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

T42 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
" How dost thou know that ?"
" Thou hadst a maiden's slow eyelash when I went
out ; thou hast the brisk eyelash of a wife now."
" Whom wouldst thou rather had been here ?"
" I never saw the man I would rather be here than
the king of Erin."
" Well, it was he ; he left me a thousand of each
hue, a thousand of each kind, a thousand of each
creature.
" 'What,' said I, 'shall I do with them, us I
ciumot get in Erin as much salt as will salt them ? '
" Said he, ' I would give thee glens and high moors
to feed them from year to year.'
" ' What shall I do if Fearghus should kill you ? I
will not get them.'
" He said, ' I should have writing and a drop of
his own blood to bind it.' "
They slept that night as they were. K it was
early that the day came, it was earlier that the smith
arose. " Come, daughter, and let us be going." She
went, herself and the smith, and they reached the king
in his camp.
" AVert thou not in the lubhar yesterday ?" said the
smith to the king, " I was ; and hast thou mind of thy
words to the girl ?"
" I have ; but the battle wiU not be till to-morrow.
I will give thee, as I said, to the girl ; but leave her."
The smith got that, and he went away.
That night, when she had slept a while, she awoke,
for she had seen a dream. " Art thou waking Ì"
" I am ; what wilt thou with me 1 I saw a dream
there : a shoot of fir growing from the heart of the
king, one from my own heart, and they were twining
about each other." " That is our babe son." They
slept, and it was not long till she saw the next dream.