Matheson Collection > Folk tales and fairy lore in Gaelic and English

FOLK TALES AND FAIRY LORE. 49
Stroke he struck the champion's head off. He then
sprang over the rampart, but Big Black John sent a
defiance after him as on the preceding night.
On the next day and the day following, everything
happened as on the first two days, and he struck the
heads off the champion of the White Shield and the
champion of the Black Shield.
The champions were all dead now, and next morning
he had to meet Big Black John himself. He sprang
in over the rampart, and that night his wife treated
him as well as she could.
Next morning he sprang out as usual, and he and
Big Black John drew near each other. They fought
first with their swords, but sometimes during the day
they came so close to one another that they went into
a hard wrestling bout. They would make quagmires
of quagmires and knolls of knolls; where it was softest
sinking to the eyes, and where it was hardest to the
knees, and where it was most intermediate to the thick
end of the thigh. At the going down of the sun young
Ulin put Big Black John under him, and struck off
his head.
When his wife saw this she ran to the gate and
opened it, so that her husband required not to leap
over the rampart that night.
They stayed together in the castle until young Ulin's
wounds were healed. Then they made ready to return
home, and they took with them all the gold and silver
in the castle. They also took with them Big Black
John's horse, and hound, and hunting falcon, and (what
they reckoned more precious than all other things) the
tooth of the King of Greece. The distance was long,
and they took a long time on the way. At length they
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