J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 3

6 WEST HIGHLAXD TALES.
water, clean thyself in it ; thou wilt find a vessel of
balsam above the door, rub it in thy skin, and go to
bed by thyself and thou wilt be whole and wholesome
to-morrow, and to-morrow thou shalt go on to the house
of the next one."
He went in and he did as the raven asked him. He
went to bed that night and he was whole and whole-
some in the morning when he arose.
"It is better for thee," said the knight's big daughter,
" not to go further, and not to put thyself in more danger ;
there is plenty of gold and silver here, and we will take
it with US and we will return."
" I will not do that," said he ; " I will take (the
road) on my front."
He went forwards till he came to the house where
was the middle daughter of the knight of Grianaig.
He went in and she was seated sewing, and she (was)
weeping, and her thimble wet with her tears.
" "What brought thee here ? "
"What brought thyself into it that I might not
come into it ?"
" I Avas brought in spite of me."
" I have knowledge of that. AVhat set thee
weeping ?"
" I have but one night till I must be married to
the giant."
""N^Tiere is the giant ?"
" He is in the limiting hill."
" '\^^lat means to get him home ?"
" To shake that battle chain without at the side of
the house, and he is not in the leeward nor in the
windward, nor in the four brown boundaries of the
deep, who is as much as can shake it, but young Iain
the soldier's son, from Albainn, and he is too young yet,
he is but sixteen years of age."