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

Fioiui and Bran. 217
Monster as you are to be night after night Hstening to
lies from such a small being as I am."
" Is that how it is ?" it said. " You may prepare to
take care of yourself, then," and putting on an appearance
of great wrath, it leaped to attack Fionn, and was well-
nigh wearing him out.
Fionn looked at Bran and said : " Are you not likely
to remember me to-night at all, Bran ?" Bran rose,
went round them, and went back where he was before.
The wrestling was becoming worse for Fionn, and he
looked again at Bran. " You are like to forget me
altogether to-night, Bran."
Bran got up, and took a second turn round them, and
sat where he was before. The contest was now going
so much against Fionn, that he was growing faint. He
looked at Bran and said : " Bran, you need not rise any
more, I am gone ; what you have done for me, you will
never do again ; there is no help for me."
Bran got up and went round till it was behind the
Monster ; it uncovered its venomous claw, put it in its
back, and in the twinkling of an eye the heart and liver
were out. Fionn threw off the head with his sword, and
was part of the way carrying it and part of the way
rolling it before him, till he reached the house. He put
it on a pole before the palace, with the big goggle eye
looking towards the King's window, and he went in
softly and stealthily to his place at the feet of the King.
At midnight the King awoke in great fear; he cried out,
" My kingdom is lost to me, and I have neither dwarf
nor lap-dog left !"
" Neither of them are awanting to you," said Fionn ;
" and if you don't believe it, look out, and you will see
for yourself"
The King did so, and when he saw the head and eye
of the Great Monster, he fell on his knees beside the
bed on which Fionn lay. "It is long since," he said.