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Ossian after the Fians. S3
They went out in the lake, and Ossian plucked up the
grassy hillock and took with him a cauldron which was
below it, and they went away. They then reached a
high, steep rock, with a hole in its face. Ossian asked
his grandson to direct his hand into the hole, out of
which he took the bone of the Black Elk {Lon-DubJi).
" Now," said he to the boy, " put your fingers in your
ears as tight as you can for a short time."
The boy did this, and Ossian whistled loudly with
the bone of the Black Elk.
" Did that hurt you ?" he said to the boy.
" No," said the boy.
" What do you see coming?" asked Ossi:in.
" I see beasts coming together."
" Put your fingers in your ears again."
He did this. Ossian whistled again.
*' What are you seeing now ? "
" As many more coming."
He whistled the third time.
"I almost think," said the boy, "that every living
creature is coming."
" If I had now the strongest and laziest lad we had
among the Fians, with the strongest and laziest dog."
The dog called BioracJi mac Buidhcig^ and the lad
whom they called Ton RtiadJi, then came. The dog
went among the beasts and was slaying them, and the
servant lad was gathering and piling them above each
other. When there were enough, as he thought, he came
and sat beside Ossian ; but the dog could not be stopped.
The boy said the dog was returning.
" What is he like ? " Ossian asked.
" Its mouth is open, and I can see the liver and
lungs on the floor of his chest" {^An griian 's an sganihan
air luiar a chlcibli).
" When he comes, see that you direct my hand into
his open mouth " {craos).
6-

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