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

GUAIGEAN LADHRACH s' LOIREAN SPAGACH. I 8 3
it into tlie earth, point foremost, and it went down into
the earth to the root. Then he seized the bone, and
the two hauled at the ox to drag it from each other.
At last the head of the ox split, and the ox tore
asunder down through his very middle to the root of
the taU. Then they threw the ox from them, and
they began at wrestling ; and that was the wrestling !
there was no knowing which of them was the stronger.
Cuchullin came to bring aid to Crumple Toes ; he
could not reach up aloft to give a blow to Shamble
Shanks with a sword which he had, but he began to
cut at the back of his legs to try to make a stair up
the back of the giant's legs, up wliich he might climb
to give him a blow of his sword.
Shamble Shanks felt something picking the back
of his legs, and he put down his hand and he threw
CuchuUiu away ; and where should Cuchullin go but
foot foremost into the horn of the ox, and out of the
horn he coidd not come. But at the time that Sham-
ble Shanks was throwing CuchulHn away, Crumple
Toes got a chance at him and Shamble Shanks was
levelled, and Crumple Toes got him killed.
'\^^len that was done he looked about for CuchuUin,
but he could not see him ; and he shouted, " Where
art thou now, thou little hero that wert helping me ?"
Quoth Cuchullin, '' I aili here in the horn of the
ox."
The giant went to try to take liim out, but he
could not put his hand far enough down into the
horn ; but at last he straddled his legs and he drove
his hand down into the horn, and he got hold of
CuchulUn between his two fingers, and he brought him
up. CuchullLu went home with the cattle at the going
down of the sun, and I heard no more of the tale.
John Dewar.