Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 3

O WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
He put liis hand under the root of the raven's
right wing, and he found the knife, and he took the
head off the giant.
" 'Now thou shalt go in and clean thyself with warm
water, thou wilt find the vessel of balsam, thou shalt
rub it upon thj^self, thou shalt go to bed, and thou wdlfc
be whole and wholesome to-morrow. This one will be
certainly more cunning and more mouthing than was
the one before, asking thee to return and not to go
further ; but give thou no heed to her. And thou
shalt give me a quid of tobacco."
" I will give it indeed; thou art worthy of it."
He went in and he did as the raven asked him.
When he got up on the morrow's morning he was
whole and wholesome.
"Thou hadst better," said the knight's middle
daughter, " return, and not put thyself in more danger ;
there is plenty of gold and of silver here."
" I will not do that ; I will go forward."
He went forward till he came to the house in which
was the Uttle daughter of the knight ; he went in and
he saw her sewing, and her tliimble wet with tears.
" What brought thee here Ì"
""WHiat brought thyself into it that I might not
come into it Ì "
" I was brought into it m spite of me."
" I know that."
"Art thou young Iain tlie soldier's son, from
Albainn Ì" ,
" I am; what is the reason that thou art weeping?"
" I have but this night of delay without marrying
the giant."
"Where is he ?"
"He is in the hunting hill."
" AVhat means to bring him home ? "