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

334 WEST HIGHLAND TxVLES.
each leaped on land, and lie went to the house of
the king ; and when he reached the gate, the gate-
keeper asked where he was going ; and he said " That
he was going to see if the king had need of a stable
lad ;" and the gate-keeper let hiui past, and he reached
the king's house ; he struck at the door and the king
came out ; and the king said, " What art thou seek-
ing here V
Said he, " With your leave, I came to see if you
had need of a stable lad."
The king asked, " "What canst thou do ?"
Said he, " I can clean and feed the horses, and
clean the silver work, and the steel work, and make
them shiny."
The king settled wages on him, and he went to the
stable ; and he put each thing in good order ; he took
good care of the horses, he fed them well, and he kept
them clean, and their skin was looking sliom sleek ;
and the silver work and the steel work shiny to look
at ; and the king never saw them so well in order be-
fore. Ajid he said, " This is the best stable lad I have
ever had, I may trust the Yellow (Bay) Filly to
him."
The king gave the Yellow (Bay) Filly to Maclain
Direach to keep ; and Maclain Direach took very
great care of the Yellow (Bay) Filly ; and he kept her
clean, till her skin was so sleek and shppery, and she
so swift, that she would leave the one wind and catch
the other. The king never saw her so good.
The king went one day to the hunting hill, and
Maclain Direach thought that was the time to run
away with the Yellov,' (Bay) Filly ; and he set her in
what belonged to her, with a bridle and a saddle ; and
when he took her out of the stable, he was taking her
tlu'ough the gate, she gave a switch sguaise with her