strength as a woman in travail, in the place of the camp or the battle,
if you go not to meet three hundred cats. Tell them you have slain three
hundred men and the one-legged hag.”
He went forward then till he came to the three hundred cats. He cried out
to them that he had killed three hundred men and the one-legged hag.
Said they: “It is dearly you will pay for that.”
He and the cats went to battle. The cats leaped above him. He made a rush
at them. He was killing them as fast as he could, till he killed them all
but the great old speckled cat. Said she when she was falling,—
“I lay on thee the spells of the art of the druid, to be feeble in
strength as a woman in travail, in the place of the camp and the battle,
if you go not to fight the Wether of Fuerish Fwee-erë. Tell him you have
slain three hundred men, three hundred cats, and the one-legged hag.”
He went forward in the camp. He and the Wether of Fuerish Fwee-erë went
to battle. He came behind him to come on him with a run to kill him. He
missed him the first time. He went behind him again. He came at him with
a run. When the champion of the red belt saw the Wether approaching him,
he made ready not to miss him. The Wether came forward. The champion
of the red belt put the sword through his heart. Said he, when he was
falling,—
“I lay on thee the spells of the art of the druid, to be feeble in
strength as a woman in travail, in the camp and the battle, till thou
goest to meet the king cat of the Western Island. Tell him you have slain
three hundred men, and three hundred cats, and the one-legged hag, and
the Wether of Fuerish Fwee-erë.”
He went forward in the camp. He met the king cat of the Western Island.
“Death on you! Short is your own life now. Little I thought I was not
done with you the day that I put you in the barrel.”
“Hideous hag! I am stronger to-day than I was that day.”
He and the hag struck together, till he made hard of the soft, and soft
of the hard, and (made) the fresh-water wells in the middle of the grey
stones. From the hollows of the world to the heights of the world they
came to look on at the fight was between them.
She had a long tail. There was a poison spot on the tail. There was a
great claw at the tip of the tail. She rose on high. She came down on his
head. He met her with the sword. She curved her tail and put the claw in
his hand. He was bleeding. The day was hot and he was bleeding greatly.
Down she came with a slap. She put the poison spot through his heart. She
got the claw fixed in his heart. She drew out his heart on his side. When
the man was falling, the cat opened her mouth as wide as she could with
the rage that was on her; and when he saw her mouth open, and he falling,
he thrust his hand into her mouth and pulled out her heart. The two fell
dead. They were lying dead then.
The king knight of the black castle was troubled that he let his brother
go to fight in his place. He went on his track to see how he was doing.
He went forward in the camp. He found the three hundred men killed. He
went forward farther in the camp. He found the one-legged hag killed.
He went still forward in the camp. He found the three hundred cats
killed. He went still forward in the camp. He found the Wether of Fuerish
Fwee-erë killed. He went on and found his brother and his stepmother
killed. Then he did not know what to do. He was afraid lest he might put
the cat’s heart into the man; for the evil temper of the cat might drive
the man mad and kill him. The lump of mist came. It spoke to him: “Is it
not easy for you to distinguish between the big heart of the man and the
little heart of the cat?”
He took up the big heart. He washed it and fixed it in his brother.
He found the bottle of the water of healing that was hanging on his
brother. He dipped a feather in the bottle and rubbed it to his brother’s
mouth. His brother arose alive.
“I seem as if I was asleep.”
“Did you not wonder then? It was providence saved me when I did not come
to battle with you on the night when you rose up from behind the barrel,
or you would have killed me as you have done (to the others) to-day.”
“What good is it for you to be big when you are not a good soldier?”
“It is long since I have had time any day to kill birds. Many’s the time
I was hungry when I killed the three hundred men. I had no time to kill
birds for my breakfast in the morning. To-day I have time to kill plenty.”
“You will not kill a beast to-day,” said the champion of the red belt.
He then went killing. He killed. The big man went among the gathering of
the birds. He was killing till night. He said he had enough killed.
Then they went home. They got ready their supper. They took their supper.
They went to rest them. The king knight of the black castle was not going
to rise very early. He had nothing to kill.
They were going to take a walk in the wood. “Is there a woman at all who
is good for much on the island?” said the champion of the red belt.
“There is a king’s daughter on the island, and I think I would get her in
marriage.”
He and his brother went to the king’s house. He got the king’s daughter
in marriage. Came the priest of the pattens and the clerk of the bell.
The pair were married. The wedding lasted nine nights and nine days. He
took her home then. They stayed at home a couple of days until he rested.
“Now,” said the champion of the red belt, “you have a wife; it is time
for me to go to my brother to make him alive.”
“I will be with you,” said the king knight of the black castle.
They came to his brother. He made his brother alive as well as ever he
was. They went to the house of the King of Underwaveland. There was great
joy on the bride to see her husband. Came the priest of the pattens and
the clerk of the bell. The pair were married.
“Now,” said the champion of the red belt, “you have both your wives. It
is right for you to go with me till I get my wife.”
They went on then to the island of the King of Greece. When the daughter
of the King of Greece saw the champion of the red belt there was great
joy on her. They told the King of Greece what their birth was. Came the
priest of the pattens and the clerk of the bell. The pair were married.
The wedding lasted nine nights and nine days.
[Illustration]
_JACK._
_Narrator, P. MINAHAN, of Malinmore, Glencolumkille, co. Donegal._
There was a master, and he went to look for a servant boy. He fell in
with Jack. He hired him. He took him home. On the morning of the morrow
the master was leaving home. Jack asked him what he should do that day.
“Go threshing in the barn,” said the master.
“Shall I thresh anything but what is there?”
“Do not,” said the master. “If you thresh all that’s there, thresh no
more.”
“What’ll I go to do then?” said Jack.
“Don’t do a turn till night.”
The master went away then, and Jack went to the barn and began threshing.
The chaff began flying about, and he slashed through the barn, and there
was not a grain of it left in an hour by the watch. Jack cleared the
barn. He shook the straw. He cleaned up the barn. He went into the house
and sat down by the fire. The mistress bade him bring in a basket of
turf. He said he would not. “You won’t be there,” said the mistress,
“unless you do some work.”
“I won’t do one turn till night.”
“Musha, you won’t be there,” said the mistress.
The two quarrelled. She put him out of the house. He went out and stayed
about the place till night.
When Jack went out a neighbour came in. The mistress got dinner for
him. When he was going, she went with him part of the way. They came to
an old lime-kiln. They went into it. He kissed the mistress. Jack was
watching them always. “If I knew,” said she, “where you would be working
to-morrow, I would bring you your dinner.”
“I’ll be at work ploughing at the east end of the village. I’ll have a
white horse and a black horse.”
When night came, Jack went into the byre. The master came home. He asked
where the boy was.
“I don’t know where he is,” said the mistress. “He came in here and
sat down by the fire. I bade him bring in a cleeve of turf. He said he
wouldn’t. I said he shouldn’t be there if he didn’t work. He said he
wouldn’t do a turn till night. We had a quarrel. I haven’t set eyes on
him since then.”
They went to bed. They heard a noise in the byre. “The cattle have broken
loose,” said the mistress. “They are goring one another.” The master
called to the servant-girl to go out and look into the byre; that the
cattle were broken loose. The girl got up and went out. She was a while
outside. She couldn’t catch the cattle. The master got up himself and
went out. The girl was in the byre before him. He kissed the girl. They
came in. The master said two of the cattle were broken loose. Jack was in
the byre all the time watching them, and when they went to bed he came
into the house and went to bed. He got up on the morrow morning. “I never
saw the work I’d rather do than ploughing,” said he. “It’s time to turn
the soil up. Let us go ploughing to-day.”
“I don’t care,” said the master. They got the breakfast ready. They took
the beasts with them to go ploughing. The two beasts were black. “I
never saw anything I disliked more than a black beast.” Jack went in and
brought out a white sheet. He put it on one of the beasts. He then had
a black beast and a white beast. They went ploughing the land that was
nearest to them. When the middle of the day came, Jack raised his head,
and he ploughing. He looked before him. He saw the woman coming near
them, with a bundle in her hand. “I don’t know,” said he, “who that woman
over there is.” The master looked.
“It is my wife,” said he, “coming with our dinner.”
“What a right sort of woman!” said Jack.
When the mistress came to them she was ashamed to go past. They sat down
and went to take their dinner. They had a good dinner. There were a great
many eggs.
“It’s a pity,” said the master, “the man over there hasn’t some dinner.”
“Musha,” said Jack, “I’ll go and bring him some.”
“Do,” said the mistress.
Jack got up, and said he, “I’ll take some eggs to be eating on the way.”
He took a handful of eggs. When he was gone a little way from them he let
one of the eggs fall on the ground. He was dropping the eggs on the road.
When he got as far as the man he sat down and began chatting.
Said the mistress, “He won’t come over till the dinner’s good for
nothing.”
“I’ll go over myself,” said the master. He got up and he went over, but
he wasn’t gone far when he came on an egg. He stooped and picked it up.
He was gathering the eggs on the road.
“What’s the man beyond gathering?” said the other man to Jack.
“He’s gathering white stones to kill you for being with his wife
yesterday in the lime-kiln.”
“Did he hear of that?”
“He heard,” said Jack.
“I’ll stay here no longer,” said the man.
He got up and went running away as fast as he could. The master began to
call after him. He wouldn’t turn back. The master kept running after him.
When Jack saw the two of them travelling he went back to the dinner.
“Where is he gone to?” said the mistress.
“He’s after that man for his doings with you in the lime-kiln yesterday.”
The master came back to his dinner. When the mistress saw him coming she
got up and took to her heels. When the master saw that, he asked where
was she going?
“She’s going to drown herself,” said Jack, “for your kissing the servant
girl in the byre last night.”
“Did she hear of that?” said the master. He went running after her. “Come
back,” said he, “and I’ll never do it again.”
“Oh, don’t kill me,” said she, “and I’ll never do it again.”
She returned then and they took their dinner, but it was good for
nothing. They ploughed till night-time. Jack was a good servant-boy. He
put in his time.
When he left his master he went to the big town. He went tailoring. His
master had twelve boys before he came. Jack wasn’t long with him when
he was a great hand at the sewing. His time was nearly up. His master
thought he would keep no one but Jack. The times were hard. He dismissed
them every one but Jack. He kept him. They were tailoring one day. The
master said to Jack it was a bad year.
“Don’t be afraid,” said Jack. “Do you see that field full of cattle over
there?”
When night came Jack and his master went out. They went to the field.
Jack took one of the bullocks. He skinned the skin off it. He cut the
flesh off the bones. He sewed the skin on the bullock again. They went
home, and two loads of meat with them. They had enough that time. To make
a long story short, they didn’t leave a bullock in the field but they did
the same to. When the last of the cattle was eaten, they began with the
sheep. They played the same trick on the sheep.
When the king thought it was time to kill a bullock he went to the
butcher. They went to the field. When they went to look at a bullock,
the bullock was barely able to walk. They were all like that. The king
couldn’t tell what happened them. They went to the field where the sheep
were. They were in bad condition. There wasn’t a sheep or a head of
cattle that Jack and the tailor hadn’t eaten the flesh off.
The king went home, and he didn’t know what to do. He went to the old man
who was in the town to tell him what happened to them.
“There’s some neighbour of yours that’s smart.”
“I don’t know how I can get hold of him.”
“I know,” said the old man. “The first fine day that comes take some gold
and silver, spread it out, and leave it outside till the dark comes.
Whoever is playing the tricks on you will spy it. He’ll try for it. When
night comes, take in the money and put out a barrel of pitch.”
The king did so. Jack looked out at the window. He saw the king spread
out the money. “Do you see,” said he, “what the man is doing yonder?”
Jack was watching the money all day. Night was coming on, and nobody was
going near the money. “He has forgotten it,” said Jack; “no one will come
near it till morning.”
When night came Jack and his master went drawing near the money, to
take home the full of a bag with them. They went to the place where the
money was. There was a barrel of pitch there. “Which will you do, stoop
into the barrel, or watch?” The tailor said he would stoop. He stooped
into the barrel; he stretched his two hands down to get a handful. The
two hands stuck in the pitch. He was caught then. He could not stir. He
called to Jack to draw him out of the barrel. Jack went to draw him. He
failed to draw him. He placed his two hands on his body and shoved him
down on the crown of his head. He left him there.
The king came in the morning. He found the thief caught in the barrel. He
couldn’t tell then who he was, he was so black with pitch. He was as bad
as ever. He went to the old man again. He said the thief was caught by
him, but he didn’t know who he was.
“Do you know what you’ll do? Take a beast and tie him to the beast’s
tail. Whoever it is that has lost her husband, when she sees him she will
go crying.”
He tied a rope on the man. He put him behind the beast. He went through
the big town with him. He did not go far till he came to the house of the
tailor. When the tailor’s wife saw him she gave a roar of lamentation out
of her. Jack caught hold of the scissors and cut the tip of his finger.
The king came in. He said she was caught. The tailor (_i.e._, Jack)
looked round. “What ails you?” said Jack.
“It is your wife who has lost the man and is crying there.”
“It was I cut my finger,” said Jack, “and she thought I was killed, and
that’s what she was crying for. You may go off with yourself. There’s
nothing for you to get here.”
The king went away. He was up and he was down. If he were to be walking
till now he wouldn’t get one to go crying. He had nothing for it but to
go home. The tailor’s wife and Jack were married then.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
_THE SERVANT[10] OF POVERTY._
_Narrator, P. MINAHAN, Malinmore, Glencolumkille, co. Donegal._
There was a rich farmer there. He was going from home to buy cattle. The
king and the farmer met. Each of them got a letter that there was a young
son born to the farmer, a young daughter to the king. They were rejoiced
when they heard it. They went both into a tavern to drink a glass. They
made it up that if the children would agree to it they would have them
married. They went home then. They were rejoiced at the children.
It was not long after that when the farmer died. His wife was broken up.
She had nothing but the child. She had to sell the farm and the stock.
She was not worth a penny. She was bringing up the child till he was fit
to go to school. He would be out on the street, and anyone who would have
anything to carry, the boy would carry it for him. They would give him
sixpence or a shilling. He would give that to the master of the school,
till the last of it was spent. He was coming on with his learning, till
he was a good scholar. He was on the street one day. The king was there.
The king bought a quarter of mutton. The king looked about him. He saw
the little boy opposite watching him. He asked him would he carry it. The
boy said he would carry. The king went with the boy. When they came to
the house the king gave him half-a-crown. The boy went home rejoiced. He
gave that to the master. He was at school till the half-crown was spent.
One day the daughter of the king was on the street. She bought a parcel
of clothes. She looked about her. The boy was behind her. She asked him
would he carry the parcel. He said he would carry. The two went to the
king’s house. When the king saw the two coming in, he went laughing. The
girl gave the boy another half-crown. She asked her father what was the
reason of his laughing. Her father said there was none. The girl said
there was no harm in it. The king said that at one time the boy was as
good as herself. He told her everything that had passed, nor did she
pretend anything. She had an eye on the boy from that out. She was giving
him money to keep him at school, till he was a good scholar, till he was
growing too big to be at school.
“What would you think of being a pedlar?” said she.
“I have no money,” said the boy.
She gave him five pounds. He went to buy hardware. He met a fighting
cock. He bet his five pounds on the cock. The cock was beaten, and his
five pounds were lost on him. He went home then. She met him at the end
of a couple of days.
“How did you get on?” said she.
“I met a fighting cock. I bet my five pounds on the cock. The cock was
beaten. I lost the five pounds.”
“Well! here are five other pounds,” said the girl. “Do no foolishness
with them, till you buy the hardware.”
He went then. He fell in with a race-horse. He took a conceit on the
horse. He bet the five pounds. The beast was beaten. The five pounds were
lost. He had to go home. He was afraid to come across the girl. He was
leaving the way for fear he should meet her. He met her one day.
“Well, how did you get on?” said she.
“I believe you will kill me,” said he. “I lost the five pounds again.”
“Well,” said she, “unless there was venture in you, you would not have
lost them. If you got five pounds more, I think you would not lose them.”
“I would not,” said he.
She gave him five pounds more. He went. He bought the five pounds’ worth
of hardware. He came home. He went pedlaring. He was doing well till he
sold everything. He doubled his money. He came home then. She met him.
“You have made your way home,” said she.
“I have made,” said he.
“How did you get on?” said she.
“Very well,” said he. “I have doubled my money.”
“Buy ten pounds’ worth now,” said she.
He bought the ten pounds’ worth. He struck to pedlaring again, till he
sold the ten pounds’ worth. He came home then. She met him.
“You have got home,” said she.
“I have got,” said he.
“How did you succeed?” said she.
“Very well,” said he; “I have twenty pounds now.”
“Good you are,” said she. “Buy twenty pounds’ worth now.”
He was buying and selling, till his pack was so heavy that he was tired
with it. He came home. She met him. He said he was growing tired carrying
the pack. Would she give him leave to buy a beast to carry it? She said
she would give him leave. He went to buy a beast. He was buying and
selling then till he had a great deal of money. He came home then. She
came to him. He asked her would she give him leave to set up a shop in
the town. He was afraid he would be killed for his money. She said she
would give him leave. He set up a shop then and he laid in a stock. He
was selling as much as any two in the city.
The king was dealing with a merchant from London. He came to Dublin to
settle with the king. They went to settle. They could not agree. They got
a couple of clerks to settle between them. The clerks could not settle it
all. They were three days sitting at the settling. They failed. The king
came home at night. His daughter came to him.
“How are you and the London man getting on?”
“They have failed to settle it,” said the king.
“Did you try the shopman?” said she. “They say he has good learning.”
“We did not try,” said he.
“Try him to-morrow,” said she.
He went on the morning of the morrow. They sat down to the settling
again. They sent word for the shopman. He came. He began to look into
the books. He made it up in a moment between the king and the man from
London. The king was satisfied then. He went home. His daughter asked
him how he got on. The king said he got on very well, that he never saw
a better scholar. The London man came to the young man the next day, to
find out how much he would take for a year. The young man said he could
not leave his shop. The London man said he would give him more than he
would make by his shop in a year. He made advice to go with him. He went
home. He went to find out if she would give him leave. She said she would
give. He put his shop to auction. He sold it out. He made ready to go
with the man from London. He went with him then. He was sending letters
to her. She was reading them. When the year was up, he was making ready
to go home. The London man said to him to stay another year. He made
advice to stay. He remained another year. When the year was up he made
ready to go. He filled a ship full of every kind of goods. He bade the
captain go to Dublin in the name of Kayleh-na-Bochtjinacht. When the
captain came to Dublin there was no one at all of that name to be found.
He did not know what to do. He had nothing for it but to return home. He
was angry. The king was in the city. He went to tell at home that there
was a ship was come from London with a cargo of goods, in the name of
Kayleh-na-Bochtjinacht, and that there was no one at all in the place of
that name.
“Well,” said the king’s daughter, “the cargo will go to loss. Prepare a
store of your own, and empty the cargo into it. Perhaps the owner will
come to look for it.”
The king got men, and they unloaded the cargo into the store. The captain
was rejoiced when he got the vessel unloaded. When two years were up
with Kayleh-na-Bochtjinacht he was coming home. He was walking round by
the foot of the sea. A collegian met him, going the same road. He asked
Kayleh-na-Bochtjinacht where he was going. Kayleh answered he did not
know well where he was going; that he made a herring-net, and the first
night he put it out he had not seen it since; that he was walking round
by the foot of the sea to look if he could find it rolled on to a stone.
“Where are you going yourself?”
“I am going to Dublin, to be married to the daughter of the king.”
“Well, I will be with you a bit of the way.”
A rainy day came on them, and they were greatly wet. This young man, he
was all but perished with cold.
“If you had your own house from the town with you, you would not be wet.”
They went on till they came to a river. There was no bridge at all on the
river. Kayleh-na-Bochtjinacht went out into the river. He went across.
The young champion went out after him till he was all but lost. When he
got to the other side of the river, “I was all but lost,” said he.
“Well, if you had your own bridge with you, you would not be lost.”
They went on another while. The champion said he was hungry. Kayleh said,
“If you had your mother with you from home, you would not be hungry.”
Kayleh had a loaf with him. He drew it out and took his dinner. They went
on then till they came to Dublin. Kayleh stopped at the end of the town.
The young champion went to the king’s house. He was all but famished. He
went into the parlour then. They took their dinner. They were passing
fun. The young woman was with them.
“Well,” said the young champion, “there was a fine man with me to-day, he
had the silliest talk ever I heard. When I met him, I asked him how far
he was going. He said he did not well know; that he made a herring-net;
the first night he put it out into the sea he never had a sight of it
since; that he was walking by the foot of the sea, to look if he would
fall in with it in a creek, or rolled on a rock. We went on another
while. A day of rain came. We were wet greatly. I called out that I was
wet.