J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

6o THE FIEESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND,
in for liis right foot, and so on till he got among the branches.
When he came to the nest, he put one egg in his mouth,
one in each pocket, and two in the breasts of his coat, and
was soon down and eating the happiest dinner he ever
tasted.
And says he when the cloth was removed, " What matter,
my darling, if the giant keeps us here with him itself when
he marries us 1 Love will make our lives as happy as they
can be. Why, I don't wish for anything in the world only
to be in your company, and be looking at you, and hearing
you speak." " Don't once think, prince," said she, " that
ril be satisfied with such marriage as the giant can put on
us, nor to see you and myself and whatever children
God would send all his slaves. Don't say a single word
when he goes about marrying us. You may be sure I
won't open my lips, and when he sends us into the same
room, you'll know my intentions better."
It was all as she said, and when the prince and princess
were sent by the giant into the room, she pointed out three
little images of women, one on the chimney-piece, one on
the table, and one on the window-seat. She pricked her
finger, and let a drop of blood fall on the mouth of every
little image, and then said, " By virtue of my magic power,
I charge you to answer the giant's three questions." She
then went out through a door that couldn't be noticed from
the rest of the wall where it was set. He followed her, and
they w^ent dow^n to the stable where the fiily was eating its
hay. He bridled and saddled the beast, got into his seat,
set her behind him, cleared the bawn gate, and to the road
with them in the direction of his father's palace.
The giant went to bed, and about nine o'clock, he cried
out, " Prince, are you asleep 1 " " Xot yet," was the answer
that came from the mantle-piece. At midnight he cried
out, " Prince, are you asleep 1 " " Going asleep," says the
image on the table. At one o'clock he cried again, " Prince,
are you asleep ? " " Dead asleep,^' says the image on the
window-stool. " That's well," says the giant, and himself
went off asleep at once.
Xext morning he knocked at the door, and knocked, and
knocked again, and then he burst it in. There was no