Ossian Collection > Waifs and strays of Celtic tradition > Volume 4

HOW FIONN FOUND BRAN.
The same kind of incidents as are to be found in the
tale of "How Finn went to the Kingdom of Big Men"
(see tale) about the employment of strangers, occurs in
this tale also ; and the whole being the product of the
imagination, these tales merely show the grooves in
which the human fancy runs. Some of the incidents
also may occur in other stories not connected with the
Fians.
The chase was lost to the Fians. On that occasion,
when Fionn was out one day alone, and unaccompanied
by any of his men, a man met him, whom he questioned
as to the object of his journey, or where he was going.
The stranger answered that he was a good servant in
search of employment. Fionn then asked him what he
could best do. He replied, that he never slept a wink
all his life ; and Fionn took him into his service. Another
met him, and Fionn asked him where he was going, or
what was the object of his journey. He said that he
was a good servant in search of a master, and Fionn
asked him what he was good at. He said that when he
listened, he could hear the very grass coming through
the ground ; and Fionn engaged this one also. He then
met another, and asked the object of his journey, and
where he meant to go. He said the same as the others,
that he was a good servant in search of work, and Fionn
asked him what he was best at. He told that he was
good at keeping a hold of what he got. " The grasp I
get, I never let go." This one was also engaged by
Fionn. Still another met him, and after being ques-
tioned, and answering in the same way, he said that he
was a good thief, that he could steal its egg from the