J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

330 WEST HIGHLAXD TALES.
■wliere his house is ; and it is my advice to thee to go
to be as his servant, and that thou be nimble and
ready to do each thing that is asked of thee, and each
thing that is trusted thee ; and be very good to his
birds, and it well may be that he will trust thee with
the falcon to feed ; and when thou gettest the falcon
to feed be right good to her, till thou gettest a chance ;
at the time when the giant is not at home run away
with her, but take care that so much as one feather
of her does not touch any one thing that is within the
house, or if it touches, it will not go (well) with thee."
Maclain Direach said " That he would take care
of that ; " and he went to the giant's house ; he ar-
rived, he struck at the door.
The giant shouted, " ^Vllo is there ?"
" It is me," said Maclain Direach ; " one coming to
see if thou hast need of a lad."
" "What work canst thou do?" said the giant.
" It is (this)," said Maclain Direach, " I can feed
Ijirds and swine, and feed and milk a cow, or goats or
sheep."
" It is the like of thee that I want," said the
giant.
The giant came out and he settled wages on [Mac-
lain Direach ; and he was taking right good care of
everything that the giant had, and he was very kind
to the hens and to the ducks ; and the giant took
notice how well he was doing ; and he said that his
table was so good since Maclain Direach had come, by
Avliat it Avas before ; that he had rather one hen of
those which he got now, than two of those he used to
get before. " Mj lad is so good that I begin to think
I may trust him the falcon to feed ;" and the giant
gave the falcon to Maclain Direach to feed, and he
took exceeding care of the falcon : and when the giant