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

THE STRATH DEARN HUNTER AND THE
WITCH.
In days gone by, a famous hunter dwelt in Strath Dearn,
on the south side of Loch Ness. When the time of
hunting arrived, he went with his two dogs to Crò-
Clach, in the upper end of the Glen ; and, after he had
passed the day pursuing the deer, he betook himself
to a shieling bothy to spend the night. He reached
the bothy in the evening; and, after kindling a fire,
prepared supper. When he had taken supper and
placed more fuel on the fire, he threw himself on a
heap of rushes in a corner of the bothy. His two dogs
followed him, and laid themselves down at his back.
In a short time a hen entered and rested herself on
one side on the hearth, while she kept the other side to
the fire. She was not long in that position when she
began to swell and to swell. In a while she rose, and
turned the side under her to the fire ; and if she swelled
before, she now swelled seven times more. At last she
became a woman, and stood up on the floor before the
hunter.
As soon as the dogs noticed her they assumed an
angry look, and sprang over on the floor to be at her.
" Keep back thy dogs," said the carlin. " I cannot,"
answered the hunter. She pulled a hair from her head,
and when she was reaching the hair to him, she said:
" Tie them with that." He pretended that he was tying
the dogs with the hair, but he put one of his own
garters on them instead.