Next morning Dermot went again to the palace and made the same demand as
on the two previous days. This time the king did not send out his forces
to battle. Even he could see that he was wasting his soldiers without
hope of defeating this new champion. Still he did not wish to give up
Finn MacCool. His soldiers were not strong enough, the small men could
not eat this man, but the king had other schemes to try before he gave
up. Everyone knew the fondness of the Fenians for attempting feats of
strength or adventure. The king decided to try that on Dermot, so that
he could gain time, even if he did not get rid of this nuisance.
In the land of the White Nation there lived an enormous fellow known as
the Red Giant. His choicest possession was a beautiful hound, which he
kept near him at all times. When he went out walking, he had the dog
with him on the end of a chain of solid gold. When he was at home he
fastened the chain to the wall and kept the dog beside him.
There was a strange thing about this Red Giant. He had only one eye and
that was in one side of his head, just above his ear. Because of this,
he could see only what happened on one side of him. He kept the hound to
warn him if anyone approached on the other side.
Though this man was the strongest person in the White Nation, he had no
use for the king and would not serve him. The monarch resolved to get
his aid by trickery.
“I will not let you see Finn MacCool,” he told Dermot, “until you have
brought to this courtyard the hound and the golden chain.”
“Where can I find it?” asked Dermot.
“The world is wide,” answered the king. “Finding it is part of the
task.”
“No man can give me a task I will not try to accomplish,” said Dermot.
“There is but one thing I demand. If I go after this hound, you must
pledge yourself that Finn is to be taken out of the dungeon and given a
better room, with plenty of food to eat.”
This request did not please the king. He did not wish to grant Finn any
favors, but he was afraid Dermot would not go to the Red Giant if he did
not agree. He gave a grudging consent.
Poor Dermot! He went to the long house in despair. How was he to bring
back something when he did not know where to look for it, and when there
was no one in the country to give him directions? Yet, if he did not
complete the task, he would lose his head and Finn would have to die. He
sat down in the long house and buried his face in his hands.
“What is troubling you, master?” asked the small chief.
Dermot sighed. “Nothing that you can help me with,” he said.
“I’ll wager that you have been sent to bring the hound and the golden
chain,” said the chief.
Dermot sat up in surprise. “How did you know that?” he demanded.
“Because the hound is kept by the Red Giant, and the king has rid
himself of many a good man by sending him after that hound,” said the
little fellow.
“Do you know where I can find him?” asked Dermot.
“I can lead you to the place and show you how to get the hound,”
declared the chief.
The two set out immediately and traveled all day through a heavy forest.
In the evening they came to the gate of an immense stone castle. There
the chief stopped Dermot.
“In there lives the Red Giant,” he said. “At this hour he has had his
meal and is sleeping beside the table in the center of the castle.”
Then the chief went on to explain that the giant had but one eye, which
faced the main door to see if anyone entered. He took from his pocket a
little cake and passed it to Dermot.
“Take this cake,” he said. “Do not go in at the main door but follow the
corridor around and come to the small opening at the other side of the
room. Throw this cake to the dog, and when he has eaten it pick him up
and bring him with you. If you are quiet the giant will never know you
have been in there.”
Dermot thanked his helper and went into the castle. Everything happened
just as the small chief had promised. The task was so easy that he was
back in five minutes with the hound under his arm. The two set off for
the palace with their prize.
But Dermot was not happy. He kept going slowly and more slowly, until
finally he stopped all together.
“What is the matter?” asked the chief.
“I can’t help thinking of the dirty trick I played on the Red Giant,”
answered Dermot.
“How is that?”
“Like a thief I took away his hound without giving him a chance to fight
for it,” said Dermot.
“It was the hound you went for, not a contest, and bringing him back
will give you sight of Finn MacCool,” argued the chief. “Let us hurry.”
But Dermot would not go. “I’d think a man a fine champion if he sneaked
in and took something of mine,” he said. “Not even for Finn will I do
such a thing. I am going back and take the hound away from the giant as
a champion should.”
No argument of the small chief did any good. Back they went to the
castle and again the small chief stayed outside.
“Since you are bent on being foolish, I will give you some more advice,”
said the little fellow. “The giant is strongest on his stone floor. Much
of his strength leaves him when he is on soft earth.”
“I thank you for your help,” said Dermot.
He slipped in quietly and fastened the hound to the wall. Then he went
around to the main door and stepped into the room. Instantly the giant
saw him and sprang to his feet.
“What do you want?” he roared.
“Your hound and your golden chain,” answered Dermot.
“Well, you’ll not get him from me,” roared the giant. He made a rush at
Dermot and grappled with him.
Now the Red Giant was a big man in the White Nation, but you must
remember that Dermot was a big man, too. It turned out that they were
about equal in strength. At the first rush of the giant, both men went
down on the floor where they struggled desperately. Back and forth they
rolled, with Dermot putting every bit of his strength into the effort to
get them out on the ground. Finally, with a mighty heave, he succeeded
in causing them both to roll out of the castle door.
As soon as they struck the soft earth Dermot was the stronger. He picked
up the Red Giant and drove him into the earth like a post, until only
his head was above ground.
“Spare me, man of Erin,” pleaded the Red Giant. “I concede that you are
the better man, and that you are entitled to the hound.”
Dermot never took advantage of a man who asked for mercy. He pulled the
giant out of the earth and set him upon his feet. From that moment the
Red Giant was his friend. He invited Dermot and the small chief into the
castle and set out food and drink for them. In the morning he willingly
gave up the hound and bade them a hearty farewell.