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

374 "^EST HIGHLAND TALES.
The men who were in the j^eat-hag were thinking
it long that one of the women was not coming, for
hunger had struck them. kSo it was that the old man
went home to see what was keeping the women, and
when he went in it was so that he found the two cry-
ing, and beating their palms.
"0, uvon !" said he, "what came upon you?"
" ! " said the old woman, " when thy daughter
came home, did she not see the speckled filly's pack-
saddle over her head, and what should she do if it
should fall, and kill herself, and all that were to
follow !"
" It came upon me ! " said the old man, as he struck
his palms, " If that should happen ! "
The young man came at the mouth of night, full
of hunger, and he found a leash crying together.
"Oovoo!" said he, "what came upon you?" and
when the old man told him ;
" But," said he, " the packsaddle did not fall."
When he took his meat he went to lie down; and
in the morning he said, " My foot shall not stay till I
see other three as silly as ye."
Then he went through Sgire mo Chealag, and he
went into a house in it, and there was no man within
but a leash of women, and they were spinning on five
wheels.
" I myself will not believe," said he, " that it is of
the people of this place that you are."
" Well, then," said they, " it is not. We ourselves
will not believe tliat it is of the people of the place that
thou art thyseK."
" It is not," said he.
" Weel," said they, " the men that there are in this
place are so silly, that we can make them believe any-
thing that we please ourselves."