J. F. Campbell Collection > Fireside stories of Ireland

I06 THE FIRESIDE STORIES OF IRELAND.
it ?" " Oh, nothing at all ! But if you spare my life,
I'll give you a flute that, whenever you play on it, will set
your greatest enemies a dancing, and they wont have power
to lay their hands on you, if they were as mad as march
hares to kill you." "Let us have it," says Gilla, "and
take yourself out of that." So the giant handed him the
flute out of his oxter-pocket, and home went Gilla as proud
as a paycocky with his fagot on his back and his flute stuck
in it.
In three days time he went to get another fagot ; and
this day he was attacked by a brother of the same giant ;
and whatever trouble he had with the other he had it twice
with this one. He levelled him at last, and only gave him
his life on being ofiered a bottle of soft green wax of a won-
derful nature. If a person only rubbed it on the size of a
crown-piece of his body, fire, nor iron, nor any sharp thing
could do him the least harm for a year and a day after.
Home went Gilla with his bottle, and never stirred out for
three days, for he was a little tired and bruised after his
wrestling. The next fagot he went to gather, he met with
the third brother, and if they had'nt the dreadful struggle,
leave it till again ! They held at it from noon till night,
and then the giant was forced to give in. ^^^lat he gave
for his life was a club, that he took away OEce from a
hermit, and any one fighting with that club in a just cause
would never be conquered.
If Gilla staid at home three days after the last struggle,
he did'nt stir for a week after this. It was of a Monday
morning he got up, and he heard a blowing of bugles, and
a terrible huUabulloo in the street. Himself and his
mother ran to the door, and there was a fine fat man on
horseback, v,^ith a jockey's cap on his head, and a quilt with
six times the colours of the rainbow on it hanging over
his shoulders, " Hear all you good people," says he, after
another pull at his bugle horn. " The king of Dublin's
daughter has not laughed for three years and a half, and
her father promises her in marriage, and his crown after his
death, to whoever makes her laugh three times." " And
here's the boy," says Gilla, " will make her do that, or
know the reason why."