J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

THE GIANT AND HIS ROYAL SERVANTS. 59
on the grass, was to take an old jaggedy bridle with a rusty
bit ont of her pocket, and shake it over her head. As soon
as the filly seen it, she run to them capering, and shaking
her ears, and stood like a lamb till it was fitted on her.
"Well, such a dinner, and such loving talk as they had with
each other till near sunset, and then she went in, the way
the giant wouldn't see them together. As cross as he
looked before, he looked ten times crosser now, but he kejt
in his anger.
Next morning after breakfast, said he to the prince,
" There is a tree at the corner of the paddock, and a raven's
nest in the branches of it. There are five eggs in the ntst,
and I want them for my supper to-night. If you break or
lose e'er a one of them you needn't expect much good treat-
ment from me. If you bring them safe and sound, I'll
marry you to the princess there after supper, and you will
live as happy as the day is long."
Well, I think that women aren't so selfish somehow as
men. The prince looked glad enough, but there wasn't a
morsel of gladness on the princess's face, and so everything
went on as usual next morniug. The giant went to look
after his goats, and sheep, and cattle, the princess readied
up the house, and the prince went down to the tree. A
wearisome tree it was on him. The body of it was as
smooth as that table, and there wasn't a twig sticking out
of it for more than a score of feet from the top of the ditch
where it grew. He'd grip it Avith arms and legs till he'd
be up about six feet, and then he'd come down with a flop,
and after a little rest he'd spit in his palms, and try it
again, and down he'd come with a flop once more.
He was worse off to-day when the darling princess came
with his dinner than he was the other days, and as much
as she jiitied him, she couldn't help laughing at the state
the legs and arms of his clothes were in. He didn't
much enjoy her merriment, but she soon gave him relief.
She took from her pocket two magic rods and gave them
to him, and told him how to use' them, and he was soon
climbing the tree like a may-boy. The rods went into the
wood like a nail into a cabbage stalk, and then when his
left foot was on one he pulled the other out, and stuck it