J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 1

THE YOUNG KING OF EASAIDH RUADH. 7
He returned home, and when he returned home,
he found his set of keepers and watchers tied there
back to back, -without wife, or horse, or sweetheart of
his, but was taken away.
When he loosed them, they said to liim, " A great
giant came and he took away thy wife and thy two
horses." " Sleep will not come on mine eyes nor rest
on my head till I get my wife and my two horses back."
In saying tliis, he went on his journey. He took the
side that the track of the horses was, and he followed
them dihgently. The dusk and lateness were coming
on him, and no stop cUd he make till he reached the
side of the green wood. He saw where there was the
forming of the site of a fire, and he thought that he
would put fire upon it, and thus he would put the night
past there.
He was not long here at the fire, when " Cu Seang"
of the green wood came on him.
He blessed the dog, and the dog blessed him.
" Oov ! oov !" said the dog. " Bad was the pHght
of thy wife and thy two horses here last night with
the big giant." " It is that which has set me so pained
and pitiful on their track to-night ; but there is no help
for it." "Oh! king," said the dog, "thou must not
be without meat." The dog went into the wood.
He brought out creatures, and they made them meat
contentedly. " I rather think myself," said the king,
" that I may turn home ; that I cannot go near that
giant." "Don't do that," said the dog. "There's
no fear of thee, king. Thy matter ivill grow with thee.
Thou must not be here without sleeping." " Tear will
not let me sleep without a warranty." "Sleep thou,"
said the dog, " and I will warrant thee." The king let
himself down, stretched out at the side of the fire, and
he slept. When the watch broke, the dog said to him.