind before and outstripped the +wind behind. He travelled swiftly till evening, spent the night in a +forest, and the second day hurried on as he had the first. + +The second night he spent in a forest; and next morning as he rose from +the ground he saw before him a man covered with blood from fighting, and +the clothes nearly torn from his body. + +"What have you been doing?" asked Kil Arthur. + +"I have been playing cards all night. And where are you going?" inquired +the stranger of Kil Arthur. + +"I am going around the world to know can I find a man as good as +myself." + +"Come with me," said the stranger, "and I'll show you a man who couldn't +find his match till he went to fight the main ocean." + +Kil Arthur went with the ragged stranger till they came to a place from +which they saw a giant out on the ocean beating the waves with a club. + +Kil Arthur went up to the giant's castle, and struck the pole of combat +such a blow that the giant in the ocean heard it above the noise of his +club as he pounded the waves. + +"What do you want?" asked the giant in the ocean, as he stopped from the +pounding. + +"I want you to come in here to land," said Kil Arthur, "and fight with a +better man than yourself." + +The giant came to land, and standing near his castle said to Kil Arthur: +"Which would you rather fight with,--gray stones or sharp weapons?" + +"Gray stones," said Kil Arthur. + +They went at each other, and fought the most terrible battle that either +of them had ever seen till that day. At last Kil Arthur pushed the giant +to his shoulders through solid earth. + +"Take me out of this," cried the giant, "and I'll give you my sword of +light that never missed a blow, my Druidic rod of most powerful +enchantment, and my healing draught which cures every sickness and +wound." + +"Well," said Kil Arthur, "I'll go for your sword and try it." + +He went to the giant's castle for the sword, the rod, and the healing +draught. When he returned the giant said: "Try the sword on that tree +out there." + +"Oh," said Kil Arthur, "there is no tree so good as your own neck," and +with that he swept off the head of the giant; took it, and went on his +way till he came to a house. He went in and put the head on a table; but +that instant it disappeared,--went away of itself. Food and drink of +every kind came on the table. When Kil Arthur had eaten and the table +was cleared by some invisible power, the giant's head bounded on to the +table, and with it a pack of cards. "Perhaps this head wants to play +with me," thought Kil Arthur, and he cut his own cards and shuffled +them. + +The head took up the cards and played with its mouth as well as any man +could with his hands. It won all the time,--wasn't playing fairly. Then +Kil Arthur thought: "I'll settle this;" and he took the cards and showed +how the head had taken five points in the game that didn't belong to it. +Then the head sprang at him, struck and beat him till he seized and +hurled it into the fire. + +As soon as he had the head in the fire a beautiful woman stood before +him, and said: "You have killed nine of my brothers, and this was the +best of the nine. I have eight more brothers who go out to fight with +four hundred men each day, and they kill them all; but next morning the +four hundred are alive again and my brothers have to do battle anew. Now +my mother and these eight brothers will be here soon; and they'll go +down on their bended knees and curse you who killed my nine brothers, +and I'm afraid your blood will rise within you when you hear the curses, +and you'll kill my eight remaining brothers." + +"Oh," said Kil Arthur, "I'll be deaf when the curses are spoken; I'll +not hear them." Then he went to a couch and lay down. Presently the +mother and eight brothers came, and cursed Kil Arthur with all the +curses they knew. He heard them to the end, but gave no word from +himself. + +Next morning he rose early, girded on his nine-edged sword, went forth +to where the eight brothers were going to fight the four hundred, and +said to the eight: "Sit down, and I'll fight in your place." + +Kil Arthur faced the four hundred, and fought with them alone; and +exactly at midday he had them all dead. "Now some one," said he, +"brings these to life again. I'll lie down among them and see who it +is." + +Soon he saw an old hag coming with a brush in her hand, and an open +vessel hanging from her neck by a string. When she came to the four +hundred she dipped the brush into the vessel and sprinkled the liquid +which was in it over the bodies of the men. They rose up behind her as +she passed along. + +"Bad luck to you," said Kil Arthur, "you are the one that keeps them +alive;" then he seized her. Putting one of his feet on her two ankles, +and grasping her by the head and shoulders, he twisted her body till he +put the life out of her. + +When dying she said: "I put you under a curse, to keep on this road till +you come to the 'ram of the five rocks,' and tell him you have killed +the hag of the heights and all her care." + +He went to the place where the ram of the five rocks lived and struck +the pole of combat before his castle. Out came the ram, and they fought +till Kil Arthur seized his enemy and dashed the brains out of him +against the rocks. + +Then he went to the castle of the beautiful woman whose nine brothers he +had killed, and for whose eight brothers he had slain the four hundred. +When he appeared the mother rejoiced; the eight brothers blessed him and +gave him their sister in marriage; and Kil Arthur took the beautiful +woman to his father's castle in Erin, where they both lived happily and +well. + + + + +SHAKING-HEAD. + + +There was once a king of a province in Erin who had an only son. The +king was very careful of this son, and sent him to school for good +instruction. + +The other three kings of provinces in Erin had three sons at the same +school; and the three sent word by this one to his father, that if he +didn't put his son to death they would put both father and son to death +themselves. + +When the young man came home with this word to his father and mother, +they were grieved when they heard it. But the king's son said that he +would go out into the world to seek his fortune, and settle the trouble +in that way. So away he went, taking with him only five pounds in money +for his support. + +The young man travelled on till he came to a grave-yard, where he saw +four men fighting over a coffin. Then he went up to the four, and saw +that two of them were trying to put the coffin down into a grave, and +the other two preventing them and keeping the coffin above ground. When +the king's son came near the men, he asked: "Why do you fight in such a +place as this, and why do you keep the coffin above ground?" + +Two of the men answered, and said: "The body of our brother is in this +coffin, and these two men won't let us bury it." + +The other two then said: "We have a debt of five pounds on the dead man, +and we won't let his body be buried till the debt is paid." The king's +son said: "Do you let these men bury their brother, and I will pay what +you ask." + +Then the two let the brothers of the dead man bury him. The king's son +paid the five pounds, and went away empty-handed, and, except the +clothes on his back, he had no more than on the day he was born. After +he had gone on his way awhile and the grave-yard was out of sight he +turned and saw a sprightly red-haired man (_fear ruadh_) hurrying after +him. When he came up, the stranger asked: "Don't you want a serving +man?" + +"I do not," answered the king's son, "I have nothing to support myself +with, let alone a serving man." + +"Well, never mind that," said the red-haired man; "I'll be with you +wherever you go, whether you have anything or not." + +"What is your name?" asked the king's son. + +"Shaking-head," answered the red man. + +When they had gone on a piece of the way together the king's son stopped +and asked: "Where shall we be to-night?" + +"We shall be in a giant's castle where there will be small welcome for +us," said Shaking-head. + +When evening came they found themselves in front of a castle. In they +went and saw no one inside, only a tall old hag. But they were not long +in the place till they heard a loud, rushing noise outside, and a blow +on the castle. The giant came; and the first words he let out of his +mouth were: "I'm glad to have an Erinach on my supper-table to eat +to-night." Then turning to the two he said: "What brought you here this +evening; what do you want in my castle?" + +"All the champions and heroes of Erin are going to take your property +from you and destroy yourself; we have come to warn you, and there is +nobody to save you from them but us," said Shaking-head. + +When the giant heard these words he changed his treatment entirely. He +gave the king's son and Shaking-head a hearty welcome and a kindly +greeting. When he understood the news they brought, he washed them with +the tears of his eyes, dried them with kisses, and gave them a good +supper and a soft bed that night. + +Next morning the giant was up at an early hour, and he went to the +bedside of each man and told him to rise and have breakfast. +Shaking-head asked his reward of the giant for telling him of the +champions of Erin and the danger he was in. + +"Well," said the giant, "there's a pot of gold over there under my bed; +take as much out of it as ever you wish, and welcome." + +"It isn't gold I want for my service," said Shaking-head; "you have a +gift which suits me better." + +"What gift is that?" asked the giant. + +"The light black steed in your stable." + +"That's a gift I won't give you," said the giant, "for when any one +comes to trouble or attack me, all I have to do is to throw my leg over +that steed, and away he carries me out of sight of every enemy." + +"Well," said Shaking-head, "if you don't give me that steed I'll bring +all the kingdom of Erin against you, and you'll be destroyed with all +you have." + +The giant stopped a moment, and said: "I believe you'd do that thing, so +you may take the steed." Then Shaking-head took the steed of the giant, +gave him to the king's son, and away they went. + +At sunset Shaking-head said: "We are near the castle of another giant, +the next brother to the one who entertained us last night. He hasn't +much welcome for us either; but he will treat us well when he is +threatened." + +The second giant was going to eat the king's son for supper, but when +Shaking-head told him about the forces of Erin he changed his manner and +entertained them well. + +Next morning after breakfast, Shaking-head said: "You must give me a +present for my services in warning you." + +"There is a pot of gold under my bed," said the giant; "take all you +want of it." + +"I don't want your gold," said Shaking-head, "but you have a gift which +suits me well." + +"What is that?" asked the giant. + +"The two-handed black sword that never fails a blow." + +"You won't get that gift from me," said the giant; "and I can't spare +it; for if a whole army were to come against me, as soon as I'd have my +two hands on the hilt of that sword, I'd let no man near me without +sweeping the head off him." + +"Well," said Shaking-head, "I have been keeping back your enemies this +long time; but I'll let them at you now, and I'll raise up more. I'll +put the whole kingdom of Erin against you." + +The giant stopped a moment, and said: "I believe you'd do that if it +served you." So he took the sword off his belt and handed it to his +guest. Shaking-head gave it to the king's son, who mounted his steed, +and they both went away. + +When they had gone some distance from the giant's castle Shaking-head +said to the king's son, "Where shall we be to-night?--you have more +knowledge than I." "Indeed then I have not," said the king's son; "I +have no knowledge at all of where we are going; it is you who have the +knowledge." + +"Well," said Shaking-head, "we'll be at the third and youngest giant's +castle to-night, and at first he'll treat us far worse and more harshly, +but still we'll take this night's lodging of him, and a good gift in the +morning." + +Soon after sunset they came to the castle where they met the worst +reception and the harshest they had found on the road. The giant was +going to eat them both for supper; but when Shaking-head told him of the +champions of Erin, he became as kind as his two brothers, and gave good +entertainment to both. + +Next morning after breakfast, Shaking-head asked for a present in return +for his services. + +"Do you see the pot of gold in the corner there under my bed?--take all +you want and welcome," said the giant. + +"It's not gold I want," said Shaking-head, "but the cloak of darkness." + +"Oh," said the giant, "you'll not get that cloak of me, for I want it +myself. If any man were to come against me, all I'd have to do would be +to put that cloak on my shoulders, and no one in the world could see me, +or know where I'd be." + +"Well," said Shaking-head, "it's long enough that I am keeping your +enemies away; and if you don't give me that cloak now I'll raise all the +kingdom of Erin and still more forces to destroy you, and it's not long +you'll last after they come." + +The giant thought a moment, and then said: "I believe you'd do what you +say. There's the black cloak hanging on the wall before you; take it." + +Shaking-head took the cloak, and the two went away together, the king's +son riding on the light black steed, and having the double-handed sword +at his back. When out of sight of the giant, Shaking-head put on the +cloak, and wasn't to be seen, and no other man could have been seen in +his place. Then the king's son looked around, and began to call and +search for his man,--he was lonely without him and grieved not to see +him. Shaking-head, glad to see the affection of the king's son, took off +the cloak and was at his side again. + +"Where are we going now?" asked the king's son. + +"We are going on a long journey to (Ri Chuil an Or) King Behind the +Gold, to ask his daughter of him." + +The two travelled on, till they came to the castle of King Behind the +Gold. Then Shaking-head said: "Go in you, and ask his daughter of the +king, and I'll stay here outside with the cloak on me." So he went in +and spoke to the king, and the answer he got was this:-- + +"I am willing to give you my daughter, but you won't get her unless you +do what she will ask of you. And I must tell you now that three hundred +kings' sons, lacking one, have come to ask for my daughter, and in the +garden behind my castle are three hundred iron spikes, and every spike +of them but one is covered with the head of a king's son who couldn't do +what my daughter wanted of him, and I'm greatly in dread that your own +head will be put on the one spike that is left uncovered." + +"Well," said the king's son, "I'll do my best to keep my head where it +is at present." + +"Stay here in my castle," said the king, "and you'll have good +entertainment till we know can you do what will be asked of you." At +night when the king's son was going to bed, the princess gave him a +thimble, and said: "Have this for me in the morning." + +He put the thimble on his finger; and she thought it could be easily +taken away, if he would sleep. So she came to him in the night, with a +drink, and said: "I give you this in hopes I'll gain more drink by you." +He swallowed the liquor, and the princess went away with the empty cup. +Then the king's son put the thimble in his mouth between his cheek and +his teeth for safe keeping, and was soon asleep. + +When the princess came to her own chamber, she struck her maid with a +_slat an draoichta_ (a rod of enchantment) and turned her into a rat; +then she made such music of fifes and trumpets to sound throughout the +castle, that every soul in it fell asleep. That minute, she sent the rat +to where the king's son was sleeping, and the rat put her tail into the +nostrils of the young man, tickled his nose so that he sneezed and blew +the thimble out of his mouth. The rat caught it and ran away to the +princess, who struck her with the rod of enchantment and turned her into +a maid again. + +Then the princess and the maid set out for the eastern world, taking the +thimble with them. Shaking-head, who was watching with his cloak on, +unseen by all, had seen everything, and now followed at their heels. In +the eastern world, at the sea-side was a rock. The princess tapped it +with her finger, and the rock opened; there was a great house inside, +and in the house a giant. The princess greeted him and gave him the +thimble, saying: "You're to keep this so no man can get it." + +"Oh," said the giant, taking the thimble and throwing it aside, "you +need have no fear; no man can find me in this place." + +Shaking-head caught the thimble from the ground and put it in his +pocket. When she had finished conversation with the giant, the princess +kissed him, and hurried away. Shaking-head followed her step for step, +till they came at break of day to the castle of King Behind the Gold. +Shaking-head went to the king's son and asked: "Was anything given you +to keep last night?" + +"Yes, before I came to this chamber the princess gave me her thimble, +and told me to have it for her in the morning." + +"Have you it now?" asked Shaking-head. + +"It is not in my mouth where I put it last night, it is not in the bed; +I'm afraid my head is lost," said the king's son. + +"Well, look at this," said Shaking-head, taking the thimble out of his +pocket and giving it to him. "The whole kingdom is moving to-day to see +your death. All the people have heard that you are here asking for the +princess, and they think your head'll be put on the last spike in the +garden, with the heads of the other kings' sons. Rise up now, mount your +light black steed, ride to the summer-house of the princess and her +father, and give her the thimble." + +The king's son did as Shaking-head told him. When he gave up the +thimble, the king said, "You have won one third of my daughter." But the +princess was bitterly angry and vexed to the heart, that any man on +earth should know that she had dealings with the giant; she cared more +for that than anything else. + +When the second day had passed, and the king's son was going to bed, the +princess gave him a comb to keep, and said: "If you don't have this for +me in the morning, your head will be put on the spike that's left in my +father's garden." + +The king's son took the comb with him, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and +tied it to his head. + +In the night the princess came with a draught which she gave him, and +soon he was asleep. Going back to her own chamber, she struck the maid +with her rod of enchantment, and made a great yellow cat of her. Then +she caused such music of fifes and trumpets to sound throughout the +castle that every soul was in a deep sleep before the music was over, +and that moment she sent the cat to the chamber of the king's son. The +cat worked the handkerchief off his head, took out the comb and ran with +it to the princess, who turned her into a maid again. + +The two set out for the eastern world straightway; but as they did, +Shaking-head followed them in his cloak of darkness, till they came to +the house of the giant in the great rock at the end of the road, at the +sea. The princess gave the giant the comb, and said: "The thimble that I +gave you to keep last night was taken from you, for the king's son in +Erin brought it back to me this morning, and has done one third of the +work of winning me, and I didn't expect you'd serve me in this way." + +When the giant heard this, he was raging, and threw the comb into the +sea behind him. Then with Druidic spells he raised thunder and lightning +and wind. The sea was roaring with storm and rain; but the comb had not +touched the water when Shaking-head caught it. + +When her talk was over the princess gave the giant a kiss, and home she +went with the maid; but Shaking-head followed them step by step. + +In the morning Shaking-head went to the king's son, roused him, and +asked: "What was your task last night?" + +"The princess gave me a comb to have for her this morning," answered the +king's son. + +"Where is it now?" asked Shaking-head. + +"Here on my head," said the king's son, putting up his hand to get it; +but the comb was gone. "I'm done for now," said the king's son; "my head +will be on the last spike to-day unless I have the comb for the +princess." + +"Here it is for you," said Shaking-head, taking the comb out of his +pocket. "And now," said he, "the whole kingdom is coming to this castle +to-day to see your head put on the last spike in the garden of King +Behind the Gold, for all men think the same will happen to you that has +happened to every king's son before you. Go up on your steed and ride to +the summer-house where the king and his daughter are sitting, and give +her the comb." + +The king's son did as Shaking-head bade him. When he saw the comb the +king said, "Now you have my daughter two-thirds won." But her face went +from the princess entirely, she was so vexed that any man should know of +her dealings with the giant. + +The third night when he was going to bed the princess said to the king's +son, "If you will not have at my father's castle to-morrow morning the +head I will kiss to-night, you'll die to-morrow, and your own head will +be put on the last spike in my father's garden." Later in the night she +came to the bedside of the king's son with a draught, which he drank, +and before she was back in her chamber, he slept. Then she made such +music all over the castle that not a soul was awake when the music had +ceased. That moment she hurried away with her maid to the eastern world; +but Shaking-head followed her in his cloak of darkness. This time he +carried with him the two-handed sword that never failed a blow. + +When she came to the rock in the eastern world and entered the house of +the giant, the princess said, "You let my two gifts go with the son of +the king in Erin, and he'll have me won to-morrow if he'll have your +head at my father's castle in the morning." + +"Never fear," said the giant, "there is nothing in the world to take the +head off me but the double-handed sword of darkness that never fails a +blow, and that sword belongs to my brother in the western world." + +The princess gave the giant a kiss at parting; and as she hurried away +with her maid the giant turned to look at her. His head was covered with +an iron cap; but as he looked he laid bare a thin strip of his neck. +Shaking-head was there near him, and said in his mind: "Your brother's +sword has never been so close to your neck before;" and with one blow he +swept the head off him. Then began the greatest struggle that +Shaking-head ever had, to keep the head from the body of the giant. The +head fought to put itself on again, and never stopped till the body was +dead; then it fell to the ground. Shaking-head seized, but couldn't stir +the head,--couldn't move it from its place. Then he searched all around +it and found a (_bar an suan_) pin of slumber near the ear. When he took +the pin away he had no trouble in carrying the head; and he made no +delay but came to the castle at daybreak, and threw the head to a herd +of pigs that belonged to the king. Then he went to the king's son, and +asked: + +"What happened to you last night?" + +"The princess came to me, and said that if I wouldn't bring to her +father's castle this morning the head she was to kiss last night, my own +head would be on the last spike to-day." + +"Come out with me now to the pigs," said Shaking-head. + +The two went out, and Shaking-head said: "Go in among the pigs, and take +the head with you to the king; and a strange head it is to put before a +king." + +So the king's son went on his steed to the summer-house, and gave the +head to the king and his daughter, and turning to the princess, said: + +"This is the head you kissed last night, and it's not a nice looking +head either." + +"You have my daughter won now entirely," said the king, "and she is +yours. And do you take that head to the great dark hole that is out +there on one side of my castle grounds, and throw it down." + +The king's son mounted his steed, and rode off with the head till he +came to the hole going deep into the earth. When he let down the head it +went to the bottom with such a roaring and such a noise that every mare +and cow and every beast in the whole kingdom cast its young, such was +the terror that was caused by the noise of the head in going to the +bottom of the hole. + +When the head was put away the king's son went back to the castle, and +married the daughter of King Behind the Gold. The wedding lasted nine +days and nights, and the last night was better than the first. + +When the wedding was over Shaking-head went to the king, and said: "You +have provided no fortune for your daughter, and it is but right that you +should remember her." + +"I have plenty of gold and silver to give her," said the king. + +"It isn't gold and silver that your son-in-law wants, but men to stand +against his enemies, when they come on him." + +"I have more treasures than men," said King Behind the Gold; "but I +won't see my daughter conquered for want of an army." + +They were satisfied with the king's word, and next day took the road to +Erin, and kept on their way till they came opposite the grave-yard. Then +Shaking-head said to the king's son: "You are no good, you have never +told me a story since the first day I saw you." + +"I have but one story to tell you, except what happened since we met." + +"Well, tell me what happened before we met." + +"I was passing this place before I saw you," said the king's son, "and +four men were fighting over a coffin. I spoke to them, and two of them +said they were burying the body of their brother which was in the +coffin, and the others said the dead man owed them five pounds, and they +wouldn't let the coffin into the ground until they got the money. I paid +five pounds and the body was buried." + +"It was my body was in the coffin," said Shaking-head, "and I came back +into this world to do you a good turn; and now I am going, and you'll +never see me again unless trouble is on you." + +Shaking-head disappeared, and the king's son went home. He wasn't with +his father long till the other three kings' sons heard he had come back +to Erin with the daughter of King Behind the Gold. They sent word, +saying: "We'll take the head off you now, and put an end to your father +and yourself." + +The king's son went out to walk alone, and as he was lamenting the fate +he had brought on his father, who should come along to meet him but +Shaking-head. + +"What trouble is on you now?" asked he. + +"Oh, three kings' sons are coming with their fleets and armies to +destroy my father and myself, and what can we do with our one fleet and +one army?" + +"Well," said Shaking-head, "I'll settle that for you without delay." +Then he sent a message straight to King Behind the Gold, who gave a +fleet and an army, and they came to Erin so quickly that they were at +the castle before the forces of the three kings' sons. And when the +three came the battle began on sea and land at both sides of the castle. + +The three fleets of the three kings' sons were sunk, their armies +destroyed, and the three heads taken off themselves. When the battle was +over and the country safe the king resigned the castle and power to his +son, and the son of a king in a province became king over all the land +of Erin. + + + + +BIRTH OF FIN MACCUMHAIL.[10] + +[10] Cumhail, genitive of Cumhal, after Mac = son; pronounced Cool. + + +Cumhal Macart was a great champion in the west of Erin, and it was +prophesied of him that if ever he married he would meet death in the +next battle he fought. + +For this reason he had no wife, and knew no woman for a long time; till +one day he saw the king's daughter, who was so beautiful that he forgot +all fear and married her in secret. + +Next day after the marriage, news came that a battle had to be fought. + +Now a Druid had told the king that his daughter's son would take the +kingdom from him; so he made up his mind to look after the daughter, and +not let any man come near her. + +Before he went to the battle, Cumhal told his mother everything,--told +her of his relations with the king's daughter. + +He said, "I shall be killed in battle to-day, according to the prophecy +of the Druid, and I'm afraid if his daughter has a son the king will +kill the child, for the prophecy is that he will lose the kingdom by the +son of his own daughter. Now, if the king's daughter has a son do you +hide and rear him, if you can; you will be his only hope and stay." + +Cumhal was killed in the battle, and within that year the king's +daughter had a son. By command of his grandfather, the boy was thrown +out of the castle window into a loch, to be drowned, on the day of his +birth. + +The boy sank from sight; but after remaining a while under the water, he +rose again to the surface, and came to land holding a live salmon in his +hand. + +The grandmother of the boy, Cumhal's mother, stood watching on the +shore, and said to herself as she saw this: "He is my grandson, the true +son of my own child," and seizing the boy, she rushed away with him, and +vanished, before the king's people could stop her. + +When the king heard that the old woman had escaped with his daughter's +son, he fell into a terrible rage, and ordered all the male children +born that day in the kingdom to be put to death, hoping in this way to +kill his own grandson, and save the crown for himself. + +After she had disappeared from the bank of the loch, the old woman, +Cumhal's mother, made her way to a thick forest, where she spent that +night as best she could. Next day she came to a great oak tree. Then she +hired a man to cut out a chamber in the tree. + +When all was finished, and there was a nice room in the oak for herself +and her grandson, and a whelp of the same age as the boy, and which she +had brought with her from the castle, she said to the man: "Give me the +axe which you have in your hand, there is something here that I want to +fix." + +The man gave the axe into her hand, and that minute she swept the head +off him, saying: "You'll never tell any man about this place now." One +day the whelp ate some of the fine chippings (_bran_) left cut by the +carpenter from the inside of the tree. The old woman said: "You'll be +called Bran from this out." + +All three lived in the tree together, and the old woman did not take her +grandson out till the end of five years; and then he couldn't walk, he +had been sitting so long inside. + +When the old grandmother had taught the boy to walk, she brought him one +day to the brow of a hill from which there was a long slope. She took a +switch and said: "Now, run down this place. I will follow and strike you +with this switch, and coming up I will run ahead, and you strike me as +often as you can." + +The first time they ran down, his grandmother struck him many times. In +coming up the first time, he did not strike her at all. Every time they +ran down she struck him less, and every time they ran up he struck her +more. + +They ran up and down for three days; and at the end of that time she +could not strike him once, and he struck her at every step she took. He +had now become a great runner. + +When he was fifteen years of age, the old woman went with him to a +hurling match between the forces of his grandfather and those of a +neighboring king. Both sides were equal in skill; and neither was able +to win, till the youth opposed his grandfather's people. Then, he won +every game. When the ball was thrown in the air, he struck it coming +down, and so again and again,--never letting the ball touch the ground +till he had driven it through the barrier. + +The old king, who was very angry, and greatly mortified, at the defeat +of his people, exclaimed, as he saw the youth, who was very fair and +had white hair: "Who is that _fin cumhal_[11] [white cap]?" + +[11] Cumhal, the name of Fin's father. Denotes also a cap or +head-covering, fin = white. The punning resemblance suggested to the old +woman the full name, Fin MacCumhail. + +"Ah, that is it; Fin will be his name, and Fin MacCumhail he is," said +the old woman. + +The king ordered his people to seize and put the young man to death, on +the spot. The old woman hurried to the side of her grandson. They +slipped from the crowd and away they went, a hill at a leap, a glen at a +step, and thirty-two miles at a running-leap. They ran a long distance, +till Fin grew tired; then the old grandmother took him on her back, +putting his feet into two pockets which were in her dress, one on each +side, and ran on with the same swiftness as before, a hill at a leap, a +glen at a step, and thirty-two miles at a running-leap. + +After a time, the old woman felt the approach of pursuit, and said to +Fin: "Look behind, and tell me what you see." + +"I see," said he, "a white horse with a champion on his back." + +"Oh, no fear," said she; "a white horse has no endurance; he can never +catch us, we are safe from him." And on they sped. A second time she +felt the approach of pursuit, and again she said: "Look back, and see +who is coming." + +Fin looked back, and said: "I see a warrior riding on a brown horse." + +"Never fear," said the old woman; "there is never a brown horse but is +giddy, he cannot overtake us." She rushed on as before. A third time she +said: "Look around, and see who is coming now." Fin looked, and said: +"I see a black warrior on a black horse, following fast." + +"There is no horse so tough as a black horse," said the grandmother. +"There is no escape from this one. My grandson, one or both of us must +die. I am old, my time has nearly come. I will die, and you and Bran +save yourselves. (Bran had been with them all the time.) Right here +ahead is a deep bog; you jump off my back, and escape as best you can. +I'll jump into the bog up to my neck; and when the king's men come, I'll +say that you are in the bog before me, sunk out of sight, and I'm trying +to find you. As my hair and yours are the same color, they will think my +head good enough to carry back. They will cut it off, and take it in +place of yours, and show it to the king; that will satisfy his anger." + +Fin slipped down, took farewell of his grandmother, and hurried on with +Bran. The old woman came to the bog, jumped in, and sank to her neck. +The king's men were soon at the edge of the bog, and the black rider +called out to the old woman: "Where is Fin?" + +"He is here in the bog before me, and I'm trying can I find him." + +As the horsemen could not find Fin, and thought the old woman's head +would do to carry back, they cut it off, and took it with them, saying: +"This will satisfy the king." + +Fin and Bran went on till they came to a great cave, in which they found +a herd of goats. At the further end of the cave was a smouldering fire. +The two lay down to rest. + +A couple of hours later, in came a giant with a salmon in his hand. This +giant was of awful height, he had but one eye, and that in the middle +of his forehead, as large as the sun in heaven. + +When he saw Fin, he called out: "Here, take this salmon and roast it; +but be careful, for if you raise a single blister on it I'll cut the +head off you. I've followed this salmon for three days and three nights +without stopping, and I never let it out of my sight, for it is the most +wonderful salmon in the world." + +The giant lay down to sleep in the middle of the cave. Fin spitted the +salmon, and held it over the fire. + +The minute the giant closed the one eye in his head, he began to snore. +Every time he drew breath into his body, he dragged Fin, the spit, the +salmon, Bran, and all the goats to his mouth; and every time he drove a +breath out of himself, he threw them back to the places they were in +before. Fin was drawn time after time to the mouth of the giant with +such force, that he was in dread of going down his throat. + +When partly cooked, a blister rose on the salmon. Fin pressed the place +with his thumb, to know could he break the blister, and hide from the +giant the harm that was done. But he burned his thumb, and, to ease the +pain, put it between his teeth, and gnawed the skin to the flesh, the +flesh to the bone, the bone to the marrow; and when he had tasted the +marrow, he received the knowledge of all things. Next moment, he was +drawn by the breath of the giant right up to his face, and, knowing from +his thumb what to do, he plunged the hot spit into the sleeping eye of +the giant and destroyed it. + +That instant the giant with a single bound was at the low entrance of +the cave, and, standing with his back to the wall and a foot on each +side of the opening, roared out: "You'll not leave this place alive." + +Now Fin killed the largest goat, skinned him as quickly as he could, +then putting the skin on himself he drove the herd to where the giant +stood; the goats passed out one by one between his legs. When the great +goat came the giant took him by the horns. Fin slipped from the skin, +and ran out. + +"Oh, you've escaped," said the giant, "but before we part let me make +you a present." + +"I'm afraid to go near you," said Fin; "if you wish to give me a +present, put it out this way, and then go back." + +The giant placed a ring on the ground, then went back. Fin took up the +ring and put it on the end of his little finger above the first joint. +It clung so firmly that no man in the world could have taken it off. + +The giant then called out, "Where are you?" + +"On Fin's finger," cried the ring. That instant the giant sprang at Fin +and almost came down on his head, thinking in this way to crush him to +bits. Fin sprang to a distance. Again the giant asked, "Where are you?" + +"On Fin's finger," answered the ring. + +Again the giant made a leap, coming down just in front of Fin. Many +times he called and many times almost caught Fin, who could not escape +with the ring on his finger. While in this terrible struggle, not +knowing how to escape, Bran ran up and asked: + +"Why don't you chew your thumb?" Fin bit his thumb to the marrow, and +then knew what to do. He took the knife with which he had skinned the +goat, cut off his finger at the first joint, and threw it, with the ring +still on, into a deep bog near by. + +Again the giant called out, "Where are you?" and the ring answered, "On +Fin's finger." + +Straightway the giant sprang towards the voice, sank to his shoulders in +the bog, and stayed there. + +Fin with Bran now went on his way, and travelled till he reached a deep +and thick wood, where a thousand horses were drawing timber, and men +felling and preparing it. + +"What is this?" asked Fin of the overseer of the workmen. + +"Oh, we are building a dun (a castle) for the king; we build one every +day, and every night it is burned to the ground. Our king has an only +daughter; he will give her to any man who will save the dun, and he'll +leave him the kingdom at his death. If any man undertakes to save the +dun and fails, his life must pay for it; the king will cut his head off. +The best champions in Erin have tried and failed; they are now in the +king's dungeons, a whole army of them, waiting the king's pleasure. He's +going to cut the heads off them all in one day." + +"Why don't you chew your thumb?" asked Bran. + +Fin chewed his thumb to the marrow, and then knew that on the eastern +side of the world there lived an old hag with her three sons, and every +evening at nightfall she sent the youngest of these to burn the king's +dun. + +"I will save the king's dun," said Fin. + +"Well," said the overseer, "better men than you have tried and lost +their lives." "Oh," said Fin, "I'm not afraid; I'll try for the sake of +the king's daughter." + +Now Fin, followed by Bran, went with the overseer to the king. "I hear +you will give your daughter to the man who saves your dun," said Fin. + +"I will," said the king; "but if he fails I must have his head." + +"Well," said Fin, "I'll risk my head for the sake of your daughter. If I +fail I'm satisfied." The king gave Fin food and drink; he supped, and +after supper went to the dun. + +"Why don't you chew your thumb?" said Bran; "then you'll know what to +do." He did. Then Bran took her place on the roof, waiting for the old +woman's son. Now the old woman in the east told her youngest son to +hurry on with his torches, burn the dun, and come back without delay; +for the stirabout was boiling and he must not be too late for supper. + +He took the torches, and shot off through the air with a wonderful +speed. Soon he was in sight of the king's dun, threw the torches upon +the thatched roof to set it on fire as usual. + +That moment Bran gave the torches such a push with her shoulders, that +they fell into the stream which ran around the dun, and were put out. +"Who is this," cried the youngest son of the old hag, "who has dared to +put out my lights, and interfere with my hereditary right?" + +"I," said Fin, who stood in front of him. Then began a terrible battle +between Fin and the old woman's son. Bran came down from the dun to help +Fin; she bit and tore his enemy's back, stripping the skin and flesh +from his head to his heels. + +After a terrible struggle such as had not been in the world before that +night, Fin cut the head off his enemy. But for Bran, Fin could never +have conquered. + +The time for the return of her son had passed; supper was ready. The old +woman, impatient and angry, said to the second son: "You take torches +and hurry on, see why your brother loiters. I'll pay him for this when +he comes home! But be careful and don't do like him, or you'll have your +pay too. Hurry back, for the stirabout is boiling and ready for supper." + +He started off, was met and killed exactly as his brother, except that +he was stronger and the battle fiercer. But for Bran, Fin would have +lost his life that night. + +The old woman was raging at the delay, and said to her eldest son, who +had not been out of the house for years: (It was only in case of the +greatest need that she sent him. He had a cat's head, and was called Pus +an Chuine, "Puss of the Corner;" he was the eldest and strongest of all +the brothers.) "Now take torches, go and see what delays your brothers; +I'll pay them for this when they come home." + +The eldest brother shot off through the air, came to the king's dun, and +threw his torches upon the roof. They had just singed the straw a +little, when Bran pushed them off with such force that they fell into +the stream and were quenched. + +"Who is this," screamed Cat-head, "who dares to interfere with my +ancestral right?" + +"I," shouted Fin. Then the struggle began fiercer than with the second +brother. Bran helped from behind, tearing the flesh from his head to his +heels; but at length Cat-head fastened his teeth into Fin's breast, +biting and gnawing till Fin cut the head off. The body fell to the +ground, but the head lived, gnawing as terribly as before. Do what they +could it was impossible to kill it. Fin hacked and cut, but could +neither kill nor pull it off. When nearly exhausted, Bran said: + +"Why don't you chew your thumb?" + +Fin chewed his thumb, and reaching the marrow knew that the old woman in +the east was ready to start with torches to find her sons, and burn the +dun herself, and that she had a vial of liquid with which she could +bring the sons to life; and that nothing could free him from Cat-head +but the old woman's blood. + +After midnight the old hag, enraged at the delay of her sons, started +and shot through the air like lightning, more swiftly than her sons. She +threw her torches from afar upon the roof of the dun; but Bran as before +hurled them into the stream. + +Now the old woman circled around in the air looking for her sons. Fin +was getting very weak from pain and loss of blood, for Cat-head was +biting at his breast all the time. + +Bran called out: "Rouse yourself, oh, Fin; use all your power or we are +lost! If the old hag gets a drop from the vial upon the bodies of her +sons, they will come to life, and then we're done for." + +Thus roused, Fin with one spring reached the old woman in the air, and +swept the bottle from her grasp; which falling upon the ground was +emptied. + +The old hag gave a scream which was heard all over the world, came to +the ground and closed with Fin. Then followed a battle greater than the +world had ever known before that night, or has ever seen since. Water +sprang out of gray rocks, cows cast their calves even when they had +none, and hard rushes grew soft in the remotest corner of Erin, so +desperate was the fighting and so awful, between Fin and the old hag. +Fin would have died that night but for Bran. + +Just as daylight was coming Fin swept the head off the old woman, caught +some of her blood, and rubbed it around Cat-head, who fell off dead. + +He rubbed his own wounds with the blood and was cured; then rubbed some +on Bran, who had been singed with the torches, and she was as well as +ever. Fin, exhausted with fighting, dropped down and fell asleep. + +While he was sleeping the chief steward of the king came to the dun, +found it standing safe and sound, and seeing Fin lying there asleep knew +that he had saved it. Bran tried to waken Fin, pulled and tugged, but +could not rouse him. + +The steward went to the king, and said: "I have saved the dun, and I +claim the reward." + +"It shall be given you," answered the king; and straightway the steward +was recognized as the king's son-in-law, and orders were given to make +ready for the wedding. + +Bran had listened to what was going on, and when her master woke, +exactly at midday, she told him of all that was taking place in the +castle of the king. + +Fin went to the king, and said: "I have saved your dun, and I claim the +reward." + +"Oh," said the king, "my steward claimed the reward, and it has been +given to him." + +"He had nothing to do with saving the dun; I saved it," said Fin. + +"Well," answered the king, "he is the first man who told me of its +safety and claimed the reward." "Bring him here: let me look at him," +said Fin. + +He was sent for, and came. "Did you save the king's dun?" asked Fin. "I +did," said the steward. + +"You did not, and take that for your lies," said Fin; and striking him +with the edge of his open hand he swept the head off his body, dashing +it against the other side of the room, flattening it like paste on the +wall. + +"You are the man," said the king to Fin, "who saved the dun; yours is +the reward. All the champions, and there is many a man of them, who have +failed to save it are in the dungeons of my fortress; their heads must +be cut off before the wedding takes place." + +"Will you let me see them?" asked Fin. + +"I will," said the king. + +Fin went down to the men, and found the first champions of Erin in the +dungeons. "Will you obey me in all things if I save you from death?" +said Fin. "We will," said they. Then he went back to the king and asked: + +"Will you give me the lives of these champions of Erin, in place of your +daughter's hand?" + +"I will," said the king. + +All the champions were liberated, and left the king's castle that day. +Ever after they followed the orders of Fin, and these were the beginning +of his forces and the first of the Fenians of Erin. + + + + +FIN MACCUMHAIL AND THE FENIANS OF ERIN IN THE CASTLE OF FEAR DUBH. + + +It was the custom with Fin MacCumhail and the Fenians of Erin, when a +stranger from any part of the world came to their castle, not to ask him +a question for a year and a day. + +On a time, a champion came to Fin and his men, and remained with them. +He was not at all pleasant or agreeable. + +At last Fin and his men took counsel together; they were much annoyed +because their guest was so dull and morose, never saying a word, always +silent. + +While discussing what kind of man he was, Diarmuid Duivne offered to try +him; so one evening when they were eating together, Diarmuid came and +snatched from his mouth the hind-quarter of a bullock, which he was +picking. + +Diarmuid pulled at one part of the quarter,--pulled with all his +strength, but only took the part that he seized, while the other kept +the part he held. All laughed; the stranger laughed too, as heartily as +any. It was the first laugh they had heard from him. + +The strange champion saw all their feats of arms and practised with +them, till the year and a day were over. Then he said to Fin and his +men: + +"I have spent a pleasant year in your company; you gave me good +treatment, and the least I can do now is to give you a feast at my own +castle." + +No one had asked what his name was up to that time. Fin now asked his +name. He answered: "My name is Fear Dubh, of Alba." + +Fin accepted the invitation; and they appointed the day for the feast, +which was to be in Erin, since Fear Dubh did not wish to trouble them to +go to Alban. He took leave of his host and started for home. + +When the day for the feast came, Fin and the chief men of the Fenians of +Erin set out for the castle of Fear Dubh. + +They went, a glen at a step, a hill at a leap, and thirty-two miles at a +running leap, till they came to the grand castle where the feast was to +be given. + +They went in; everything was ready, seats at the table, and every man's +name at his seat in the same order as at Fin's castle. Diarmuid, who was +always very sportive,--fond of hunting, and paying court to women, was +not with them; he had gone to the mountains with his dogs. + +All sat down, except Conan Maol MacMorna (never a man spoke well of +him); no seat was ready for him, for he used to lie on the flat of his +back on the floor, at Fin's castle. + +When all were seated the door of the castle closed of itself. Fin then +asked the man nearest the door, to rise and open it. The man tried to +rise; he pulled this way and that, over and hither, but he couldn't get +up. Then the next man tried, and the next, and so on, till the turn came +to Fin himself, who tried in vain. + +Now, whenever Fin and his men were in trouble and great danger it was +their custom to raise a cry of distress (a voice of howling), heard all +over Erin. Then all men knew that they were in peril of death; for they +never raised this cry except in the last extremity. + +Fin's son, Fialan, who was three years old and in the cradle, heard the +cry, was roused, and jumped up. + +"Get me a sword!" said he to the nurse. "My father and his men are in +distress; I must go to aid them." + +"What could you do, poor little child." + +Fialan looked around, saw an old rusty sword-blade laid aside for ages. +He took it down, gave it a snap; it sprang up so as to hit his arm, and +all the rust dropped off; the blade was pure as shining silver. + +"This will do," said he; and then he set out towards the place where he +heard the cry, going a glen at a step, a hill at a leap, and thirty-two +miles at a running leap, till he came to the door of the castle, and +cried out. + +Fin answered from inside, "Is that you, my child?" + +"It is," said Fialan. + +"Why did you come?" + +"I heard your cry, and how could I stay at home, hearing the cry of my +father and the Fenians of Erin!" + +"Oh, my child, you cannot help us much." + +Fialan struck the door powerfully with his sword, but no use. Then, one +of the men inside asked Fin to chew his thumb, to know what was keeping +them in, and why they were bound. + +Fin chewed his thumb, from skin to blood, from blood to bone, from bone +to marrow, and discovered that Fear Dubh had built the castle by magic, +and that he was coming himself with a great force to cut the head off +each one of them. (These men from Alba had always a grudge against the +champions of Erin.) + +Said Fin to Fialan: "Do you go now, and stand at the ford near the +castle, and meet Fear Dubh." + +Fialan went and stood in the middle of the ford. He wasn't long there +when he saw Fear Dubh coming with a great army. + +"Leave the ford, my child," said Fear Dubh, who knew him at once. "I +have not come to harm your father. I spent a pleasant year at his +castle. I've only come to show him honor." + +"I know why you have come," answered Fialan. "You've come to destroy my +father and all his men, and I'll not leave this ford while I can hold +it." + +"Leave the ford; I don't want to harm your father, I want to do him +honor. If you don't let us pass my men will kill you," said Fear Dubh. + +"I will not let you pass so long as I'm alive before you," said Fialan. + +The men faced him; and if they did Fialan kept his place, and a battle +commenced, the like of which was never seen before that day. Fialan went +through the army as a hawk through a flock of sparrows on a March +morning, till he killed every man except Fear Dubh. Fear Dubh told him +again to leave the ford, he didn't want to harm his father. + +"Oh!" said Fialan, "I know well what you want." + +"If you don't leave that place I'll make you leave it!" said Fear Dubh. +Then they closed in combat; and such a combat was never seen before +between any two warriors. They made springs to rise through the centre +of hard gray rocks, cows to cast their calves whether they had them or +not. All the horses of the country were racing about and neighing in +dread and fear, and all created things were terrified at the sound and +clamor of the fight, till the weapons of Fear Dubh went to pieces in the +struggle, and Fialan made two halves of his own sword. + +Now they closed in wrestling. In the first round Fialan put Fear Dubh to +his knees in the hard bottom of the river; the second round he put him +to his hips, and the third, to his shoulders. + +"Now," said he, "I have you," giving him a stroke of the half of his +sword, which cut the head off him. + +Then Fialan went to the door of the castle and told his father what he +had done. + +Fin chewed his thumb again, and knew what other danger was coming. "My +son," said he to Fialan, "Fear Dubh has a younger brother more powerful +than he was; that brother is coming against us now with greater forces +than those which you have destroyed." + +As soon as Fialan heard these words he hurried to the ford, and waited +till the second army came up. He destroyed this army as he had the +other, and closed with the second brother in a fight fiercer and more +terrible than the first; but at last he thrust him to his armpits in the +hard bottom of the river and cut off his head. + +Then he went to the castle, and told his father what he had done. A +third time Fin chewed his thumb, and said: "My son, a third army more to +be dreaded than the other two is coming now to destroy us, and at the +head of it is the youngest brother of Fear Dubh, the most desperate and +powerful of the three." + +Again Fialan rushed off to the ford; and, though the work was greater +than before, he left not a man of the army alive. Then he closed with +the youngest brother of Fear Dubh, and if the first and second battles +were terrible this was more terrible by far; but at last he planted the +youngest brother up to his armpits in the hard bottom of the river, and +swept the head off him. + +Now, after the heat and struggle of combat Fialan was in such a rage +that he lost his mind from fury, not having any one to fight against; +and if the whole world had been there before him he would have gone +through it and conquered it all. + +But having no one to face him he rushed along the river-bank, tearing +the flesh from his own body. Never had such madness been seen in any +created being before that day. + +Diarmuid came now and knocked at the door of the castle, having the dog +Bran with him, and asked Fin what had caused him to raise the cry of +distress. + +"Oh, Diarmuid," said Fin, "we are all fastened in here to be killed. +Fialan has destroyed three armies, and Fear Dubh with his two brothers. +He is raging now along the bank of the river; you must not go near him, +for he would tear you limb from limb. At this moment he wouldn't spare +me, his own father; but after a while he will cease from raging and die +down; then you can go. The mother of Fear Dubh is coming, and will soon +be at the ford. She is more violent, more venomous, more to be dreaded, +a greater warrior than her sons. The chief weapon she has are the nails +on her fingers; each nail is seven perches long, of the hardest steel +on earth. She is coming in the air at this moment with the speed of a +hawk, and she has a k??an (a small vessel), with liquor in it, +which has such power that if she puts three drops of it on the mouths of +her sons they will rise up as well as ever; and if she brings them to +life there is nothing to save us. + +"Go to the ford; she will be hovering over the corpses of the three +armies to know can she find her sons, and as soon as she sees them she +will dart down and give them the liquor. You must rise with a mighty +bound upon her, dash the k??an out of her hand and spill the +liquor. + +"If you can kill her save her blood, for nothing in the world can free +us from this place and open the door of the castle but the blood of the +old hag. I'm in dread you'll not succeed, for she is far more terrible +than all her sons together. Go now; Fialan is dying away, and the old +woman is coming; make no delay." + +Diarmuid hurried to the ford, stood watching a while; then he saw high +in the air something no larger than a hawk. As it came nearer and nearer +he saw it was the old woman. She hovered high in the air over the ford. +At last she saw her sons, and was swooping down, when Diarmuid rose with +a bound into the air and struck the vial a league out of her hand. + +The old hag gave a shriek that was heard to the eastern world, and +screamed: "Who has dared to interfere with me or my sons?" + +"I," answered Diarmuid; "and you'll not go further till I do to you what +has been done to your sons." + +The fight began; and if there ever was a fight, before or since, it +could not be more terrible than this one; but great as was the power of +Diarmuid he never could have conquered but for Bran the dog. + +The old woman with her nails stripped the skin and flesh from Diarmuid +almost to the vitals. But Bran tore the skin and flesh off the old +woman's back from her head to her heels. + +From the dint of blood-loss and fighting, Diarmuid was growing faint. +Despair came on him, and he was on the point of giving way, when a +little robin flew near to him, and sitting on a bush, spoke, saying: + +"Oh, Diarmuid, take strength; rise and sweep the head off the old hag, +or Fin and the Fenians of Erin are no more." + +Diarmuid took courage, and with his last strength made one great effort, +swept the head off the old hag and caught her blood in a vessel. He +rubbed some on his own wounds,--they were cured; then he cured Bran. + +Straightway he took the blood to the castle, rubbed drops of it on the +door, which opened, and he went in. + +All laughed with joy at the rescue. He freed Fin and his men by rubbing +the blood on the chairs; but when he came as far as Conan Maol the blood +gave out. + +All were going away. "Why should you leave me here after you;" cried +Conan Maol, "I would rather die at once than stay here for a lingering +death. Why don't you, Oscar, and you, Gol MacMorna, come and tear me out +of this place; anyhow you'll be able to drag the arms out of me and kill +me at once; better that than leave me to die alone." + +Oscar and Gol took each a hand, braced their feet against his feet, put +forth all their strength and brought him standing; but if they did, he +left all the skin and much of the flesh from the back of his head to his +heels on the floor behind him. He was covered with blood, and by all +accounts was in a terrible condition, bleeding and wounded. + +Now there were sheep grazing near the castle. The Fenians ran out, +killed and skinned the largest and best of the flock, and clapped the +fresh skin on Conan's back; and such was the healing power in the sheep, +and the wound very fresh, that Conan's back healed, and he marched home +with the rest of the men, and soon got well; and if he did, they sheared +off his back wool enough every year to make a pair of stockings for each +one of the Fenians of Erin, and for Fin himself. + +And that was a great thing to do and useful, for wool was scarce in Erin +in those days. Fin and his men lived pleasantly and joyously for some +time; and if they didn't, may we. + + + + +FIN MACCUMHAIL AND THE KNIGHT OF THE FULL AXE. + + +There was a day when Fin went on an expedition by himself. He walked out +to his currochAin on the seashore, gave it a kick that sent it out nine +leagues from land, then with a spring he jumped into the boat and rowed +over the sea. + +After he had gone some distance he saw a giant coming towards him, +walking through the water, which did not reach his knees. Looking up, +Fin could see nothing between the head of the giant and the sky. + +With one step the giant was in front of Fin, and it seemed that he and +his boat would be lost in a moment between the legs of the terrible +monster. + +"Poor, little helpless creature! what brings you here in my way?" asked +the giant. He was just going to lay hold of the boat and toss it far off +to one side, when Fin called out: + +"Won't you give fair play; just let me put foot on solid land, and see +what will happen. Don't attack me here; I'm not afraid to meet you once +I have earth for my two feet to stand on." + +"If that is all you want I can take you to land very soon." And seizing +the boat as he would a grass-blade, the giant drew it to the shore of +the sea opposite to that from which Fin started, and in front of his own +castle. "What will you do now?" asked the giant. + +"I'll fight with you," said Fin. + +The giant brought out his battle-axe, which had a blade seven acres in +size. Fin was ready with his sword, and now began a most terrible +battle. + +Fin faced the giant, slashing at him with his sword, and when the giant +made an offer of the axe at him, Fin would dart to one side; and when +the axe missing him struck the ground, it went into the handle. The +giant was a long time striving to know could he draw out the axe; and +while at this Fin ran behind and cut steps with his sword into the leg +of his enemy; and by the time the giant had the axe out of the ground, +Fin was ready for him again and in front of him, striking and vexing him +with his sword. It was another long while till a blow came down; and +when the axe went into the ground again, Fin ran behind a second time, +cut more steps in the leg and body of the giant, so as to reach his neck +and cut the head off him. + +When the axe was coming to the ground the third time, Fin slipped and +fell under one corner of it, and between the feet of the giant, who +closed his legs with a clap that was heard to the end of the Western +World. He thought to catch Fin; but Fin was too quick for him, and +though badly hurt he was able to cut more steps and climb to the neck of +the giant. With one blow he swept the head off him,--and a big head it +was; by all accounts as broad as the moon. + +The battle was fought in front of the giant's castle. Fin was terribly +wounded; the axe had cut that deep that his bowels were to be seen. He +dropped at the side of the giant, and lay helpless on the ground. After +the fall of the giant twelve women came out of his castle, and when they +drew near and saw him dead they laughed from joy; but seeing Fin with +his wound they began to mourn. + +"Oh, then," said Fin, "is it making sport of me you are after the evil +day that I've had?" + +"Indeed it is not. We are twelve daughters of kings, stolen from our +fathers. We saw the giant fall, and came here to look at him dead; we +grieve for you and mourn for the sorrow that is on you, but we are so +glad the giant is killed that we cannot help laughing." + +"Well," said Fin, "if you mourn for me and are glad that I have killed +the giant, will you carry me to my currochAin, lay me in it, and push it +out to sea? The waves may bear me home, and I care for nothing else if +only one day my bones may come to land in Erin." + +The twelve women took him up carefully and put him in the boat, and when +the tide came they pushed it out to sea. + +Fin lay in the bottom of the boat barely alive. It floated along, and he +was borne over the waves. Hither and thither went the boat, till at last +one day a blackbird came down on the body of Fin MacCumhail, and began +to pick at his entrails. The blackbird said: + +"Many a long day have I watched and waited for this chance, and glad am +I to have it now." + +That moment the blackbird turned into a little man not more than three +feet high. Then he said: "I was under a Druidic spell, to be a blackbird +till I should get three bites of fat from the entrails of Fin +MacCumhail. I have followed you everywhere; have watched you in battle +and hunt, on sea and land, but never have I been able to get the chance +till this day. Now I have it, I have also the power to make you well +again." + +He put Fin's entrails into their proper place, rubbed him with an +ointment that he had, and Fin was well as ever. + +The little man, who said his name was Ridiri na lan tur (Knight of the +Full Axe) had a small axe, his only weapon. As they floated along he +said to Fin: "I wish to show you some strange things, such as you have +never seen in Erin. We are near a country where the king's daughter is +to be married to-night. We will prevent the ceremony." + +"Oh no," said Fin, "I would rather go to my own home." + +"Never mind," said the little man, "nothing can harm you in my company; +come with me. This is a wonderful king, and he has a wonderful daughter. +It's a strange country, and I want to show you the place. We'll tell him +that you are Fin MacCumhail, monarch of Erin; that we have been +shipwrecked, and ask for a night's shelter." + +Fin consented at last, and with the Knight of the Full Axe landed, drew +the boat on shore, and went to the king's castle. There was noise and +tumult; great crowds of people had come to do honor to the king's +daughter. Never before had such preparations been made in that kingdom. + +The Knight of the Full Axe knocked at the door, and asked admission for +himself and Fin MacCumhail, monarch of Erin, shipwrecked on that shore. +(The country was north of Erin, far out in the sea.) + +The attendants said: "No strangers may enter here, but there is a great +house further on; go there and welcome." + +The house to which they were directed was twenty-one miles long, ten +miles wide, and about five miles distant from the castle; inhabited by +the strangest men in the world, body-guards of the king, fed from the +king's house, and a terrible feeding it was,--human flesh. All strangers +who came to the king's castle were sent to that house, where the guards +tore them to pieces and ate them up. + +These guards had to be fed well; if not they would devour the whole +country. + +With Fin and the Knight of the Full Axe there went a messenger, who was +careful not to go near the house; he pointed it out from a distance, and +ran home. + +Fin and the knight knocked at the door. When it was opened all inside +laughed; as they laughed, Fin could see their hearts and livers they +were so glad. The Knight of the Full Axe asked, "Why do you laugh in +this way?" + +"Oh," answered they, "we laugh because you are so small you'll not make +a mouthful for one of us." + +The guards barred the door and put a prop against it. Now the knight put +a second prop against the door; the guards asked, "Why do you do that?" + +"I do it so none of you may escape me," answered the knight. Then +seizing two of the largest of the guards, one in each hand, he used them +as clubs and killed the others with them. He ran the length of the +house, striking right and left, till he walloped the life out of all +that was in it, but the two. To them he said: "I spare you to clean out +the house, and make the place fit for the monarch of Erin to spend the +night in. Bring rushes, and make ready to receive Fin MacCumhail." + +And from wherever they got them, they brought two baskets of rushes, +each basket as big as a mountain, and spread litter on the ground two +feet deep through the whole house; and then at the knight's command they +brought a pile of turf, and made a grand fire. + +Late in the evening the king's attendants brought food, which they left +near the house of the guards; these monsters were fed twice a day, +morning and evening. To their great surprise the attendants saw the +bodies of the dead giants piled up outside the house; they ran off +quickly to tell the news. + +Now the Knight of the Full Axe sat by the fire. The two guards that he +had spared tried to chat and be agreeable; but the knight snapped at +them and said: "What company are you for the monarch of Erin?" Then he +caught the two, squeezed the life out of them, and threw them on the +pile outside. + +"Now," said the knight to Fin, "there is no suitable food for you; I +must get you something good to eat from the castle." + +So off he started, reached the castle quickly, knocked at the door, and +demanded the best of food, saying, "'Tis fine treatment you are giving +the monarch of Erin to-night!" + +They trembled at the voice of the little man, and without words or delay +gave him the best they had in the castle. He carried it back and placed +it before Fin. "Now," said he, "they have given us no wine; we must have +wine, and that of the best." + +"Oh, we have no need of wine!" said Fin; but off went the knight. + +Again he demanded supplies at the castle. He took a hogshead of the best +wine, threw it over his shoulder, and, as he hurried out, he struck a +jamb off the door and swept it along with the hogshead. + +"Now," said the knight, after they had eaten and drunk, "'tis too bad +for the monarch of Erin to sleep on rushes; he should have the best bed +in the land." + +"Oh, trouble yourself no further," said Fin; "better sleep on rushes +than all this noise." + +But the knight would listen to nothing; away he went to the castle, and +shouted: "Give me the best bed in this place! I want it for Fin +MacCumhail, the monarch of Erin." + +They gave him the bed in a moment. With hurried steps he was back, and +said to Fin: "Rest on this bed. Now I'll stop the wedding of the +princess; you may take her to Erin if you like." + +"Oh, that would not be right! I am well as I am," said Fin, who was +getting in dread of the knight himself. + +"No, you'd better have the princess," and off rushed the knight. He +entered the castle. All were in terror; hither and thither they hurried, +not knowing what to do. The Knight of the Full Axe seized the princess. +"The monarch of Erin is a better man than your bridegroom," said he; and +clapping her under his arm, away he went. Not a man had the courage to +stir. + +All was confusion and fear in the king's castle. The princess was gone +and no one could save her. All were in terrible dread, knowing what had +been done at the long house. + +At last an old hag, one of the queen's waiting-women, said: "I'll go and +see what has become of the princess. I'll go on the chimney and look +down." + +Off ran the hag, and never rested till she was on the top of the +chimney, sticking down her head to know what could she see. The chimney +was wide, for the king's guards had cooked all their food below on the +fire. The Knight of the Full Axe was looking up at the time and saw the +two eyes staring down at him. + +"Go on out of that," cried he, flinging his axe; which stuck in the old +woman's forehead. Off she rushed to the castle. She had seen nothing of +the princess; all she knew was that a little man was sitting by the fire +warming himself, that he had thrown his axe at her, and it had stuck in +her forehead. + +At daylight the knight spoke to Fin, who rose at once. "Now," said he, +"I have no strength left; all my strength is in the axe. While I had +that I could do anything, now I can do nothing. We are in great danger; +but there is such dread of us on the people here that we may mend +matters yet. Do you put on the dress of a leech, get herbs and vials, +and pretend you have great skill in healing. Go to the castle, and say +you can take the axe out of the old hag's head. No man there can do that +without killing her; she will die the minute it is drawn. Get at her, +seize the axe, pull it out, and with it you will have the greatest power +on earth." + +Fin went to the castle, and said: "I am a great doctor. I can take the +axe out of the old woman's head without trouble." + +They took him to the hag, who was sitting upright in bed; her head was +so sore she couldn't lie down. He felt her head around the axe, sent the +people away; when they were gone he took hold of the handle. With one +snap he made two halves of the old woman's head. Fin ran out with the +axe, leaving the old hag dead behind him. He never stopped till he came +where he had left the knight. + +Fin MacCumhail was now the strongest man on earth, and the knight the +weakest. "You may keep the axe," said the little man; "I shall not envy +you, but will go with you and you will protect me." + +"No," said Fin, "it shall never be said that I took the axe from you, +though I know its value and feel its power." + +The knight was glad to get back his axe, and now the two set out for +Erin. Fin kicked the boat three leagues from land, and with a bound they +both came down in it, and floated on till they saw the coast of Erin. +Then the little man said: + +"I must leave you now. Though of your kin, I cannot land in Erin. But if +you need me at any time you have only to look over your right shoulder, +call my name, and you will see me before you." + +Now Fin sprang ashore; he had been absent a year and more, and no man +knew where he was while gone. All thought him lost. Great was the +gladness when Fin came home, and told the Fenians of Erin of what he had +seen and what he had done. + + + + +GILLA NA GRAKIN AND FIN MACCUMHAIL. + + +There was a blacksmith in Dun Kinealy beyond Killybegs, and he had two +young men serving him whose names were CA(C)sa MacRi na Tulach and Lun Dubh +MacSmola. + +When their time was up the young men settled with the blacksmith and +took their pay of him. After they had eaten breakfast in the morning +they went away together. + +When they had gone some distance from the house they changed their gait, +so that when they took one step forward they took two backwards; and +when evening came they were not five perches away from the house where +they had eaten breakfast in the morning. + +Then one said to the other: "I suppose what is on one of us is on the +other." + +"What's that?" asked the first. + +"We are both in love with ScA(C)hide ni WAinanan." + +"That is true," said the other, "we are both in love with the +blacksmith's maid." + +When this was said they turned and went back to the house. The +blacksmith welcomed them, and was glad. + +"You need not welcome us," said they; "we have not come back to you to +seek hire; but we are both in love with ScA(C)hide ni WAinanan, and you'll +have to settle the matter for us." + +"Well," said the blacksmith, "I can do that. We'll open the two doors +of the forge, and let you and the maiden go in and stand in the middle +of the place. Then do you two go out, one at each door, and the man +she'll follow will have her." + +The three came in,--one man went out at each door of the forge; ScA(C)hide +followed Lun Dubh. + +When he saw this CA(C)sa spoke up, and said: "I'm willing to leave her with +you; but turn back a moment here to me, for the word that'll be between +us." + +Lun Dubh turned back into the forge, and CA(C)sa said: "Put your finger on +this anvil." + +Lun Dubh put his finger on the anvil. CA(C)sa, catching up a good spike, +which the old blacksmith had made, and a hammer drove the spike through +the finger of Lun Dubh, fastening him to the anvil. + +"Now," said Lun Dubh to CA(C)sa; "let me go free, and do you take ScA(C)hide; +but I must have the first blow on you in battle or war, or wherever else +I meet you in the world." + +"I will give you that," said CA(C)sa. So he freed his comrade from the +anvil. The young men parted from each other,--Lun Dubh went one way +alone, and CA(C)sa another with ScA(C)hide ni WAinanan. + +As CA(C)sa went along he bought a skin at every house where he could find +one, until he had enough to make clothes in which to disguise himself; +for he was in dread of Lun Dubh, on account of the first blow which he +had the right to strike when they met. + +He put on the skin clothes, and changed his name to Gilla na Grakin (the +fellow of the skins). + +Gilla and his wife held on their way till they came to the castle of Fin +MacCumhail; and the time they came there was no one in the place but +women. + +"Where is Fin MacCumhail with his men to-day?" asked Gilla na Grakin. + +"They are all out hunting," said the women. + +Now Gilla saw that the castle stood with open door facing the wind, and +turning again to the women he asked: "Why do you have the door of the +castle to the wind?" + +"When Fin and his men are at home and the wind comes in at the door, +they all go out, take hold of the castle and turn it around till the +door is on the sheltered side." + +When Gilla na Grakin heard this he went out, put his hands to the +castle, and turned it around till the door was on the sheltered side. + +In the evening when Fin and the Fenians of Erin were coming from the +hunt, they saw the castle turned around, and Fin said to the men: "I'm +afraid we haven't half enough of game for the supper of the strangers +who have come to visit us to-day, there are so many of them that they +have turned the castle around." + +When they came home they saw there was no man there but Gilla na Grakin, +and they wondered at the work he had done. + +Gilla stood before Fin, and said: "Do you want a serving man?" + +"I do indeed," said Fin. + +"What wages will you give me for a year and a day?" asked Gilla. + +"What yourself will ask," replied Fin. + +"I won't ask much," said Gilla; "five pounds for myself, and a room in +the castle for my wife." + +"You shall have both," said Fin. + +"I'm your man now," said Gilla. The whole company spent the first part +of that night in ease, the second in sport, and the third in a short +sleep. + +The next morning all the Fenians of Erin were going to hunt, as the day +before, and Fin said to Gilla na Grakin: "Will you take any man to help +you?" + +"I'll take no man with me but myself; and do you let me go in one part +of the country alone, and go yourself with all your men in another +part." + +"Well," said Fin, "will you find dry glens of ridges, or go in deep +boggy places where there is danger of drowning?" + +"I will go in deep boggy places." + +All left the castle to hunt. Fin and the Fenians of Erin went in one +direction, and Gilla na Grakin in another, and hunted all day. + +When they came home in the evening Gilla na Grakin had a thousand times +more game than Fin and all his men together. + +When Fin saw this he was glad to have such a good man, and was pleased +beyond measure with Gilla na Grakin. The whole company spent that night +as they had the night before,--in ease and sport and sleep. + +Next day Conan Maol was outside with Fin, and he said: "Gilla na Grakin +will destroy the Fenians of Erin and put you and all of us to death, +unless you banish him in some way from this castle." + +"Well;" said Fin to Conan Maol, "I've never had a good man but you +wanted me to put him away. And how could I banish such a man as this if +I tried?" + +"The way to banish him," said Conan Maol, "is to send him to the king of +Lochlin to take from him the pot of plenty that's never without meat, +but has always enough in it to feed the whole world, and bring that pot +to this castle." + +Fin called Gilla na Grakin, and said: "You'll have to go for me now to +the king of Lochlin, and get from him the pot of plenty that is never +without meat, and bring it here to me." + +"Well," said Gilla, "as long as I'm in your service I can't refuse to do +your work." + +So away went Gilla. He took a glen at a step and a hill at a leap till +he came to the shore of the sea, where he caught up two sticks, put one +across the other, then gave them a tip of the hand, and a fine vessel +rose out of the two pieces of wood. + +Gilla na Grakin went on board the vessel, hoisted the sails, and off he +went in a straight line. The music he heard on his way was the whistling +of eels in the sea and the calling of gulls in the air, till he came +under the king's castle in Lochlin. When he came, there were hundreds of +ships standing near the shore, and he had to anchor outside them all; +then he stepped from ship to ship till he stood on land. + +What should there be at the time he landed but a great feast in the +castle of the king. So Gilla went to the front of the castle and stood +outside at the door; but he could go no further for the crowd, and no +one looked at him. At last he shouted: "This is a very hospitable feast, +and you are a people of fine manners not to ask a stranger is he hungry +or thirsty." + +"You are right," said the king, who turned to the people and said: "Give +the pot of plenty to the stranger till he eats his fill." + +The people obeyed the king, and when Gilla na Grakin got hold of the pot +he made for the ship, and never stopped till he was on board. He put +the pot in a safe place below. Then standing on deck he said to himself: +"It is no use to take the pot by my swiftness unless I take it by my +strength." + +So he turned and went to land again. All the heroes and champions of the +king of Lochlin and his whole army were ready to fight, but if they were +so was Gilla na Grakin. + +When he came up to the army he began and went through it as a hawk goes +through a flock of swallows, till he made one heap of their heads and +another heap of their weapons. Then he went to the castle, caught the +king in one hand and the queen in the other, and putting them under his +two arms brought them out in front of the castle and killed each with +the other. + +All was quiet and still at the castle. There wasn't a man alive to stand +up against Gilla na Grakin, who went to his ship, raised the sails, and +started for Erin. All he heard was the spouting of whales, the whistling +of eels, the calling of gulls, and the roar of the wind, as the ship +rushed back to the place where he had made it in Erin. When he reached +that place he gave the ship a tip of his hand, and there before him was +the pot of plenty, and with it the two sticks which he had found on the +shore of the sea when he was going to the castle of the king of Lochlin. + +He left the sticks where he found them, put the pot on his back, and +hurried away to the castle of Fin MacCumhail. + +Fin and all the Fenians of Erin were glad to see Gilla na Grakin, and +Fin thanked him for the work he had done. + +The first part of that night they spent in ease, the second in sport, +the third in a hurried sleep. + +Next morning they rose and had breakfast from the pot. From that day +out they hunted for pleasure alone. They had enough and to spare from +the pot of plenty. + +Another day Conan Maol was outside the castle with Fin, and he said: +"Gilla na Grakin will destroy you and me and all of us unless we find +some way of putting him to death." + +"What do you want him to do now?" asked Fin. + +"Let him go," said Conan Maol, to the king of the Flood, "and bring back +the cup that is never drained." + +Fin went to the castle and called up Gilla na Grakin. "I want you to go +now," said he, "to the king of the Flood, and bring me his cup that is +never dry." + +When he heard Fin's words, Gilla went off without delay; he took a glen +at a step, and a hill at a leap, till he came to the sea. There he took +up two sticks of wood, threw one across the other, and they became a +fine large ship. + +Away he sailed in a straight line, listening as he went to the spouting +of whales, the whistling of eels and the calling of gulls, and never +stopped till he anchored outside the castle of the king of the Flood. +There was many a ship at land before him, so he stopped outside them +all, and stepped from ship to ship till he reached the shore. + +The king of the Flood was giving a great feast that day. Gilla na Grakin +went to the castle, but could not enter, so great was the throng. He +stood at the door a while, and then called out, "You are an ill-mannered +people, not to ask a stranger is he hungry or dry!" + +The king heard these words, and said, "You are right;" and turning to +his people said, "Give this stranger the cup till he drinks his fill." + +As soon as ever Gilla got the cup in his hands, he made for the ship and +never stopped till he put the cup in the hold of the vessel. Then he +came on deck, and thought, "It's no use to take the cup with my +swiftness, unless I take it with my strength." + +So back he turned to the castle, and when he reached land, the whole +army and all the champions of the king of the Flood stood ready to +oppose him. When he came up, he went through them as a hawk through a +flock of swallows. He made a heap of their heads in one place, and a +heap of their weapons in another, and then went back to the ship without +thinking of the king and the queen of the Flood--forgot them. + +He raised his sails and went away, listening to music on the sea till he +touched land in Erin. Then he took the cup in one hand, struck the ship +with the other, turned it into the two sticks which he had found on the +shore, and travelled on till he came to the castle of Fin MacCumhail and +gave up the cup. + +"You're the best man I have ever had," said Fin; "and I give you my +thanks and praise for the work you have done." + +In the castle they spent the first part of that night in ease, the +second in sport, and the third in a hurried sleep. + +Next morning said Fin to the Fenians of Erin, "We needn't leave the +house now unless we like. We have the best of eating from the pot, and +the best of drinking from the cup. The one is never empty, and the other +is never dry, and we'll go hunting in future only to pass the time for +ourselves." + +One day Conan Maol was out with Fin a third time, and said he: "If we +don't find some way to kill Gilla na Grakin, he'll destroy you and me, +and all the Fenians of Erin." + +"Well," asked Fin, "where do you want to send him this time?" + +"I want him to go to the eastern world, and find out what was it that +left the Gruagach with but the one hair on his head." + +Fin went to the castle, called up Gilla na Grakin, and said: + +"You must go for me now to the eastern world, to know what was it that +left the Gruagach with the one hair on his head." + +"Well," said Gilla, "I never knew that you wanted to put me to death +till this minute; I know it now. But still so long as I'm in your +service I can't refuse to do your work." + +Then Gilla na Grakin stepped out of the castle door, and away he went to +the eastern world. He took a glen at a step, a hill at a leap, and lochs +and seas at a bound till he entered the Gruagach's house in the eastern +world. + +"What is your errand to me," asked the Gruagach, "and why have you come +to my house?" + +"I have come," said Gilla, "to know what was it that left you with the +one hair on your head." + +"Sit down here and rest yourself to-night, and if you are a good man, +I'll tell you to-morrow," said the Gruagach. + +When bedtime came the Gruagach said: "There is an iron harrow there +beyond, with teeth on both sides of it; go now and stretch yourself on +that harrow, and sleep till morning." + +When daylight came, the Gruagach was on his feet, and asked Gilla was he +up. + +"I am," said he. After they had eaten breakfast, the Gruagach went to +another room and brought out two iron loops. One of these he put on +Gilla's neck, and the other on his own, and then they began to jerk the +loops and pull one another and they fought till late in the afternoon; +neither had the upper hand, but if one man was weaker than the other, +that man was Gilla na Grakin. + +"And now," thought he to himself, "the Gruagach will take my life, and +my wife will never know what became of me." The thought gave him +strength and power, so up he sprang, and with the first pull he gave he +put the Gruagach to his knees in the ground, with the second he put him +to his waist, with the third to his shoulders. + +"Indeed," said Gilla, "it would be easier for me to strike the head off +you now, than to let you go; but if I took your head I shouldn't have my +master's work done." + +"If you let me go," said the Gruagach, "I'll tell you what happened to +me, and why I have but the one hair on my head." + +Gilla set him free, then the two sat down together, and the Gruagach +began:-- + +"I was living here, without trouble or annoyance from any man, till one +day a hare ran in, made an unseemly noise under that table there, and +insulted us. I was here myself at the time with my wife and my son and +my daughter; and we had a hound, a beagle, and a black horse. + +"The hare ran out from under the table, and I made after the hare, and +my wife and son and daughter, with the horse and the two dogs, followed +me. + +"When the hare was on the top of a hill, I had almost hold of his hind +legs, but I never caught him. + +"When night was near, the hare came to the walls of a great castle, and +as he was jumping over, I hit him a blow on the hind leg with a stick, +but in he went to the castle. + +"Out came an old hag, and screamed, 'Who is it that worried the pet of +this castle!' + +"I said it was myself that did it. Then she faced me, and made at me and +the fight began between us. We fought all that night, and the next day +till near evening. Then she turned around and pulled a Druidic rod out +of herself, ran from me and struck my wife and son and daughter and the +two hounds and the horse with the Druidic rod and made stones of them. + +"Then she turned on me again and there wasn't but the one hair left on +my head from the desperate fighting, and she looked at me, and said: + +"'I'll let you go this time but I'll give you a good payment before you +leave.' She caught hold of me then in the grip of her one hand and with +the other she took a sharp knife and stripped all the skin and flesh off +my back, from my waist to my heels. Then, taking the skin of a rough +shaggy goat, she clapped it on to me in place of my own skin and flesh, +and told me to go my way. + +"I left the old hag and the castle behind, but the skin grew to me and I +wear it to this day." And here the Gruagach turned to Gilla na Grakin +and showed him the goatskin growing on his body in place of his own skin +and flesh. + +"Well," said Gilla, when he saw the shaggy back of the Gruagach, "does +that hare come here to insult you yet?" + +"He does, indeed," said the Gruagach, "but I haven't taken a bite nor a +sup off that table since his first visit." "Let us sit down there now," +said Gilla na Grakin. + +They sat down at the table, but they were not sitting long till the hare +came, repeated the insult, and ran out. + +Gilla na Grakin made after the hare, and the Gruagach after Gilla. + +Gilla ran as fast as ever his legs could carry him, and he was often +that near that he used to stretch his arm out after the hare, and almost +catch him; but he never touched him till near night, when he was +clearing the wall. Then Gilla caught him by the two hind legs, and, +swinging him over his own shoulder, dashed him against the wall, tore +the head from the body, and sent it bounding across the courtyard of the +castle. + +Out rushed an old hag that minute. She had but one tooth and that in her +upper jaw, and she used this tooth for a crutch. + +"Who has killed the pet of this castle!" shrieked she. + +"It was I that killed him," said Gilla na Grakin. Then the two made at +one another,--the hag and Gilla. They fought all that night and next +day. With their fighting they made the hard rocks soft, and water to +spring out through the middle of them. All the land of the eastern world +was trembling as the evening drew near, and if one of the two was +getting weak from the struggle and tired, that one was Gilla na Grakin. +When he saw this he thought to himself, "Isn't it a pity if an old hag +puts me to death, me, who has put to death many a strong hero." + +At this thought he sprang up and seized the hag. With the first thrust +which he gave her into the ground he put her to the knees, with the +second to her waist, with the third to her shoulders. + +"Now," said the old hag to Gilla, "don't kill me, and I'll give you the +rod of druidism (_enchantment_), which I have between my skin and +flesh." + +"Oh, you wicked old wretch! I'll have that after your death, and no +thanks to you," said Gilla. With that he swept the head off of her with +a single blow. + +Then the head jumped at the body, and tried to get its place again, but +Gilla stood between them, and kept the head off till the body was cold. +Then he took out the rod of enchantment from between the skin and the +flesh, and threw the body and the head of the old hag aside. + +The Gruagach came up, and Gilla said, "Show me now the stones which were +once your wife and children, your dogs and your horse." + +The Gruagach went with him to the stones. Gilla struck each with the +rod, and the wife, the son, the daughter, the hounds and the horse of +the Gruagach were alive again. + +When this was done, Gilla turned to the Gruagach, struck the goatskin +from his body, and gave him his own skin and flesh back again with the +power of the rod. + +When all were restored, they started for the Gruagach's house, and when +there the Gruagach said to Gilla na Grakin,-- + +"Stay here with me till you get your rest. We won't leave this place for +a year and a day, and then I'll go with you to the castle of Fin +MacCumhail and give witness to Fin of all that has happened to me and +all you have done." + +"Oh," said Gilla na Grakin, "I can't stay to rest, I must go now!" + +The Gruagach was so glad that he had got back all his family and his +own flesh that he followed Gilla, and they set out for the castle of Fin +MacCumhail in Erin. + +They took a glen at a step, a hill at a leap, and the sea at a bound. + +Conan Maol, who was outside the castle when they came in sight, ran in +and said to Fin, "Gilla na Grakin and the Gruagach are coming, and +they'll destroy all that's about the castle, and all that's inside as +well!" + +"If they do," said Fin, "it's your own fault, and you have no one to +blame but yourself." + +"Well," said Conan Maol, "I'll lie down here in the cradle, and put a +steel cap on my head." + +Conan lay down in the cradle. Gilla and the Gruagach came into the +castle. The Gruagach sat down near the cradle. Then he said to Fin, "I +came here with Gilla na Grakin to bear witness to you of all that has +happened to me, and of all he has done." + +Then he told Fin the whole story of what they had gone through and what +they had done. + +With that the Gruagach put his hand behind him and asked: "How old is +this child lying here in the cradle?" + +"Only three years," said Fin's wife. + +Then the Gruagach took the steel cap between his thumb and fingers, +thinking it was the head of the child, and squeezed till the steel +cracked with a loud snap, but the child didn't cry. + +"Oh, there's the making of a man in him. If he gets age he'll be a +champion," said the Gruagach. + +Next day the Gruagach left Fin's castle and went to his own place and +family. + +Gilla na Grakin's time was now up, for he had served a year and a day. + +Fin went out to wash himself in a spring near the castle, and when he +looked into the spring a spirit spoke up out of the water to him and +said: + +"You must give back his cup to the king of the Flood, or you must give +him battle in its place." + +Fin went back to the castle, lamenting the state he was in. + +Conan Maol said, "You look like a sorrowful man." + +"Why shouldn't I be?" said Fin. "A spirit spoke to me from the spring +outside, and told me I must give back the cup to the king of the Flood, +or give him battle in place of it. Now Gilla's time is up, and I don't +know what to do." + +"Well," said Conan Maol, "do you go now and speak to him, and maybe +he'll do you a good turn." + +Fin went to Gilla na Grakin, and told him what happened at the spring. + +"My time is up, as you know," said Gilla, "and I cannot serve on time +that is past; but if you want me to go, you must watch my wife ScA(C)hide +ni WAinanan on Friday night; and in the middle of the night, when she is +combing her hair, any request you'll make of her she can't refuse. The +request you'll make is that she'll let me go with you to the king of the +Flood, to take the cup to his castle and bring it back again." + +Fin watched the time closely, and when the middle of Friday night came, +he looked through a hole in the door and saw ScA(C)hide combing her hair. +Then he asked his request of her. + +"Well," answered she, "I can't refuse, but you must promise me to bring +back Gilla, dead or alive." + +Fin promised her that. + +Next morning Fin MacCumhail and Gilla na Grakin set out for the castle +of the king of the Flood, taking the cup with them. + +They walked over Erin till they came to the shore of the sea. There +Gilla caught up two pieces of wood, and putting one across the other, +struck them a tip of his fingers, and out of them rose a fine ship. He +and Fin went on board, sailed away, and never stopped till they cast +anchor outside all the ships, under the castle of the king of the Flood. +The two walked on from deck to deck till they stood on shore. + +They went a short distance from the castle of the king and pitched a +tent. + +Said Gilla to Fin, "Now we are hungry, and I must find food for you and +myself." + +So Gilla na Grakin went to the castle and asked food of the king of the +Flood. + +"You'll get nothing to eat from me. I have no food in this place to give +you or the like of you; but there is a wild bull in the wood outside. +Find him: if you kill him, you'll have something to eat; if not you'll +go fasting," said the king of the Flood to Gilla na Grakin. + +Gilla went out to the wood, and when the wild bull saw a man coming +towards him he drove his horns into the ground, and put an acre of land +over his own back. Then he threw up an oak-tree, roots and all, till it +nearly reached the sky, and made at Gilla na Grakin. But if he did, +Gilla was ready for him and faced him, and when the bull came up, he +caught him by the horns and threw him to the ground; then putting a foot +on one horn, he took the other in his two hands, split the bull from +muzzle to tail, and made two halves of him. + +Gilla carried the carcass to the tent, and when he had taken off the +skin he said to Fin, "We have no pot to boil the meat in. Well, I'll go +to the king again." + +So off he went and knocked at the castle door. + +"What do you want now?" asked the king. + +"I want a pot," said Gilla, "to boil the wild bull." + +"Well," said the king, "I have no pot for you but that big pot back in +the yard, in which we boil stuff for the pigs. I'll give you the loan of +that if you are able to carry it." + +"It's good to get that itself from a bad person," said Gilla na Grakin, +and away he went to look for the pot behind the castle. + +At last he found it, and when he put it down at the tent he said to Fin, +"We have nothing now to boil the pot with, nothing to make a fire." + +Then he went a third time to the castle, knocked at the door, and out +came the king. "What do you want now?" asked he. + +"Fire to boil the bull." + +"Go to the wood and get firewood for yourself, or do without it. You'll +get no firewood from me," said the king of the Flood. + +Gilla went out, got plenty of wood and boiled the whole bull. + +"We are well off now," said he to Fin; "we have plenty to eat." + +Next morning Gilla na Grakin went to the castle and knocked. + +"Who is that?" asked the king, without opening the door. + +"I want no chat nor questions from you," said Gilla, "but get me a +breakfast." "I have no breakfast now," said the king; "but wait a +minute and you'll get a hot breakfast from me." + +That moment the signal was sounded for the armies of the king of the +Flood to take Gilla na Grakin and his master. + +When the armies stood ready Gilla began and went through them as a hawk +through sparrows. He made one heap of their heads and another of their +weapons,--didn't leave a man living. Then he went into the castle and +taking the king of the Flood in one hand and the queen in the other, he +killed each of them against the other. + +Now all was quiet at the castle. Gilla na Grakin struck the tent and +went to the ship with Fin MacCumhail, who had the cup that was never +dry. + +They raised the sails and went over the sea toward Erin, till they saw a +large ship on one side of them. + +"If it's going to help us that ship is," said Fin, "'tis all the better +for us, but if 'tis going against us she is, that's the bad part of it." + +As the ship came near, Gilla na Grakin looked at her sharply, and said +to Fin, "I think it's Lun Dubh that's on that ship." + +"Well," said Fin, "maybe he'll not know you in a strange dress." + +When Lun Dubh came alongside, he called out: "I know you well, and it's +not by your dress that I know you, CA(C)sa MacRi na Tulach." Then Lun Dubh +sprang on deck, raised his hand, struck Gilla, and stretched him dead. + +Fin sailed away with the body of Gilla na Grakin, and when he came in +sight of the shore of Erin he raised a black flag; for he had promised +Gilla's wife to raise a white flag if her husband was well, but a black +one if he was dead. + +When he came to the shore, ScA(C)hide ni WAinanan was there before him, and +she had a large, roomy box. When she saw Fin she said, "You have him +dead with you?" + +"I have," said Fin. + +"What will you do with him now?" asked she. + +"I will bury him decently," said Fin. + +"You will not," said she; "you will put him in this box." + +Then Fin put him in the box. She went aside and got some fresh shamrock +and went into the box with Gilla. Then she told Fin to push the box out +to sea, and putting down the cover fastened it inside. + +Fin pushed the box out into the sea, and away it went driven by wind and +waves, till one day ScA(C)hide looked out through a hole and saw two +sparrows flying and a dead one between them. The two living sparrows let +the dead one down on an island. Soon they rose up again, and the dead +one was living. + +Said ScA(C)hide to herself, "There might be something on that island that +would cure my husband as it cured the dead bird." + +Now the sea put the box in on the island. ScA(C)hide unfastened the cover, +came out, and walked around the island. Nothing could she find but a +small spring of water in a rock. "It's in this the cure may be," thought +she, as she looked at the water. Then taking off one of her shoes she +put it full of the water, took it to the box, and poured it on Gilla na +Grakin. That moment he stood up alive and well. Gilla walked along the +shore till he found two pieces of wood. He threw one across the other, +gave them a tip of his hand, a fine large ship stood there at the shore, +and in it he sailed with ScA(C)hide back to Erin. + +When they landed he turned the vessel into two sticks again with a tip +of the hand, and set out with his wife for the castle of Fin MacCumhail +in TirConal. + +They came to the castle of Fin at midnight. Gilla knocked and said, "Put +my wages out to me." + +"Well," said Fin inside, "there is no man, alive or dead, that has wages +on me but Gilla na Grakin, and I would rather see that fellow here than +the wages of three men." + +"Well, rise up now and you'll see him," said Gilla. + +Fin rose up, saw his man, gave him his wages with thanks and Gilla +departed. + +At the break of day they saw a great house before them. A man walked out +with a kerchief bound on his head. + +When Gilla na Grakin came up, he knew the man, and raising his hand, +struck him dead with a blow. + +"I have satisfaction on Lun Dubh, now," said Gilla to the wife. The two +went into the house and stayed there, and may be there yet for anything +we know. We are the luck and they are the winners. + + + + +FIN MACCUMHAIL, THE SEVEN BROTHERS AND THE KING OF FRANCE. + + +When Fin MacCumhail with seven companies of the Fenians of Erin was +living at Tara of the Kings, he went hunting one day with the seven +companies; and while out on the mountains seven young men came towards +him and when they came up and stood before him he asked their names of +them. + +Each gave his name in turn, beginning with the eldest, and their names +were Strong, son of Strength; Wise, son of Wisdom; Builder, son of +Builder; Whistler, son of Whistler; Guide, son of Guide; Climber, son of +Climber; Thief, son of Thief. + +The seven young men pleased Fin; they were looking for service, so he +hired them for a year and a day. + +When Fin and the Fenians of Erin went home that night from the hunt +there was a message at the castle before them from the king of France to +Fin MacCumhail and the Fenians of Erin, asking them to come over to him +on a most important affair. + +Fin held a council straightway and said, "France is a thousand miles +from this and the sea between it and Erin; how can we go to the king of +France?" + +Then Strong, son of Strength, spoke up and said: "What is the use of +hiring us if we can't do this work and the like of it? If you'll make a +ship here, or in any place, I'll pull it in the sea." + +"And I," said Builder, "will make a ship fit for you or any king on +earth with one blow of this axe in my hand." + +"That's what I want," said Fin, "and now do you make that ship for me." + +"I will," said Builder. + +"Well," said Strong, "I'll put your ship in the sea." + +Builder made the ship there at Tara of the Kings and then Strong brought +it to the seashore and put it in the water. Fin and the Fenians of Erin +went on board, and Guide took the ship from Erin to France. + +When Fin and his men went to the king of France he was glad to see them +and said: + +"I'll tell you the reason now I asked you here, and the business I have +with you. This time three years ago my wife had a son, two years ago a +second, one year ago a third, and the neighbors' wives are thinking +she'll have another child soon. Immediately they were born the three +were taken away, and I want you to save the fourth; for we all think it +will be taken from us like the other three. When each one of the others +was sleeping, a hand came down the chimney to the cradle and took the +child away with it up the chimney. There is meat and drink in plenty in +that room for you and the Fenians of Erin. My only request is that +you'll watch the child." + +"We'll do that," said Fin, and he went into the chamber with men enough +to watch and the seven brothers with him. Then the seven said: "Do you +and the men go to sleep for yourselves, and we'll do the watching." So +Fin and the men went to sleep. The child was born early in the evening +and put in the cradle. At the dead of night Wise said to Strong: "Now is +your time; the hand is near; keep your eye on it." + +Soon he saw the hand coming lower and lower and moving towards the +child; and when it was going into the cradle, Strong caught the hand and +it drew him up nearly to the top of the chimney. Then he pulled it down +to the ashes; again it drew him up. + +They were that way all night,--the hand drawing Strong almost to the top +of the chimney and out of the house and Strong dragging the hand down to +the hearth. They were up and down the chimney till break of day; and +every stone in the castle of the king of France was trembling in its +place from the struggle. + +But at break of day Strong tore from its shoulder the arm with the hand, +and there was peace. Now all rose up at the castle. The king came and +was glad when he saw the child. + +Then Fin spoke up and said: "We have done no good thing yet till we +bring back the other three to you." + +Wise spoke up and said: "I know very well where the other three are, and +I'll show you the place." + +So all set out and they followed him to the castle of Mal MacMulcan and +there they saw the three sons of the King of France carrying water to +MacMulcan to cool the shoulder from which the arm had been torn by +Strong. + +Then Wise said to Climber: "Now is your time to take the children away; +for we can do it without being seen; but if Mal MacMulcan were to see +the children going from him, he'd destroy the whole world. But as it is +when he finds the children are gone, he has a sister there near himself, +and he'll break her head against the wall of the castle." + +Then Climber took a clew from his pocket and threw it over the walls of +the castle, and the walls were so high that no bird of the air could fly +over them. Then they fixed a rope ladder on the castle. Wise, Guide, and +Climber went up the ladder and at break of day they brought away the +three children and gave them to the king of France that morning. And the +king of France was so glad when he saw his three sons that he said to +Fin: "I will give you your ship full of the most precious stuffs in my +kingdom." + +"I will take nothing for myself," said Fin; "but do you give what you +like to my seven young men who have done the work;" and the seven said +they wouldn't take anything while they were serving with him. So Fin +took the present from the king of France and set sail for Erin with the +Fenians and the seven young men. + +While they were on the way to Erin they saw the sea raging after them. +Wise, son of Wisdom, said: "That is Mal MacMulcan coming to get +satisfaction out of us." + +Then MacMulcan caught hold of the ship by the stern and pulled it down +till the masts touched the sea. Strong caught him by the left remaining +hand, and the two began to fight, and at last Strong pulled him on to +the deck of the ship. + +"Our ship will be sunk," said Wise, "and Fin with the Fenians of Erin +and the seven of us will be drowned unless you make a flail out of +MacMulcan and thrash the head off his body on the deck of the ship." + +Strong made a flail out of MacMulcan and killed him, and the sea was +filled with blood in a minute of time. Then the ship moved on without +harm till they came to the same spot in Erin from which they had sailed. + +When Fin came to the place where he had hired the seven young men the +year and a day were over. He paid them their hire and they left him. +Then he came to his own castle at Tara of the Kings. + +One day Fin went out walking alone, and he met an old hag by the way. +She spoke up to him and asked: "Would you play a game of cards with me?" + +"I would," said Fin, "if I had the means of playing." + +The old hag pulled out a pack of cards and said: "Here you have the +means of playing as many games as you like." + +They sat down and played; Fin got the first game on the old woman. Then +she said, "Put the sentence on me now." + +"I will not," said Fin; "I'll do nothing till we play another game." + +They played again and she won the second game. Then she said to Fin, +"You will have to go and bring here for me the head of Curucha na Gras +and the sword that guards his castle; and I won't give you leave to take +away any of your men with you but one, and he is the worst of them +all,--'Iron back without action,' and the time for your journey is a +year and a day. Now what is your sentence on me?" said the old hag. + +"You'll put one foot," said Fin, "on the top of my castle in Tara of the +Kings, and the other on a hill in Mayo, and you'll stand with your back +to the wind and your face to the storm, a sheaf of wheat on the ground +before the gate will be all you'll have to eat, and any grain that will +be blown out of it, if you catch that you'll have it, and you'll be that +way till I come back." + +So Fin went away with himself and "Iron back without action." And when +they had gone as far as a large wood that was by the roadside, a thick +fog came on them, and rain, and they sat down at the edge of the wood +and waited. Soon they saw a red-haired boy with a bow and arrows +shooting birds, and whenever he hit a bird he used to put the arrow +through its two eyes and not put a drop of blood on its feathers. + +And when the red boy came near Fin, he drew his bow, sent an arrow +through "Iron back without action," and put the life out of him. + +When he did that Fin said, "You have left me without any man, though +this was the worst of all I have." + +"You'd better hire me," said the red boy; "you've lost nothing, for you +were without a man when you had that fellow the same as you are now." + +So Fin hired the red boy and asked him his name. "I won't tell you +that," said he, "but do you put the name on me that'll please yourself." + +"Well," said Fin, "since I met you in the rain and the mist I'll call +you Misty." + +"That'll be my name while I'm with you," said the red boy, "and now +we'll cast lots to see which of us will carry the other;" and the lot +fell upon Misty. He raised Fin on his back to carry him, and the first +leap he took was six miles, and every step a mile, and he went on +without stopping till he was in the Western World. When they came to +the castle of Curucha na Gras, Fin and Misty put up a tent for +themselves and they were hungry enough after the long road, and Misty +said, "I will go and ask Curucha for something to eat." He went to the +castle and put a fighting blow on the door. Curucha came out and Misty +asked him for bread. + +"I wouldn't give you the leavings of my pigs," said Curucha. + +Misty turned and left him, but on the way he met the bakers bringing +bread from the bake house and he caught all their loaves from them and +ran home to Fin. "We have plenty to eat now," said Misty, "but nothing +at all to drink. I must go to Curucha to know will he give us something +to drink." + +He went a second time to the castle, put a fighting blow on the door, +and out came Curucha. + +"What do you want this time?" asked he. + +"I want drink for myself and my master, Fin MacCumhail." + +"You'll get no drink from me. I wouldn't give you the dirty ditch-water +that's outside my castle." + +Misty turned to go home, but on the way he met twelve boys each carrying +the full of his arms of bottles of wine. He took every bottle from them, +and it wasn't long till he was in the tent. + +"Now we can eat and drink our fill." + +"We can indeed," said Fin. Next morning Misty put another fighting blow +on the door of the castle. Out flew Curucha with his guardian sword in +his hand, and he made at Misty. With the first blow he gave him, he took +an ear off his head. + +Misty sprang back, drew his bow, and sent an arrow into Curucha's +breast. It flew out through his head and he fell lifeless on the ground. +Then Misty drew his knife, cut off the head, and carried the head and +the sword to Fin MacCumhail, and Fin was glad to get them both. + +"Take the head," said Misty, "and put it on top of the holly bush that's +out here above us." Fin put the head on the holly bush, and the minute +he put it there the head burnt the bush to the earth, and the earth to +the clay. + +Then they took the best horse that could be found about Curucha's +castle. Fin sat on the horse, with the sword and head in front of him; +and Misty followed behind. + +They went their way and never stopped till they came to the place where +Misty sent the arrow through "Iron back without action" and killed him. +When they came to that spot, Misty asked Fin would he tell him a story, +and Fin answered, "I have no story to tell except that we are in the +place now where you killed my man." + +"Oh, then," said Misty, "I'm glad you put that in my mind for I'll give +him back to you now." So they went and took "Iron back without action" +out of the ground; then Misty struck him with a rod of enchantment which +he had, and brought life into him again. + +Then Misty turned to Fin and said: "I am a brother of the seven boys who +went with you to save the children of the king of France. I was too +young for action at that time, but my mother sent me here now as a gift +to help you and tell you what to do. When you go to the hag she'll ask +you for the sword, but you'll not give it, you'll only show it to her. +And when she has seen the sword she'll ask for the head. And you'll not +give the head to her either, you'll only show it; and when she sees the +head, she'll open her mouth with joy at seeing the head of her brother; +and when you see her open her mouth be sure to strike her on the breast +with the head; and if you don't do that, the whole world wouldn't be +able to kill her." + +Then Fin left Misty where he met him and with "Iron back without action" +he made for Tara of the Kings. + +When he came in front of the old hag she asked him had he the gifts. Fin +said he had. She asked for the sword but she didn't get it, Fin only +showed it to her. Then she asked for the head, and when she saw the +head, she opened her mouth with delight at seeing the head of her +brother. + +While she stood there with open mouth gazing, Fin picked out the mark +and struck her on the breast with the head. She fell to the ground; they +left her there dead and went into the castle. + + + + +BLACK, BROWN, AND GRAY. + + +On a day Fin MacCumhail was near Tara of the Kings, south of +Ballyshannon, hunting with seven companies of the Fenians of Erin. + +During the day they saw three strange men coming towards them, and Fin +said to the Fenians: "Let none of you speak to them, and if they have +good manners they'll not speak to you nor to any man till they come to +me." + +When the three men came up, they said nothing till they stood before Fin +himself. Then he asked what their names were and what they wanted. They +answered:-- + +"Our names are Dubh, Dun, and GlasAin [Black, Brown, and Gray]. We have +come to find Fin MacCumhail, chief of the Fenians of Erin, and take +service with him." + +Fin was so well pleased with their looks that he brought them home with +him that evening and called them his sons. Then he said, "Every man who +comes to this castle must watch the first night for me, and since three +of you have come together, each will watch one third of the night. +You'll cast lots to see who'll watch first and second." + +Fin had the trunk of a tree brought, three equal parts made of it, and +one given to each of the men. + +Then he said, "When each of you begins his watch he will set fire to his +own piece of wood, and so long as the wood burns he will watch." + +The lot fell to Dubh to go on the first watch. Dubh set fire to his +log, then went out around the castle, the dog Bran with him. He wandered +on, going further and further from the castle, and Bran after him. At +last he saw a bright light and went towards it. When he came to the +place where the light was burning, he saw a large house. He entered the +house and when inside saw a great company of most strange looking men, +drinking out of a single cup. + +The chief of the party, who was sitting on a high place, gave the cup to +the man nearest him; and when he had drunk his fill out of it, he passed +it to his neighbor, and so on to the last. + +While the cup was going the round of the company, the chief said, "This +is the great cup that was taken from Fin MacCumhail a hundred years ago; +and as much as each man wishes to drink he always gets from it, and no +matter how many men there may be, or what they wish for, they always +have their fill." + +Dubh sat near the door on the edge of the crowd, and when the cup came +to him he drank a little, then slipped out and hurried away in the dark; +when he came to the fountain at the castle of Fin MacCumhail, his log +was burned. + +As the second lot had fallen on Dun, it was now his turn to watch, so he +set fire to his log and went out, in the place of Dubh, with the dog +Bran after him. + +Dun walked on through the night till he saw a fire. He went towards it, +and when he had come near he saw a large house, which he entered; and +when inside he saw a crowd of strange looking men, fighting. They were +ferocious, wonderful to look at, and fighting wildly. + +The chief, who had climbed on the crossbeams of the house to escape the +uproar and struggle, called out to the crowd below: "Stop fighting now; +for I have a better gift than the one you have lost this night." And +putting his hand behind his belt, he drew out a knife and held it before +them, saying: "Here is the wonderful knife, the small knife of division, +that was stolen from Fin MacCumhail a hundred years ago, and if you cut +on a bone with the knife, you'll get the finest meat in the world, and +as much of it as ever your hearts can wish for." + +Then he passed down the knife and a bare bone to the man next him, and +the man began to cut; and off came slices of the sweetest and best meat +in the world. + +The knife and the bone passed from man to man till they came to Dun, who +cut a slice off the bone, slipped out unseen, and made for Fin's castle +as fast as his two legs could carry him through the darkness and over +the ground. + +When he was by the fountain at the castle, his part of the log was +burned and his watch at an end. + +Now GlasAin set fire to his stick of wood and went out on his watch and +walked forward till he saw the light and came to the same house that +Dubh and Dun had visited. Looking in he saw the place full of dead +bodies, and thought, "There must be some great wonder here. If I lie +down in the midst of these and put some of them over me to hide myself, +I shall be able to see what is going on." + +He lay down and pulled some of the bodies over himself. He wasn't there +long when he saw an old hag coming into the house. She had but one leg, +one arm, and one upper tooth, which was as long as her leg and served +her in place of a crutch. When inside the door she took up the first +corpse she met and threw it aside; it was lean. As she went on she took +two bites out of every fat corpse she met, and threw every lean one +aside. + +She had her fill of flesh and blood before she came to GlasAin; and as +soon as she had that, she dropped down on the floor, lay on her back, +and went to sleep. + +Every breath she drew, GlasAin was afraid she'd drag the roof down on top +of his head, and every time she let a breath out of her he thought she'd +sweep the roof off the house. + +Then he rose up, looked at her, and wondered at the bulk of her body. At +last he drew his sword, hit her a slash, and if he did, three young +giants sprang forth. + +GlasAin killed the first giant, the dog Bran killed the second, and the +third ran away. + +GlasAin now hurried back, and when he reached the fountain at Fin's +castle, his log of wood was burned, and day was dawning. + +When all had risen in the morning, and the Fenians of Erin came out, Fin +said to Dubh, "Have you anything new or wonderful to tell me after the +night's watching?" + +"I have," said Dubh; "for I brought back the drinking-cup that you lost +a hundred years ago. I was out in the darkness watching. I walked on, +and the dog Bran with me till I saw a light. When I came to the light I +found a house, and in the house a company feasting. The chief was a very +old man, and sat on a high place above the rest. He took out the cup and +said: 'This is the cup that was stolen from Fin MacCumhail a hundred +years ago, and it is always full of the best drink in the world; and +when one of you has drunk from the cup pass it on to the next.' + +"They drank and passed the cup till it came to me. I took it and hurried +back. When I came here, my log was burned and my watch was finished. +Here now is the cup for you," said Dubh to Fin MacCumhail. + +Fin praised him greatly for what he had done, and turning to Dun said: +"Now tell us what happened in your watch." + +"When my turn came I set fire to the log which you gave me, and walked +on; the dog Bran following, till I saw a light. When I came to the +light, I found a house in which was a crowd of people, all fighting +except one very old man on a high place above the rest. He called to +them for peace, and told them to be quiet. 'For,' said he, 'I have a +better gift for you than the one you lost this night,' and he took out +the small knife of division with a bare bone, and said: 'This is the +knife that was stolen from Fin MacCumhail, a hundred years ago, and +whenever you cut on the bone with the knife, you'll get your fill of the +best meat on earth.' + +"Then he handed the knife and the bone to the man nearest him, who cut +from it all the meat he wanted, and then passed it to his neighbor. The +knife went from hand to hand till it came to me, then I took it, slipped +out, and hurried away. When I came to the fountain, my log was burned, +and here are the knife and bone for you." + +"You have done a great work, and deserve my best praise," said Fin. "We +are sure of the best eating and drinking as long as we keep the cup and +the knife." + +"Now what have you seen in your part of the night?" said Fin to GlasAin. + +"I went out," said GlasAin, "with the dog Bran, and walked on till I saw +a light, and when I came to the light I saw a house, which I entered. +Inside were heaps of dead men, killed in fighting, and I wondered +greatly when I saw them. At last I lay down in the midst of the corpses, +put some of them over me and waited to see what would happen. + +"Soon an old hag came in at the door, she had but one arm, one leg, and +the one tooth out of her upper jaw, and that tooth as long as her leg, +and she used it for a crutch as she hobbled along. She threw aside the +first corpse she met and took two bites out of the second,--for she +threw every lean corpse away and took two bites out of every fat one. +When she had eaten her fill, she lay down on her back in the middle of +the floor and went to sleep. I rose up then to look at her, and every +time she drew a breath I was in dread she would bring down the roof of +the house on the top of my head, and every time she let a breath out of +her, I thought she'd sweep the roof from the building, so strong was the +breath of the old hag. + +"Then I drew my sword and cut her with a blow, but if I did three young +giants sprang up before me. I killed the first, Bran killed the second, +but the third escaped. I walked away then, and when I was at the +fountain outside, daylight had come and my log was burned." + +"Between you and me," said Fin, "it would have been as well if you had +let the old hag alone. I am greatly in dread the third young giant will +bring trouble on us all." + +For twenty-one years Fin MacCumhail and the Fenians of Erin hunted for +sport alone. They had the best of eating from the small knife of +division, and the best of drinking from the cup that was never dry. At +the end of twenty-one years Dubh, Dun, and GlasAin went away, and one +day, as Fin and the Fenians of Erin were hunting on the hills and +mountains, they saw a Fear Ruadh (a red haired man) coming toward them. + +"There is a bright looking man coming this way," said Fin, "and don't +you speak to him." + +"Oh, what do we care for him?" asked Conan Maol. + +"Don't be rude to a stranger," said Fin. + +The Fear Ruadh came forward and spoke to no man till he stood before +Fin. + +"What have you come for?" asked Fin. + +"To find a master for twenty-one years." + +"What wages do you ask?" inquired Fin. + +"No wages but this,--that if I die before the twenty-one years have +passed, I shall be buried on Inis Caol (Light Island)." + +"I'll give you those wages," said Fin, and he hired the Fear Ruadh for +twenty-one years. + +He served Fin for twenty years to his satisfaction; but toward the end +of the twenty-first year he fell into a decline, became an old man, and +died. + +When the Fear Ruadh was dead, the Fenians of Erin said that not a step +would they go to bury him; but Fin declared that he wouldn't break his +word for any man, and must take the corpse to Inis Caol. + +Fin had an old white horse which he had turned out to find a living for +himself as he could on the hillsides and in the woods. And now he looked +for the horse and found that he had become younger than older in looks +since he had put him out. So he took the old white horse and tied a +coffin, with the body of the Fear Ruadh in it, on his back. Then they +started him on ahead and away he went followed by Fin and twelve men of +the Fenians of Erin. + +When they came to the temple on Inis Caol there were no signs of the +white horse and the coffin; but the temple was open and in went Fin and +the twelve. + +There were seats for each man inside. They sat down and rested awhile +and then Fin tried to rise but couldn't. He told the men to rise, but +the twelve were fastened to the seats, and the seats to the ground, so +that not a man of them could come to his feet. + +"Oh," said Fin, "I'm in dread there is some evil trick played on us." + +At that moment the Fear Ruadh stood before them in all his former +strength and youth and said: "Now is the time for me to take +satisfaction out of you for my mother and brothers," Then one of the men +said to Fin, "Chew your thumb to know is there any way out of this." + +Fin chewed his thumb to know what should he do. When he knew, he blew +the great whistle with his two hands; which was heard by Donogh Kamcosa +and Diarmuid O'Duivne. + +The Fear Ruadh fell to and killed three of the men; but before he could +touch the fourth Donogh and Diarmuid were there, and put an end to him. +Now all were free, and Fin with the nine men went back to their castle +south of Ballyshannon. + + + + +FIN MACCUMHAIL AND THE SON OF THE KING OF ALBA. + + +On a day Fin went out hunting with his dog Bran, on Knock an Ar; and he +killed so much game that he didn't know what to do with it or how to +bring it home. As he stood looking and thinking, all at once he saw a +man running towards him, with a rope around his waist so long that half +his body was covered with it; and the man was of such size that, as he +ran, Fin could see the whole world between his legs and nothing between +his head and the sky. When he came up, the man saluted Fin, who answered +him most kindly. "Where are you going?" asked Fin. "I am out looking for +a master." "Well," said Fin, "I am in sore need of a man; what can you +do?" "Do you see this rope on my body? Whatever this rope will bind I +can carry." "If that is true," said Fin, "you are the man I want. Do you +see the game on this hillside?" "I do," said the man. "Well, put that +into the rope and carry it to my castle." + +The man put all the game into the rope, made a great bundle, and threw +it on his back. + +"Show me the way to the castle now," said he. Fin started on ahead, and +though he ran with all his might, he could not gain one step on the man +who followed with the game. The sentry on guard at the castle saw the +man running while yet far off. He stepped inside the gate and said: +"There is a man coming with a load on his back as big as a mountain." +Before he could come out again to his place the man was there and the +load off his back. When the game came to the ground, it shook the castle +to its foundations. Next day the man was sent to herd cows for a time, +and while he was gone, ConAin Maol said to Fin: "If you don't put this +cowherd to death, he will destroy all the Fenians of Erin." "How could I +put such a good man to death?" asked Fin. "Send him," said ConAin, "to +sow corn on the brink of a lake in the north of Erin. Now, in that lake +lives a serpent that never lets a person pass, but swallows every man +that goes that way." Fin agreed to this, and the next morning after +breakfast he called the man, gave him seven bullocks, a plough, and a +sack of grain, and sent him to the lake in the north of Erin to sow +corn. When he came to the lake, the man started to plough, drew one +furrow. The lake began to boil up, and as he was coming back, making the +second furrow, the serpent was on the field before him and swallowed the +seven bullocks and the plough up to the handles. But the man held fast +to what he had in his two hands, gave a pull, and dragged the plough and +six of the bullocks out of the belly of the serpent. The seventh one +remained inside. The serpent went at him and they fought for seven days +and nights. At the end of that time the serpent was as tame as a cat, +and the man drove him and the six bullocks home before him. + +When he was in sight of Fin's castle, the sentry at the gate ran in and +cried: "That cowherd is coming with the size of a mountain before him!" +"Run out," said ConAin Maol, "and tell him to tie the serpent to that oak +out there." + +They ran out, and the man tied the serpent to the oak-tree, then came in +and had a good supper. + +Next morning the man went out to herd cows as before. "Well," said +ConAin Maol to Fin, "if you don't put this man to death, he'll destroy +you and me and all the Fenians of Erin." + +"How could I put such a man to death?" + +"There is," said ConAin, "a bullock in the north of Erin, and he drives +fog out of himself for seven days and then he draws it in for seven +other days. To-morrow is the last day for drawing it in. If any one man +comes near, he'll swallow him alive." + +When the cowherd came to supper in the evening, Fin said to him: "I am +going to have a feast and need fresh beef. Now there is a bullock in +that same valley by the lake in the north of Erin where you punished the +serpent; and if you go there and bring the bullock to me, you'll have my +thanks." + +"I'll go," said the man, "the first thing after breakfast in the +morning." + +So off he went next morning; and when he came near the valley, he found +the bullock asleep and drawing in the last of the fog; and soon he found +himself going in with it. So he caught hold of a great oak-tree for +safety. The bullock woke up then and saw him, and letting a roar out of +himself, faced him, and gave him a pitch with his horn which sent him +seven miles over the top of a wood. And when he fell to the ground, the +bullock was on him again before he had time to rise, and gave him +another pitch which sent him back and broke three ribs in his body. + +"This will never do," said the man, as he rose, and pulling up an +oak-tree by the roots for a club, he faced the bullock. And there they +were at one another for five days and nights, till the bullock was as +tame as a cat and the man drove him home to Fin's castle. The sentry +saw them coming and ran inside the gate with word. "Tell the man to tie +the bullock to that oak-tree beyond," said ConAin. "We don't want him +near this place." The cowherd tied the bullock, and told Fin to send +four of the best butchers in Erin to kill him with an axe; and the four +of them struck him one after another and any of them couldn't knock him. + +"Give me an axe," said the man to the butchers. They gave him the axe, +and the first stroke he gave, he knocked the bullock. Then they began to +skin him; but the man didn't like the way they were doing the work, so +he took his sword and had three quarters of the bullock skinned before +they could skin one. + +Next morning the cowherd went out with the cows; but he wasn't long gone +when ConAin Maol came to Fin and said: "If you don't put an end to that +man, he'll soon put an end to you and to me and to all of us, so there +won't be a man of the Fenians of Erin left alive." + +"How could I put an end to a man like him?" asked Fin. + +"There is in the north of Erin," said ConAin, "a wild sow who has two +great pigs of her own; and she and her two pigs have bags of poison in +their tails; and when they see any man, they run at him and shake their +poison bags; and if the smallest drop of the poison touches him, it is +death to him that minute. And, if by any chance he should escape the +wild sow and the pigs, there is a fox-man called the Gruagach, who has +but one eye and that in the middle of his forehead. The Gruagach carries +a club of a ton weight, and if the cowherd gets one welt of that club, +he'll never trouble the Fenians of Erin again." + +Next morning Fin called up the cowherd and said, "I am going to have a +feast in this castle, and I would like to have some fresh pork. There is +a wild sow in the north of Erin with two pigs, and if you bring her to +me before the feast, you'll have my thanks." + +"I'll go and bring her to you," said the cowherd. So after breakfast he +took his sword, went to the north of Erin, and stole up to the sow and +two pigs, and whipped the tails off the three of them, before they knew +he was in it. Then he faced the wild sow and fought with her for four +days and five nights, and on the morning of the fifth day he knocked her +dead. At the last blow, his sword stuck in her backbone and he couldn't +draw it out. But with one pull he broke the blade, and stood there over +her with only the hilt in his hand. Then he put his foot on one of her +jaws, took the other in his hands, and splitting her evenly from the +nose to the tail, made two halves of her. + +He threw one half on his shoulder; and that minute the big Gruagach with +one eye in his head came along and made an offer of his club at him to +kill him. But the cowherd jumped aside, and catching the Gruagach by one +of his legs, threw him up on to the half of the wild sow on his +shoulder, and taking the other half of her from the ground, clapped that +on the top of the Gruagach, and ran away to Fin's castle as fast as his +legs could carry him. + +The sentry at the castle gate ran in and said: "The cowherd is running +to the castle, and the size of a mountain on his back." "Go out now," +said ConAin Maol, "and stop him where he is, or he'll throw down the +castle if he comes here with the load that's on him." But before the +sentry was back at his place, the cowherd was at the gate shaking the +load off his back and the castle to its foundations, so that every +dish and vessel in it was broken to bits. + +The Gruagach jumped from the ground, rubbed his legs and every part of +him that was sore from the treatment he got. He was so much in dread of +the cowherd that he ran with all the strength that was in him, and never +stopped to look back till he was in the north of Erin. + +Next morning the cowherd went out with the cows, drove them back in the +evening, and while picking the thigh-bone of a bullock for his supper, +Oscar, son of Oisin, the strongest man of the Fenians of Erin, came up +to him and took hold of the bone to pull it from his hand. The cowherd +held one end and Oscar the other, and pulled till they made two halves +of the bone. "What did you carry away?" asked the cowherd. "What I have +in my hand," said Oscar. "And I kept what I held in my fist," said the +cowherd. "There is that for you now," said Oscar, and he hit him a slap. + +The cowherd said no word in answer, but next morning he asked his wages +of Fin. "Oh, then," said Fin, "I'll pay you and welcome, for you are the +best man I have ever had or met with." + +Then the cowherd went away to Cahirciveen in Kerry where he had an +enchanted castle. But before he went he invited Fin MacCumhail and the +Fenians of Erin to have a great feast with him. "For," said he to Fin, +"I'm not a cowherd at all, but the son of the king of Alba, and I'll +give you good cheer." + +When the Fenians came to the place, they found the finest castle that +could be seen. There were three fires in each room and seven spits at +every fire. When they had gone and sat down in their places, there was +but one fire in each room. "Rise up, every man of you," said Fin, "or +we are lost; for this is an enchanted place." + +They tried to rise, but each man was fastened to his seat, and the seat +to the floor; and not one of them could stir. Then the last fire went +out and they were in darkness. + +"Chew your thumb," said ConAin to Fin, "and try is there any way out of +here." Fin chewed his thumb and knew what trouble they were in. Then he +put his two hands into his mouth and blew the old-time whistle. And this +whistle was heard by PogAin and CeolAin, two sons of Fin who were in the +North at that time, one fishing and the other hurling. + +When they heard the whistle, they said: "Our father and the Fenians of +Erin are in trouble." And they faced towards the sound and never stopped +till they knocked at the door of the enchanted castle of the son of Alba +at Cahirciveen. + +"Who is there?" asked Fin. + +"Your two sons," said one of them. + +"Well," said Fin, "we are in danger of death to-night. That cowherd I +had in my service was no cowherd at all, but the son of the king of +Alba; and his father has said that he will not eat three meals off one +table without having my head. There is an army now on the road to kill +us to-night. There is no way in or out of this castle but by one ford, +and to that ford the army of the king of Alba is coming." + +The two sons of Fin went out at nightfall and stood in the ford before +the army. The son of the king of Alba knew them well, and calling each +by name, said: "Won't you let us pass?" "We will not," said they; and +then the fight began. The two sons of Fin MacCumhail, PogAin and CeolAin, +destroyed the whole army and killed every man except the son of the +king of Alba. + +After the battle the two went back to their father. "We have destroyed +the whole army at the ford," said they. + +"There is a greater danger ahead," said Fin. "There is an old hag coming +with a little pot. She will dip her finger in the pot, touch the lips of +the dead men, and bring the whole army to life. But first of all there +will be music at the ford, and if you hear the music, you'll fall +asleep. Now go, but if you do not overpower the old hag, we are lost." + +"We'll do the best we can," said the two sons of Fin. + +They were not long at the ford when one said, "I am falling asleep from +that music." "So am I," said the other. "Knock your foot down on mine," +said the first. The other kicked his foot and struck him, but no use. +Then each took his spear and drove it through the foot of the other, but +both fell asleep in spite of the spears. + +The old hag went on touching the lips of the dead men, who stood up +alive; and she was crossing the ford at the head of the army when she +stumbled over the two sleeping brothers and spilt what was in the pot +over their bodies. + +They sprang up fresh and well, and picking up two stones of a ton weight +each that were there in the ford, they made for the champions of Alban +and never stopped till they killed the last man of them; and then they +killed the old hag herself. + +PogAin and CeolAin then knocked at the door of the castle. + +"Who's there?" asked Fin. + +"Your two sons," said they; "and we have killed all the champions of +Alban and the old hag as well." "You have more to do yet," said Fin. +"There are three kings in the north of Erin who have three silver +goblets. These kings are holding a feast in a fort to-day. You must go +and cut the heads off the three, put their blood in the goblets and +bring them here. When you come, rub the blood on the keyhole of the door +and it will open before you. When you come in, rub the seats and we +shall all be free." + +The three goblets of blood were brought to Cahirciveen, the door of the +castle flew open, and light came into every room. The brothers rubbed +blood on the chairs of all the Fenians of Erin and freed them all, +except ConAin Maol, who had no chair, but sat on the floor with his back +to the wall. When they came to him the last drop of blood was gone. + +All the Fenians of Erin were hurrying past, anxious to escape, and paid +no heed to ConAin, who had never a good word in his mouth for any man. +Then ConAin turned to Diarmuid, and said: "If a woman were here in place +of me, you wouldn't leave her to die this way." Then Diarmuid turned, +took him by one hand, and Goll MacMorna by the other, and pulling with +all their might, tore him from the wall and the floor. But if they did, +he left all the skin of his back from his head to his heels on the floor +and the wall behind him. But when they were going home through the hills +of Tralee, they found a sheep on the way, killed it, and clapped the +skin on ConAin. The sheepskin grew to his body; and he was so well and +strong that they sheared him every year, and got wool enough from his +back to make flannel and frieze for the Fenians of Erin ever after. + + + + +CUCULIN. + + +There was a king in a land not far from Greece who had two daughters, +and the younger was fairer than the elder daughter. + +This old king made a match between the king of Greece and his own elder +daughter; but he kept the younger one hidden away till after the +marriage. Then the younger daughter came forth to view; and when the +king of Greece saw her, he wouldn't look at his own wife. Nothing would +do him but to get the younger sister and leave the elder at home with +her father. + +The king wouldn't listen to this, wouldn't agree to the change, so the +king of Greece left his wife where she was, went home alone in a +terrible rage and collected all his forces to march against the kingdom +of his father-in-law. + +He soon conquered the king and his army and, so far as he was able, he +vexed and tormented him. To do this the more completely, he took from +him a rod of Druidic spells, enchantment, and ring of youth which he +had, and, striking the elder sister with the rod, he said: "You will be +a serpent of the sea and live outside there in the bay by the castle." + +Then turning to the younger sister, whose name was Gil an Og, he struck +her, and said: "You'll be a cat while inside this castle, and have your +own form only when you are outside the walls." + +After he had done this, the king of Greece went home to his own country, +taking with him the rod of enchantment and the ring of youth. The king +died in misery and grief, leaving his two daughters spellbound. + +Now there was a Druid in that kingdom, and the younger sister went to +consult him, and asked: "Shall I ever be released from the enchantment +that's on me now?" + +"You will not, unless you find the man to release you; and there is no +man in the world to do that but a champion who is now with Fin +MacCumhail in Erin." + +"Well, how can I find that man?" asked she. + +"I will tell you," said the Druid. "Do you make a shirt out of your own +hair, take it with you, and never stop till you land in Erin and find +Fin and his men; the man that the shirt will fit is the man who will +release you." + +She began to make the shirt and worked without stopping till it was +finished. Then she went on her journey and never rested till she came to +Erin in a ship. She went on shore and inquired where Fin and his men +were to be found at that time of the year. + +"You will find them at Knock an Ar," was the answer she got. + +She went to Knock an Ar carrying the shirt with her. The first man she +met was Conan Maol, and she said to him: "I have come to find the man +this shirt will fit. From the time one man tries it all must try till I +see the man it fits." + +The shirt went from hand to hand till Cuculin put it on. "Well," said +she, "it fits as your own skin." + +Now Gil an Og told Cuculin all that had happened,--how her father had +forced her sister to marry the king of Greece, how this king had made +war on her father, enchanted her sister and herself, and carried off +the rod of enchantment with the ring of youth, and how the old Druid +said the man this shirt would fit was the only man in the world who +could release them. + +Now Gil an Og and Cuculin went to the ship and sailed across the seas to +her country and went to her castle. + +"You'll have no one but a cat for company to-night," said Gil an Og. "I +have the form of a cat inside this castle, but outside I have my own +appearance. Your dinner is ready, go in." + +After the dinner Cuculin went to another room apart, and lay down to +rest after the journey. The cat came to his pillow, sat there and purred +till he fell asleep and slept soundly till morning. + +When he rose up, a basin of water, and everything he needed was before +him, and his breakfast ready. He walked out after breakfast; Gil an Og +was on the green outside before him and said: + +"If you are not willing to free my sister and myself, I shall not urge +you; but if you do free us, I shall be glad and thankful. Many king's +sons and champions before you have gone to recover the ring and the rod; +but they have never come back." + +"Well, whether I thrive or not, I'll venture," said Cuculin. + +"I will give you," said Gil an Og, "a present such as I have never given +before to any man who ventured out on my behalf; I will give you the +speckled boat." + +Cuculin took leave of Gil an Og and sailed away in the speckled boat to +Greece, where he went to the king's court, and challenged him to combat. + +The king of Greece gathered his forces and sent them out to chastise +Cuculin. He killed them all to the last man. Then Cuculin challenged +the king a second time. + +"I have no one now to fight but myself," said the king; "and I don't +think it becomes me to go out and meet the like of you." + +"If you don't come out to me," said Cuculin, "I'll go in to you and cut +the head off you in your own castle." + +"That's enough of impudence from you, you scoundrel," said the king of +Greece. "I won't have you come into my castle, but I'll meet you on the +open plain." + +The king went out, and they fought till Cuculin got the better of him, +bound him head and heels, and said: "I'll cut the head off you now +unless you give me the ring of youth and the rod of enchantment that you +took from the father of Gil an Og." + +"Well, I did carry them away," said the king, "but it wouldn't be easy +for me now to give them to you or to her; for there was a man who came +and carried them away, who could take them from you and from me, and +from as many more of us, if they were here." + +"Who was that man?" asked Cuculin. + +"His name," said the king, "is Lug[12] Longhand. And if I had known what +you wanted, there would have been no difference between us. I'll tell +you how I lost the ring and rod and I'll go with you and show you where +Lug Longhand lives. But do you come to my castle. We'll have a good time +together." + +[12] Pronounced "Loog." + +They set out next day, and never stopped till they came opposite Lug +Longhand castle, and Cuculin challenged his forces to combat. + +"I have no forces," said Lug, "but I'll fight you myself." So the +combat began, and they spent the whole day at one another, and neither +gained the victory. + +The king of Greece himself put up a tent on the green in front of the +castle, and prepared everything necessary to eat and drink (there was no +one else to do it). After breakfast next day, Cuculin and Lug began +fighting again. The king of Greece looked on as the day before. + +They fought the whole day till near evening, when Cuculin got the upper +hand of Lug Longhand and bound him head and heels, saying: "I'll cut the +head off you now unless you give me the rod and the ring that you +carried away from the king of Greece." + +"Oh, then," said Lug, "it would be hard for me to give them to you or to +him; for forces came and took them from me; and they would have taken +them from you and from him, if you had been here." + +"Who in the world took them from you?" asked the king of Greece. + +"Release me from this bond, and come to my castle, and I'll tell you the +whole story," said Lug Longhand. + +Cuculin released him, and they went to the castle. They got good +reception and entertainment from Lug that night, and the following +morning as well. He said: "The ring and the rod were taken from me by +the knight of the island of the Flood. This island is surrounded by a +chain, and there is a ring of fire seven miles wide between the chain +and the castle. No man can come near the island without breaking the +chain, and the moment the chain is broken the fire stops burning at that +place; and the instant the fire goes down the knight rushes out and +attacks and slays every man that's before him." The king of Greece, +Cuculin, and Lug Longhand now sailed on in the speckled boat towards the +island of the Flood. On the following morning when the speckled boat +struck the chain, she was thrown back three days' sail, and was near +being sunk, and would have gone to the bottom of the sea but for her own +goodness and strength. + +As soon as Cuculin saw what had happened, he took the oars, rowed on +again, and drove the vessel forward with such venom that she cut through +the chain and went one third of her length on to dry land. That moment +the fire was quenched where the vessel struck, and when the knight of +the Island saw the fire go out, he rushed to the shore and met Cuculin, +the king of Greece, and Lug Longhand. + +When Cuculin saw him, he threw aside his weapons, caught him, raised him +above his head, hurled him down on the flat of his back, bound him head +and heels, and said: "I'll cut the head off you unless you give me the +ring and the rod that you carried away from Lug Longhand." + +"I took them from him, it's true," said the knight; "but it would be +hard for me to give them to you now; for a man came and took them from +me, who would have taken them from you and all that are with you, and as +many more if they had been here before him." + +"Who in the world could that man be?" asked Cuculin. + +"The Dark Gruagach of the Northern Island. Release me, and come to my +castle. I'll tell you all and entertain you well." + +He took them to his castle, gave them good cheer, and told them all +about the Gruagach and his island. Next morning all sailed away in +Cuculin's vessel, which they had left at the shore of the island, and +never stopped till they came to the Gruagach's castle, and pitched their +tents in front of it. + +Then Cuculin challenged the Gruagach. The others followed after to know +would he thrive. The Gruagach came out and faced Cuculin, and they began +and spent the whole day at one another and neither of them gained the +upper hand. When evening came, they stopped and prepared for supper and +the night. + +Next day after breakfast Cuculin challenged the Gruagach again, and they +fought till evening; when Cuculin got the better in the struggle, +disarmed the Gruagach, bound him, and said: "Unless you give up the rod +of enchantment and the ring of youth that you took from the knight of +the island of the Flood, I'll cut the head off you now." + +"I took them from him, 'tis true; but there was a man named +Thin-in-Iron, who took them from me, and he would have taken them from +you and from me, and all that are here, if there were twice as many. He +is such a man that sword cannot cut him, fire cannot burn him, water +cannot drown him, and 'tis no easy thing to get the better of him. But +if you'll free me now and come to my castle, I'll treat you well and +tell you all about him." Cuculin agreed to this. + +Next morning they would not stop nor be satisfied till they went their +way. They found the castle of Thin-in-Iron, and Cuculin challenged him +to combat. They fought; and he was cutting the flesh from Cuculin, but +Cuculin's sword cut no flesh from him. They fought till Cuculin said: +"It is time now to stop till to-morrow." + +Cuculin was scarcely able to reach the tent. They had to support him +and put him to bed. Now, who should come to Cuculin that night but Gil +an Og, and she said: "You have gone further than any man before you, and +I'll cure you now, and you need go no further for the rod of enchantment +and the ring of youth." + +"Well," said Cuculin, "I'll never give over till I knock another day's +trial out of Thin-in-Iron." + +When it was time for rest, Gil an Og went away, and Cuculin fell asleep +for himself. On the following morning all his comrades were up and +facing his tent. They thought to see him dead, but he was in as good +health as ever. + +They prepared breakfast, and after breakfast Cuculin went before the +door of the castle to challenge his enemy. + +Thin-in-Iron thrust his head out and said: "That man I fought yesterday +has come again to-day. It would have been a good deed if I had cut the +head off him last night. Then he wouldn't be here to trouble me this +morning. I won't come home this day till I bring his head with me. Then +I'll have peace." + +They met in combat and fought till the night was coming. Then +Thin-in-Iron cried out for a cessation, and if he did, Cuculin was glad +to give it; for his sword had no effect upon Thin-in-Iron except to tire +and nearly kill him (he was enchanted and no arms could cut him). When +Thin-in-Iron went to his castle, he threw up three sups of blood, and +said to his housekeeper: "Though his sword could not penetrate me, he +has nearly broken my heart." + +Cuculin had to be carried to his tent. His comrades laid him on his bed +and said: "Whoever came and healed him yesterday, may be the same will +be here to-night." They went away and were not long gone when Gil an Og +came and said: "Cuculin, if you had done my bidding, you wouldn't be as +you are to-night. But if you neglect my words now, you'll never see my +face again. I'll cure you this time and make you as well as ever;" and +whatever virtue she had she healed him so he was as strong as before. + +"Oh, then," said Cuculin, "whatever comes on me I'll never turn back +till I knock another day's trial out of Thin-in-Iron." + +"Well," said she, "you are a stronger man than he, but there is no good +in working at him with a sword. Throw your sword aside to-morrow, and +you'll get the better of him and bind him. You'll not see me again." + +She went away and he fell asleep. His comrades came in the morning and +found him sleeping. They got breakfast, and, after eating, Cuculin went +out and called a challenge. + +"Oh, 'tis the same man as yesterday," said Thin-in-Iron, "and if I had +cut the head off him then, it wouldn't be he that would trouble me +to-day. If I live for it, I'll bring his head in my hand to-night, and +he'll never disturb me again." + +When Cuculin saw Thin-in-Iron coming, he threw his sword aside, and +facing him, caught him by the body, raised him up, then dashed him to +the ground, and said, "If you don't give me what I want, I'll cut the +head off you." + +"What do you want of me?" asked Thin-in-Iron. + +"I want the rod of enchantment and the ring of youth you carried from +the Gruagach." + +"I did indeed carry them from him, but it would be no easy thing for me +to give them to you or any other man; for a force came which took them +from me." + +"What could take them from you?" asked Cuculin. + +"The queen of the Wilderness, an old hag that has them now. But release +me from this bondage and I'll take you to my castle and entertain you +well, and I'll go with you and the rest of the company to see how will +you thrive." + +So he took Cuculin and his friends to the castle and entertained them +joyously, and he said: "The old hag, the queen of the Wilderness, lives +in a round tower, which is always turning on wheels. There is but one +entrance to the tower, and that high above the ground, and in the one +chamber in which she lives, keeping the ring and the rod, is a chair, +and she has but to sit on the chair and wish herself in any part of the +world, and that moment she is there. She has six lines of guards +protecting her tower, and if you pass all of these, you'll do what no +man before you has done to this day. The first guards are two lions that +rush out to know which of them will get the first bite out of the throat +of any one that tries to pass. The second are seven men with iron +hurlies and an iron ball, and with their hurlies they wallop the life +out of any man that goes their way. The third is Hung-up-Naked, who +hangs on a tree with his toes to the earth, his head cut from his +shoulders and lying on the ground, and who kills every man who comes +near him. The fourth is the bull of the Mist that darkens the woods for +seven miles around, and destroys everything that enters the Mist. The +fifth are seven cats with poison tails; and one drop of their poison +would kill the strongest man." + +Next morning all went with Cuculin as far as the lions who guarded the +queen of the Wilderness, an old hag made young by the ring of youth. +The two lions ran at Cuculin to see which would have the first bite out +of him. + +Cuculin wore a red silk scarf around his neck and had a fine head of +hair. He cut the hair off his head and wound it around one hand, took +his scarf and wrapped it around the other. Then rushing at the lions, he +thrust a hand down the throat of each lion (for lions can bite neither +silk nor hair). He pulled the livers and lights out of the two and they +fell dead before him. His comrades looking on, said: "You'll thrive now +since you have done this deed;" and they left him and went home, each to +his own country. + +Cuculin went further. The next people he met were the seven men with the +iron hurlies (ball clubs), and they said; "'Tis long since any man +walked this way to us; we'll have sport now." + +The first one said: "Give him a touch of the hurly and let the others do +the same; and we'll wallop him till he is dead." + +Now Cuculin drew his sword and cut the head off the first man before he +could make an offer of the hurly at him; and then he did the same to the +other six. + +He went on his way till he came to Hung-up-Naked, who was hanging from a +tree, his head on the ground near him. The queen of the Wilderness had +fastened him to the tree because he wouldn't marry her; and she said: +"If any man comes who will put your head on you, you'll be free." And +she laid the injunction on him to kill every man who tried to pass his +way without putting the head on him. + +Cuculin went up, looked at him, and saw heaps of bones around the tree. +The body said: "You can't go by here. I fight with every man who tries +to pass." + +"Well, I'm not going to fight with a man unless he has a head on him. +Take your head." And Cuculin, picking up the head, clapped it on the +body, and said, "Now I'll fight with you!" + +The man said: "I'm all right now. I know where you are going. I'll stay +here till you come; if you conquer you'll not forget me. Take the head +off me now; put it where you found it; and if you succeed, remember that +I shall be here before you on your way home." + +Cuculin went on, but soon met the bull of the Mist that covered seven +miles of the wood with thick mist. When the bull saw him, he made at him +and stuck a horn in his ribs and threw him three miles into the wood, +against a great oak tree and broke three ribs in his side. + +"Well," said Cuculin, when he recovered, "if I get another throw like +that, I'll not be good for much exercise." He was barely on his feet +when the bull was at him again; but when he came up he caught the bull +by both horns and away they went wrestling and struggling. For three +days and nights Cuculin kept the bull in play, till the morning of the +fourth day, when he put him on the flat of his back. Then he turned him +on the side, and putting a foot on one horn and taking the other in his +two hands, he said: "'Tis well I earned you; there is not a stitch on me +that isn't torn to rags from wrestling with you." He pulled the bull +asunder from his horns to his tail, into two equal parts, and said: "Now +that I have you in two, it's in quarters I'll put you." He took his +sword, and when he struck the backbone of the bull, the sword remained +in the bone and he couldn't pull it out. + +He walked away and stood awhile and looked. "'Tis hard to say," said he, +"that any good champion would leave his sword behind him." So he went +back and made another pull and took the hilt off his sword, leaving the +blade in the back of the bull. Then he went away tattered and torn, the +hilt in his hand, and he turned up towards the forge of the Strong +Smith. One of the Smith's boys was out for coal at the time: he saw +Cuculin coming with the hilt in his hand, and ran in, saying: "There is +a man coming up and he looks like a fool; we'll have fun!" + +"Hold your tongue!" said the master. "Have you heard any account of the +bull of the Mist these three days?" + +"We have not," said the boys. + +"Perhaps," said the Strong Smith, "that's a good champion that's coming, +and do you mind yourselves." + +At that moment Cuculin walked in to the forge where twelve boys and the +master were working. He saluted them and asked, "Can you put a blade in +this hilt?" + +"We can," said the master. They put in the blade. Cuculin raised the +sword and took a shake out of it and broke it to bits. + +"This is a rotten blade," said he. "Go at it again." + +They made a second blade. The boys were in dread of him now. He broke +the second blade in the same way as the first. They made six blades, one +stronger than the other. He did the same to them all. "There is no use +in talking," said the Strong Smith; "we have no stuff that would make a +right blade for you. Go down now," said he to two of the boys, "and +bring up an old sword that's down in the stable full of rust." + +They went and brought up the sword on two hand-spikes between them; it +was so heavy that one couldn't carry it. They gave it to Cuculin, and +with one blow on his heel he knocked the dust from it and went out at +the door and took a shake out of it; and if he did, he darkened the +whole place with the rust from the blade. + +"This is my sword, whoever made it," said he. + +"It is," said the master; "it's yours and welcome. I know who you are +now, and where you are going. Remember that I'm in bondage here." The +Strong Smith took Cuculin then to his house, gave him refreshment and +clothes for the journey. When he was ready, the Smith said: "I hope +you'll thrive. You have done a deal more than any man that ever walked +this way before. There is nothing now to stand in your way till you come +to the seven cats outside the turning tower. If they shake their tails +and a drop of poison comes on you, it will penetrate to your heart. You +must sweep off their tails with your sword. 'Tis equal to you what their +bodies will do after that." + +Cuculin soon came to them and there wasn't one of the seven cats he +didn't strip of her tail before she knew he was in it. He cared nothing +for the bodies so he had the tails. The cats ran away. + +Now he faced the tower turning on wheels. The queen of the Wilderness +was in it. He had been told by Thin-in-Iron that he must cut the axle. +He found the axle, cut it, and the tower stopped that instant. Cuculin +made a spring and went in through the single passage. + +The old hag was preparing to sit on the chair as she saw him coming. He +sprang forward, pushed the chair away with one hand, and, catching her +by the back of the neck with the other, said: "You are to lose your head +now, old woman!" + +"Spare me, and what you want you'll get," said she. "I have the ring of +youth and the rod of enchantment," and she gave them to him. He put the +ring on his finger, and saying, "You'll never do mischief again to man!" +he turned her face to the entrance, and gave her a kick. Out she flew +through the opening and down to the ground, where she broke her neck and +died on the spot. + +Cuculin made the Strong Smith king over all the dominions of the queen +of the Wilderness, and proclaimed that any person in the country who +refused to obey the new king would be put to death. + +Cuculin turned back at once, and travelled till he came to +Hung-up-Naked. He took him down, and putting the head on his body, +struck him a blow of the rod and made the finest looking man of him that +could be found. The man went back to his own home happy and well. + +Cuculin never stopped till he came to the castle of Gil an Og. She was +outside with a fine welcome before him; and why not, to be sure, for he +had the rod of enchantment and the ring of youth! + +When she entered the castle and took the form of a cat, he struck her a +blow of the rod and she gained the same form and face she had before the +king of Greece struck her. Then he asked, "Where is your sister?" "In +the lake there outside," answered Gil an Og, "in the form of a +sea-serpent." She went out with him, and the moment they came to the +edge of the lake the sister rose up near them. Then Cuculin struck her +with the rod and she came to land in her own shape and countenance. + +Next day they saw a deal of vessels facing the harbor, and what should +they be but a fleet of ships, and on the ships were the king of Greece, +Lug Longhand, the knight of the island of the Flood, the Dark Gruagach +of the Northern Island and Thin-in-Iron: and they came each in his own +vessel to know was there any account of Cuculin. There was good welcome +for them all, and when they had feasted and rejoiced together Cuculin +married Gil an Og. The king of Greece took Gil an Og's sister, who was +his own wife at first, and went home. + +Cuculin went away himself with his wife Gil an Og, never stopping till +he came to Erin; and when he came, Fin MacCumhail and his men were at +KilConaly, near the river Shannon. + +When Cuculin went from Erin he left a son whose mother was called the +Virago of Alba: she was still alive and the son was eighteen years old. +When she heard that Cuculin had brought Gil an Og to Erin, she was +enraged with jealousy and madness. She had reared the son, whose name +was ConlAin, like any king's son, and now giving him his arms of a +champion she told him to go to his father. + +"I would," said he, "if I knew who my father is." + +"His name is Cuculin, and he is with Fin MacCumhail. I bind you not to +yield to any man," said she to her son, "nor tell your name to any man +till you fight him out." + +ConlAin started from Ulster where his mother was, and never stopped till +he was facing Fin and his men, who were hunting that day along the +cliffs of KilConaly. + +When the young man came up Fin said, "There is a single man facing us." + +Conan Maol said, "Let some one go against him, ask who he is and what he +wants." + +"I never give an account of myself to any man," said ConlAin, "till I get +an account from him." + +"There is no man among us," said Conan, "bound in that way but Cuculin." +They called on Cuculin; he came up and the two fought. ConlAin knew by +the description his mother had given that Cuculin was his father, but +Cuculin did not know his son. Every time ConlAin aimed his spear he threw +it so as to strike the ground in front of Cuculin's toe, but Cuculin +aimed straight at him. + +They were at one another three days and three nights. The son always +sparing the father, the father never sparing the son. + +Conan Maol came to them the fourth morning. "Cuculin," said he, "I +didn't expect to see any man standing against you three days, and you +such a champion." + +When ConlAin heard Conan Maol urging the father to kill him, he gave a +bitter look at Conan, and forgot his guard. Cuculin's spear went through +his head that minute, and he fell. "I die of that blow from my father," +said he. + +"Are you my son?" said Cuculin. + +"I am," said ConlAin. + +Cuculin took his sword and cut the head off him sooner than leave him in +the punishment and pain he was in. Then he faced all the people, and Fin +was looking on. + +"There's trouble on Cuculin," said Fin. "Chew your thumb," said Conan +Maol, "to know what's on him." + +Fin chewed his thumb, and said, "Cuculin is after killing his own son, +and if I and all my men were to face him before his passion cools, at +the end of seven days, he'd destroy every man of us." + +"Go now," said Conan, "and bind him to go down to Bale strand and give +seven days' fighting against the waves of the sea, rather than kill us +all." + +So Fin bound him to go down. When he went to Bale strand Cuculin found a +great white stone. He grasped his sword in his right hand and cried out: +"If I had the head of the woman who sent her son into peril of death at +my hand, I'd split it as I split this stone," and he made four quarters +of the stone. Then he strove with the waves seven days and nights till +he fell from hunger and weakness, and the waves went over him. + + + + +OISIN IN TIR NA N-OG. + + +There was a king in Tir na n-Og (the land of Youth) who held the throne +and crown for many a year against all comers; and the law of the kingdom +was that every seventh year the champions and best men of the country +should run for the office of king. + +Once in seven years they all met at the front of the palace and ran to +the top of a hill two miles distant. On the top of that hill was a chair +and the man that sat first in the chair was king of Tir na n-Og for the +next seven years. After he had ruled for ages, the king became anxious; +he was afraid that some one might sit in the chair before him, and take +the crown off his head. So he called up his Druid one day and asked: +"How long shall I keep the chair to rule this land, and will any man sit +in it before me and take the crown off my head?" + +"You will keep the chair and the crown forever," said the Druid, "unless +your own son-in-law takes them from you." + +The king had no sons and but one daughter, the finest woman in Tir na +n-Og; and the like of her could not be found in Erin or any kingdom in +the world. When the king heard the words of the Druid, he said, "I'll +have no son-in-law, for I'll put the daughter in a way no man will marry +her." + +Then he took a rod of Druidic spells, and calling the daughter up before +him, he struck her with the rod, and put a pig's head on her in place of +her own. Then he sent the daughter away to her own place in the castle, +and turning to the Druid said: "There is no man that will marry her +now." + +When the Druid saw the face that was on the princess with the pig's head +that the father gave her, he grew very sorry that he had given such +information to the king; and some time after he went to see the +princess. + +"Must I be in this way forever?" asked she of the Druid. + +"You must," said he, "till you marry one of the sons of Fin MacCumhail +in Erin. If you marry one of Fin's sons, you'll be freed from the blot +that is on you now, and get back your own head and countenance." + +When she heard this she was impatient in her mind, and could never rest +till she left Tir na n-Og and came to Erin. When she had inquired she +heard that Fin and the Fenians of Erin were at that time living on Knock +an Ar, and she made her way to the place without delay and lived there a +while; and when she saw Oisin, he pleased her; and when she found out +that he was a son of Fin MacCumhail, she was always making up to him and +coming towards him. And it was usual for the Fenians in those days to go +out hunting on the hills and mountains and in the woods of Erin, and +when one of them went he always took five or six men with him to bring +home the game. + +On a day Oisin set out with his men and dogs to the woods; and he went +so far and killed so much game that when it was brought together, the +men were so tired, weak, and hungry that they couldn't carry it, but +went away home and left him with the three dogs, Bran, SciolAin, and +BuglA(C)n,[13] to shift for himself. + +[13] Celebrated dogs of Fin MacCumhail. + +Now the daughter of the king of Tir na n-Og, who was herself the queen +of Youth, followed closely in the hunt all that day, and when the men +left Oisin she came up to him; and as he stood looking at the great pile +of game and said, "I am very sorry to leave behind anything that I've +had the trouble of killing," she looked at him and said, "Tie up a +bundle for me, and I'll carry it to lighten the load off you." + +Oisin gave her a bundle of the game to carry, and took the remainder +himself. The evening was very warm and the game heavy, and after they +had gone some distance, Oisin said, "Let us rest a while." Both threw +down their burdens, and put their backs against a great stone that was +by the roadside. The woman was heated and out of breath, and opened her +dress to cool herself. Then Oisin looked at her and saw her beautiful +form and her white bosom. + +"Oh, then," said he, "it's a pity you have the pig's head on you; for I +have never seen such an appearance on a woman in all my life before." + +"Well," said she, "my father is the king of Tir na n-Og, and I was the +finest woman in his kingdom and the most beautiful of all, till he put +me under a Druidic spell and gave me the pig's head that's on me now in +place of my own. And the Druid of Tir na n-Og came to me afterwards, and +told me that if one of the sons of Fin MacCumhail would marry me, the +pig's head would vanish, and I should get back my face in the same form +as it was before my father struck me with the Druid's wand. When I heard +this I never stopped till I came to Erin, where I found your father and +picked you out among the sons of Fin MacCumhail, and followed you to see +would you marry me and set me free." + +"If that is the state you are in, and if marriage with me will free you +from the spell, I'll not leave the pig's head on you long." + +So they got married without delay, not waiting to take home the game or +to lift it from the ground. That moment the pig's head was gone, and the +king's daughter had the same face and beauty that she had before her +father struck her with the Druidic wand. + +"Now," said the queen of Youth to Oisin, "I cannot stay here long, and +unless you come with me to Tir na n-Og we must part." + +"Oh," said Oisin, "wherever you go I'll go, and wherever you turn I'll +follow." + +Then she turned and Oisin went with her, not going back to Knock an Ar +to see his father or his son. That very day they set out for Tir na n-Og +and never stopped till they came to her father's castle; and when they +came, there was a welcome before them, for the king thought his daughter +was lost. That same year there was to be a choice of a king, and when +the appointed day came at the end of the seventh year all the great men +and the champions, and the king himself, met together at the front of +the castle to run and see who should be first in the chair on the hill; +but before a man of them was halfway to the hill, Oisin was sitting +above in the chair before them. After that time no one stood up to run +for the office against Oisin, and he spent many a happy year as king in +Tir na n-Og. At last he said to his wife: "I wish I could be in Erin +to-day to see my father and his men." + +"If you go," said his wife, "and set foot on the land of Erin, you'll +never come back here to me, and you'll become a blind old man. How long +do you think it is since you came here?" + +"About three years," said Oisin. "It is three hundred years," said she, +"since you came to this kingdom with me. If you must go to Erin, I'll +give you this white steed to carry you; but if you come down from the +steed or touch the soil of Erin with your foot, the steed will come back +that minute, and you'll be where he left you, a poor old man." + +"I'll come back, never fear," said Oisin. "Have I not good reason to +come back? But I must see my father and my son and my friends in Erin +once more; I must have even one look at them." + +She prepared the steed for Oisin and said, "This steed will carry you +wherever you wish to go." + +Oisin never stopped till the steed touched the soil of Erin; and he went +on till he came to Knock Patrick in Munster, where he saw a man herding +cows. In the field, where the cows were grazing there was a broad flat +stone. + +"Will you come here," said Oisin to the herdsman, "and turn over this +stone?" + +"Indeed, then, I will not," said the herdsman; "for I could not lift it, +nor twenty men more like me." + +Oisin rode up to the stone, and, reaching down, caught it with his hand +and turned it over. Underneath the stone was the great horn of the +Fenians (_borabu_), which circled round like a seashell, and it was the +rule that when any of the Fenians of Erin blew the borabu, the others +would assemble at once from whatever part of the country they might be +in at the time. + +"Will you bring this horn to me!" asked Oisin of the herdsman. + +"I will not," said the herdsman; "for neither I nor many more like me +could raise it from the ground." With that Oisin moved near the horn, +and reaching down took it in his hand; but so eager was he to blow it, +that he forgot everything, and slipped in reaching till one foot touched +the earth. In an instant the steed was gone, and Oisin lay on the ground +a blind old man. The herdsman went to Saint Patrick, who lived near by, +and told him what had happened. + +Saint Patrick sent a man and a horse for Oisin, brought him to his own +house, gave him a room by himself, and sent a boy to stay with him to +serve and take care of him. And Saint Patrick commanded his cook to send +Oisin plenty of meat and drink, to give him bread and beef and butter +every day. + +Now Oisin lived a while in this way. The cook sent him provisions each +day, and Saint Patrick himself asked him all kinds of questions about +the old times of the Fenians of Erin. Oisin told him about his father, +Fin MacCumhail, about himself, his son Osgar, Goll MacMorna, Conan Maol, +Diarmuid, and all the Fenian heroes; how they fought, feasted, and +hunted, how they came under Druidic spells, and how they were freed from +them. + +At the same time, Saint Patrick was putting up a great building; but +what his men used to put up in the daytime was levelled at night, and +Saint Patrick lamented over his losses in the hearing of Oisin. Then +Oisin said in the hearing of Saint Patrick, "If I had my strength and my +sight, I'd put a stop to the power that is levelling your work." + +"Do you think you'd be able to do that," said Saint Patrick, "and let my +building go on?" + +"I do, indeed," said Oisin. So Saint Patrick prayed to the Lord, and +the sight and strength came back to Oisin. He went to the woods and got +a great club and stood at the building on guard. + +What should come in the night but a great beast in the form of a bull, +which began to uproot and destroy the work. But if he did Oisin faced +him, and the battle began hot and heavy between the two; but in the +course of the night Oisin got the upper hand of the bull and left him +dead before the building. Then he stretched out on the ground himself +and fell asleep. + +Now Saint Patrick was waiting at home to know how would the battle come +out, and thinking Oisin too long away he sent a messenger to the +building; and when the messenger came he saw the ground torn up, a hill +in one place and a hollow in the next. The bull was dead and Oisin +sleeping after the desperate battle. He went back and told what he saw. + +"Oh," said Saint Patrick, "it's better to knock the strength out of him +again; for he'll kill us all if he gets vexed." + +Saint Patrick took the strength out of him, and when Oisin woke up he +was a blind old man and the messenger went out and brought him home. + +Oisin lived on for a time as before. The cook sent him his food, the boy +served him, and Saint Patrick listened to the stories of the Fenians of +Erin. + +Saint Patrick had a neighbor, a Jew, a very rich man but the greatest +miser in the kingdom, and he had the finest haggart of corn in Erin. +Well, the Jew and Saint Patrick got very intimate with one another and +so great became the friendship of the Jew for Saint Patrick at last, +that he said he'd give him, for the support of his house, as much corn +as one man could thrash out of the haggart[14] in a day. + +[14] Haggart, hay-yard. + +When Saint Patrick went home after getting the promise of the corn, he +told in the hearing of Oisin about what the Jew had said. + +"Oh, then," said Oisin, "if I had my sight and strength, I'd thrash as +much corn in one day as would do your whole house for a twelvemonth and +more." + +"Will you do that for me?" said Saint Patrick. + +"I will," said Oisin. + +Saint Patrick prayed again to the Lord, and the sight and strength came +back to Oisin. He went to the woods next morning at daybreak, Oisin did, +pulled up two fine ash-trees and made a flail of them. After eating his +breakfast he left the house and never stopped till he faced the haggart +of the Jew. Standing before one of the stacks of wheat he hit it a +wallop of his flail and broke it asunder. He kept on in this way till he +slashed the whole haggart to and fro,--and the Jew running like mad up +and down the highroad in front of the haggart, tearing the hair from his +head when he saw what was doing to his wheat, and the face gone from him +entirely he was so in dread of Oisin. + +When the haggart was thrashed clean, Oisin went to Saint Patrick and +told him to send his men for the wheat; for he had thrashed out the +whole haggart. When Saint Patrick saw the countenance that was on Oisin, +and heard what he had done he was greatly in dread of him, and knocked +the strength out of him again, and Oisin became an old, blind man as +before. + +Saint Patrick's men went to the haggart and there was so much wheat +they didn't bring the half of it away with them and they didn't want it. + +Oisin again lived for a while as before and then he was vexed because +the cook didn't give him what he wanted. He told Saint Patrick that he +wasn't getting enough to eat. Then Saint Patrick called up the cook +before himself and Oisin and asked her what she was giving Oisin to eat. +She said: "I give him at every meal what bread is baked on a large +griddle and all the butter I make in one churn, and a quarter of beef +besides." + +"That ought to be enough for you," said Saint Patrick. + +"Oh, then," said Oisin, turning to the cook, "I have often seen the leg +of a blackbird bigger than the quarter of beef you give me, I have often +seen an ivy leaf bigger than the griddle on which you bake the bread for +me, and I have often seen a single rowan berry [the mountain ash berry] +bigger than the bit of butter you give me to eat." + +"You lie!" said the cook, "you never did." + +Oisin said not a word in answer. + +Now there was a hound in the place that was going to have her first +whelps, and Oisin said to the boy who was tending him: "Do you mind and +get the first whelp she'll have and drown the others." + +Next morning the boy found three whelps, and coming back to Oisin, said: +"There are three whelps and 'tis unknown which of them is the first." + +At Saint Patrick's house they had slaughtered an ox the day before, and +Oisin said: "Go now and bring the hide of the ox and hang it up in this +room." When the hide was hung up Oisin said, "Bring here the three +whelps and throw them up against the hide." The boy threw up one of the +whelps against the oxhide. "What did he do?" asked Oisin. + +"What did he do," said the boy, "but fall to the ground." + +"Throw up another," said Oisin. The boy threw another. "What did he do?" +asked Oisin. + +"What did he do but to fall the same as the first." + +The third whelp was thrown and he held fast to the hide,--didn't fall. +"What did he do?" asked Oisin. + +"Oh," said the boy, "he kept his hold." + +"Take him down," said Oisin; "give him to the mother: bring both in +here; feed the mother well and drown the other two." + +The boy did as he was commanded, and fed the two well, and when the +whelp grew up the mother was banished, the whelp chained up and fed for +a year and a day. And when the year and a day were spent, Oisin said, +"We'll go hunting to-morrow, and we'll take the dog with us." + +They went next day, the boy guiding Oisin, holding the dog by a chain. +They went first to the place where Oisin had touched earth and lost the +magic steed from Tir na n-Og. The borabu of the Fenians of Erin was +lying on the ground there still. Oisin took it up and they went on to +Glen na Smuil (Thrush's Glen). When at the edge of the glen Oisin began +to sound the borabu. Birds and beasts of every kind came hurrying +forward. He blew the horn till the glen was full of them from end to +end. + +"What do you see now?" asked he of the boy. + +"The glen is full of living things." + +"What is the dog doing?" "He is looking ahead and his hair is on end." + +"Do you see anything else?" + +"I see a great bird all black settling down on the north side of the +glen." + +"That's what I want," said Oisin; "what is the dog doing now?" + +"Oh, the eyes are coming out of his head, and there isn't a rib of hair +on his body that isn't standing up." + +"Let him go now," said Oisin. The boy let slip the chain and the dog +rushed through the glen killing everything before him. When all the +others were dead he turned to the great blackbird and killed that. Then +he faced Oisin and the boy and came bounding toward them with venom and +fierceness. Oisin drew out of his bosom a brass ball and said: "If you +don't throw this into the dog's mouth he'll destroy us both; knock the +dog with the ball or he'll tear us to pieces." + +"Oh," said the boy, "I'll never be able to throw the ball, I'm so in +dread of the dog." + +"Come here at my back, then," said Oisin, "and straighten my hand +towards the dog." The boy directed the hand and Oisin threw the ball +into the dog's mouth and killed him on the spot. + +"What have we done?" asked Oisin. + +"Oh, the dog is knocked," said the boy. + +"We are all right then," said Oisin, "and do you lead me now to the +blackbird of the carn, I don't care for the others." + +They went to the great bird, kindled a fire and cooked all except one of +its legs. Then Oisin ate as much as he wanted and said; "I've had a good +meal of my own hunting and it's many and many a day since I have had +one. Now let us go on farther." They went into the woods, and soon +Oisin asked the boy; "Do you see anything wonderful?" + +"I see an ivy with the largest leaves I have ever set eyes on." + +"Take one leaf of that ivy," said Oisin. + +The boy took the leaf. Near the ivy they found a rowan berry, and then +went home taking the three things with them,--the blackbird's leg, the +ivy leaf, and the rowan berry. When they reached the house Oisin called +for the cook, and Saint Patrick made her come to the fore. When she came +Oisin pointed to the blackbird's leg and asked, "Which is larger, that +leg or the quarter of beef you give me?" + +"Oh, that is a deal larger," said the cook. + +"You were right in that case," said Saint Patrick to Oisin. + +Then Oisin drew out the ivy leaf and asked, "Which is larger, this or +the griddle on which you made bread for me?" + +"That is larger than the griddle and the bread together," said the cook. + +"Right again," said Saint Patrick. + +Oisin now took out the rowan berry and asked: "Which is larger, this +berry or the butter of one churning which you give me?" + +"Oh, that is bigger," said the cook, "than both the churn and the +butter." + +"Right, every time," said Saint Patrick. + +Then Oisin raised his arm and swept the head off the cook with a stroke +from the edge of his hand, saying, "You'll never give the lie to an +honest man again." + + + + +NOTES. + + +_Aedh Curucha_ (_Aedh Crochtha_), Hugh, the "suspended" or "hung up." As +Aedh means also a fire-spark as well as the modern name Hugh, Aedh +Curucha means the hung up or suspended fire-spark. + +_Alba_, former name of Scotland. + +_Bar an Suan_, "pin of slumber," met with frequently in Gaelic +mythology, is found among the Slavs, but not so often. It appears in a +Russian story,--one of the most beautiful in European folk-lore. + +_Cesa MacRi na Tulach_, "Cesa, son of the king of the hill," said by my +Donegal informant to be a small dark-gray bird. + +_Curucha na Gros_ (_Crochtha na g-cros_), "hung on the crosses," is a +very interesting name, as is also that of the father of Fair, Brown, and +Trembling, Aedh Curucha, _q. v._ + +_ConAin Maol MacMorna_, the Gaelic Thersites, always railing, causing +trouble, unpopular, and attracting attention. This species of person is +as well known in the mythology of the North American Indians as in Aryan +myths. + +_Diachbha_ (pronounced DyeA(C)achva), "divinity," or the working of a power +outside of us in shaping the careers of men; fate. + +_Diarmuid_ (pronounced Dyeearmud), the final _d_ sounded as if one were +to begin to utter _y_ after it, one of the most remarkable characters in +Gaelic mythology, a great hunter and performer of marvellous feats. The +prominent event of his life was the carrying off of Grainne, bride of +Fin MacCumhail, at her own command. After many years of baffled pursuit, +Fin was forced to make peace; but he contrived at last to bring about +Diarmuid's death by causing him to hunt an enchanted boar of green color +and without ears or tail. The account of this pursuit and the death of +Diarmuid forms one of the celebrated productions of Gaelic literature. +Diarmuid had a mole on his forehead, which he kept covered usually; but +when it was laid bare and a woman saw it, she fell in love with him +beyond recall. This was why Grainne deserted Fin, not after she was +married, but at the feast of betrothal. The evident meaning of the word +is "bright" or "divine-weaponed." It is very interesting to find +Diarmuid called also Son of the Monarch of Light, in another story. + +_Donoch Kam cosa_, "Donoch, crooked feet." + +_Draoiachta_ (pronounced DreA(C)achta), "Druidism," or "enchantment." + +_Erineach_, or _Eirineach_, "a man of Erin." + +_Gil an Og_, "water of youth." + +_Gilla na Grakin_ (_Gilla na g-croicean_), "the fellow (or youth) of the +skins,"--_i. e._, the serving man of the skins. This word "Gilla" enters +into the formation of many Gaelic names, such as Gilchrist, Gilfillin, +MacGillacuddy. + +_Gruagach_ (pronounced _GrA cubedoagach_), "the hairy one," from _gruag_, +hair. We are more likely to be justified in finding a solar agent +concealed in the person of the laughing Gruagach or the Gruagach of +tricks than in many of the sun-myths put forth by some modern writers. + +_Inis Caol_, "light island,"--_i. e._, not heavy. + +_Iron-back-without-action_ (_Ton iaran gan tapuil_). + +_Knock an Ar_, "hill of slaughter," a mountain near the mouth of the +Shannon in Kerry. + +_Lun Dubh MacSmola_, "blackbird," son of thrush. + +_Mal MacMulcan._ Mulcan in this name is evidently Vulcan, substituted +for some old Gaelic myth-power. + +_Oisin._ In the Gaelic of Ireland this name is accented on the last +syllable; in that of Scotland on the first, which gives in English +Ossian, the poet made known to the world by Macpherson. The poems of +Ossian are of course nothing more nor less than the ballads of Fin +MacCumhail and the Fenians of Erin, taken from Ireland to Scotland by +the Gael when they settled in the latter country, and modified in some +degree by Macpherson. Oisin is pronounced UshA(C)en in Ireland, _u_ sounded +as in _but_. + +_Ri FohA-n_ (_Ri fo thuinn_), "king under the wave." + +_Sean Ruadh_, "John the Red," pronounced Shawn Roo. + +_Tisean_ (pronounced _TishyAin_; _an_ as in _pan_), "envy." Son of King +Tisean means "Son of King Envy." + +_UrfA(C)ist._ This word is made up of _Ur_ and _pA(C)ist_. _Ur_ is kindred +with the German _Ur_, and in a compound like this means the "original" +or "greatest." _PA(C)ist_--"worm," "beast," "monster"--is changed to +_fA(C)ist_ here, according to a rule of aspiration in Gaelic +grammar. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's note: + +This e-text has been produced from the 1975 Dover edition of _Myths and +Folk Tales of Ireland_ (ISBN 0-486-22430-9), which is an unabridged +republication of the work originally published in Boston by Little, +Brown and Company in 1890 under the title _Myths and Folk-Lore of +Ireland_. The 1975 Dover edition did not contain the original +introduction, frontispiece and dedication. + +Text in italics is enclosed by underscores _like this_. + +Text in small capitals are indicated by full capitalization +_LIKE THIS_. + +Minor punctuation errors have been changed without notice. + +Archaic inconsistent spelling and all other anomalies such as _if_ and +_when_ used interchangeably are as in the original. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND FOLK TALES OF IRELAND*** + + +******* This file should be named 36540.txt or 36540.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/6/5/4/36540 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://www.gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: +http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + |