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

MAC IAIN DIREACH. 339
Bay Filly and the Wliite Glave of Light, and I will
take you to mainland."
The Gille Mairtean jDut himself in the shape of a
boat ; Maclain Direach put the Wliite Glave of Light
and the Yellow Bay Filly on board, and he went him-
self, and the King of France's daughter, in on board
after them ; and the Gille Mairtean went with them
to the mainland When they reached shore, the Gille
Mairtean put liimself into his own shape, and he said
to Maclain Direach —
" Leave thou the King of France's daughter, the
Yellow Bay Filly from the King of Eirinn, and the
White Glave of Light there, and I will go into the
shape of a White Glave of Light ; and take thou me
to the giant and give thou me to him for the falcon,
and I will give him enough of swords."
The Gille Mairtean put himself into the form of a
sword, and Maclain Direach took liim to the giant ;
and when the giant saw him coming he put the blue
falcon into a Muirlag,* and he gave it to Maclain
Direach, and he went away with it to where he had
left the King of France's daughter, the Yellow Bay
FiUy, and the White Glave of Light.
The giant went in with the GiUe Mairtean in his
hand, himself thinldng that it was the White Glave of
Light of the Big Women of Diurrath that he had, and
he began at Fionnsaireach, fencing, and at sguaiseal,
slashing with it ; but at last the Gille Mairtean bent
himself, and he swept the five heads off the giant, and
he went where Maclain Direach was, and he said to
him, " Son of John the Upright, put the saddle of gold
on the filly, and the silver bridle in her head, and go
• A basket, shaped like an egg, with a hole at the middle.
(Dewar.) Such baskets, with hens in them, may be seen now-a-
days.— J. F. C.