Blair Collection > Gille a' bhuidseir

THE WIZARD'S GILLIE 21
" What sort of a fair will it be? "
" Why — a dog fair. I shall become a hound to-
morrow, and I shall have, on my neck, a yellow band,
and there will be none at the fair as handsome as I.
To-morrow at that same fair thou shalt sell me, and
shalt get twenty Saxon pounds for me. But when
thou sellest me, sell not the band that is round my
neck upon any account, for I shall become that band
myself. — Aaiò. when thou hast delivered over the
hound, thou must cast the band on a hillock, and I shall
instantly become a man, and accompany thee."
On the morrow, the farmer went to the fair with
the hound. There were a great many dogs at the fair,
but not one so handsome as the farmer's hound.
Many a man looked with all his eyes at the hound,
and one in particular coming up to where the farmer
was, said —
" What will thou take for the hound? "
" Twenty Saxon pounds," quoth the farmer.
He got the money, but when he handed over the
hound, he took off the yellow band that was about its
neck. Then he threw the yellow band upon a hillock,
and it instantly leaped up a man and accompanied him.
The two of them then departed, the farmer and his
son, and journeyed on to another town.
" There will be a fair in this town to-morrow," said
the farmer's son to his father.
" What sort of fair will it be? " said his father.
" Why, it will be a bull fair, and I shall be a bull, and
thou must sell me. Three score Saxon pounds shalt
thou take for me. In my nose will be a ring; but this
thou shalt not sell, for when thou handest over the
bull, the ring will spring into thine hand. Then shalt