Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 1

28 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
man is seen coming to the castle but the giant. The
king's son minded his promise to the giant, and till now
he had not told his promise to the queen. "Leave
thou (the matter) between me and the giant," says the
queen.
"Turn out thy son," says the giant; "mind your
promise." "Thou wilt get that," says the king, "when
his mother puts him in order for his journey." The
queen arrayed the cook's son, and she gave him to the
giant by the hand. The giant went away with him ;
but he had not gone far when he put a rod in the hand
of the little laddie. The giant asked him — " If thy
father had that rod what would he do with it ? " "If
my father had that rod he would beat the dogs and the
cats, if they would be going near the king's meat," said
the little laddie. "Thou'rt the cook's son," said the
giant. He catches him by the two small ankles and
knocks him — " Sgleog " — against the stone that was
beside him. The giant turned back to the castle in rage
and madness, and he said that if they did not turn out
the king's son to him, the highest stone of the castle
would be the lowest. Said the queen to the king, "we'll
try it yet ; the butler's son is of the same age as our
son." She arrayed the butler's son, and she gives him
to the giant by the hand. The giant had not gone far
when he put the rod in his hand. " If thy father had
that rod," says the giant, " what would he do with it Ì "
" He would beat the dogs and the cats when they would
be coming near the king's bottles and glasses." " Thou
art the son of the butler," says the giant, and dashed his
brains out too. The giant returned in very great rage
and anger. The earth shook under the sole of his feet,
and the castle shook and all that was in it. " Out
HERE THY SoN," says the giant, " or in a twinkling the