Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

XXI.
A PUZZLE.
From Kenneth M'Lennan, Turnaid, Ross-sliire.
THERE was a custom once tliroiigli the Gasldom, when
a man would die, that the whole people of the place
would gather together to the house in which the dead
man was. Tigh aire faire (the shealing of watching),
and they would be at drinking, and singing, and telling
tales, till the white day should come. At this time they
were gathered together in the house of watching, and
there was a man in this house, and when the tale went
about, he had neither tale nor song, and as he had not,
he was put out at the door. "Wlien he was put out he
stood at the end of the barn ; he was afraid to go far-
ther. He was but a short time standing when he saw
nine, dressed in red garments, going past, and shortly
after that he saw other nine going past in green dresses ;
shortly after this he saw other nine going past in blue
dresses. A while after that came a horse, and a woman
and a man on him. Said the woman to the man, " I
will go to speak to that man who is there at the end
of the barn." She asked him what he was doing stand-
ing there Ì He told her. " Sawest thou any man
going past since the night fell ? " said she. He said
that he had ; he told her all he had seen. " Thou
sawest all that went past since the night fell," said she.
" Well then," said she, " the fii'st nine thou sawest
these were brothers of my father, and the second nine
brothers of my mother, and the tliird nine, these were
my own sons, and they are altogether sons to that man