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

30 WEST HIGHLAND TALES,
gillie were on a day in the forest shooting. My gillie fired
at a hare, and she fell, and he took her skin oflP, and let
her go, and so he did to twelve, he took their skins off
and let them go. And at last came a great fine hare,
and I myself fired at her, and I took her skin off, and
I let her go." " Indeed thy riddle is not hard to
solve, my lad," said the knight. And so the lad got
the knight's daughter to wife, and they made a great
hearty wedding that lasted a day and a year. The
youngest one went home now that liis brother had got
so well on his way, and the eldest brother gave him
every right over the kingdom that was at home.
There were near the march of the kingdom of the
Knight of Riddles three giants, and they were always
murdering and slaying some of the knight's people,
and taking the spoil from them. <Jn a day of days the
Knight of Riddles said to his son-in-law, that if the
spirit of a man were in him, he would go to kill the
giants, as they were always bringing such losses on the
country. And thus it was, he went and he met the
giants, and he came home wdth the three giants' heads,
and he threw them at the knight's feet. " Thou art an
able lad doubtless, and thy name hereafter is the Hero
<5f the White Shield." The name of the Hero of the
AVliite Shield went far and near.
The brother of the Hero of the White Shield was
exceedingly strong and clever, and -without knowing
what the Hero of the White Shield was, he thought he
would try a trick with him. The Hero of the White
Shield was now dwelling on the lands of the giants, and
the knight's daughter mth him. His brother came
and he asked to make a comhrag (fight as a bull) with
him. The men began at each other, and they took to
wrestHng from morning till evening. At last and at
length, when they were tired, weak, and given up, the