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

MAC lAIX DIREACH. 355
BONG, a joining spar, a hoop, perhaps ring) that he has not got ;
and when he brings out the marvellous bird, say thou ' Fuith !
fuith ! ' the nasty Lird, throw it out of my sight, I could find
braver birds than that on the middens at home."
Brian did thus.
" S' tia ! " said the big one, " then I must go to thy country
to gather a part of them."
But Brian was pleasing the giant well ; but on a night of the
nights, Brian steals the marvellous bird, and drags himself out
with it. When he was a good bit from the giant's house, " S'tia !"
said Brian to himself, " I don't know if it is the right bird I have
after every turn." Brian lifts the covering off the bird's head,
and he lets out one screech, and the screech roused the giant.
" ! ! son of the King of Greece," said the giant, " that I
have coming to steal the marvellous bird ; the prophet Faidh
was saying that he would come to his gird."
Then here the giant put on the shoes that could make nine
miles at every step, and he was'nt long catching poor Brian.
They returned home to the giant's house, and the giant laid the
binding of the three smalls on him, and he threw Brian into the
peat corner, and he was there till the morning on the morrow's
day.
" Now," said the giant, " son of the King of Greece, thou hast
thy two rathers ; whether wouldst thou rather thy head to be on
yonder stake, ergo to steal for me the White Glave of Light that
is in the realm of Big Women?"
" S' BAiGHEiL DDiNE Ki BHEATHA, a man is kind to his life,"
said Brian, " I will go to steal the White Glave of Light."
But never mind ; Brian had not gone far from the giant's
house when the fox met with him.
" DDUiNE GDN TUR GUN TOiNisG, Oh man. Without mind or
sense, thou didst not take my counsel, and what will now arise
against thee ! Thou art going to the realm of Big Women to
steal the White Glave of Light ; that is twenty times as hard for
thee as the marvellous bird of that carl of a giant."
" But what help for it now, but that I must, ionnsaidh a
THUBHAiRT AIR, betake myself to it," said poor Brian.
"Well, then," said the fox, " come thou on top of me, and 1
am in hopes thou wilt be wiser the next time."