Folk Tales of Scotland

by William Montgomerie

  Next day the raven took him over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors. They came to a house belonging to the raven’s second sister, and there the Prince was well treated, with plenty of meat and drink, warm water for his feet, and a soft bed to lie on.

  Next morning he was again met by the raven, and taken over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors. He was well treated by the raven’s third sister, but next morning, instead of the raven, there was a young man with a bundle in his hand waiting for him.

  ‘Have you seen a raven, young man?’ said the Prince.

  ‘I am that raven,’ said the young man. ‘You loosed me from a spell, and for that I give you this bundle. Retrace your steps, stay a night at each house as before, but do not open this bundle till you are at the place you would most like to live.’

  The Prince retraced his steps. He stayed with the raven’s sisters as before. But as he was going through a deep wood the bundle grew heavy, and he looked to see what was in it.

  In an instant, a great castle sprang up, with orchards filled with every kind of fruit, and gardens with every kind of herb and flower. The castle was in the wrong place, but the King’s son could not put it back into the bundle.

  Looking round, he saw a giant coming towards him.

  ‘You’ve built your castle in a stupid place, Prince,’ said the giant.

  ‘I don’t want it here,’ said the Prince. ‘It came here by accident.’

  ‘What reward will you give me for putting it back in the bundle?’ asked the giant.

  ‘What reward do you want?’

  ‘Give me your first son, when he is seven years old,’ replied the giant.

  ‘Yes, I’ll do that, if I have a son,’ said the Prince, who couldn’t imagine himself having a son.

  In an instant, the giant put the castle, orchards and gardens back into the bundle as before.

  ‘Now go your way,’ said the giant, ‘and I’ll go mine. But remember your promise. If you forget, I’ll remember.’

  The Prince set off, and after several days reached his favourite place. He opened the bundle in a fresh green hollow and there was his castle, with its orchards and gardens.

  When he opened the castle door he saw a beautiful maiden.

  ‘Everything is ready,’ she said, ‘if you are willing to marry me tonight.’

  ‘I am willing,’ said the Prince. And they were married that night.

  When nine months had passed a fine son was born to them. In the years that followed, the old King died and the young Prince became King in his place.

  At the end of seven years and a day, the giant came to the castle. The young King remembered his promise.

  ‘Do not worry,’ said the Queen, ‘just leave it to me. I know what to do.’

  Now, the giant grew impatient.

  ‘Bring out your son,’ said he. ‘Remember your promise.’

  ‘You can have him,’ said the King, ‘when his mother has made him ready for the journey.’

  The Queen dressed the cook’s son, brought him out, and put his hand into the giant’s hand. The giant led him away, but he had not gone far before he handed the boy a rod.

  ‘If your father had that rod,’ said the giant, ‘what would he do with it?’

  ‘He would beat the dogs and the cats if they went near the King’s meat,’ said the lad.

  ‘You’re the cook’s son!’ said the giant, and returned to the castle with the lad.

  ‘If you do not hand over your true son to me,’ he roared, ‘the highest stone of your castle will be the lowest.’

  ‘We’ll try again,’ said the Queen to her husband. ‘The butler’s son is the same age as ours.’

  She dressed the butler’s son in the young prince’s clothes, brought him out, and put his hand into the giant’s hand. The giant led him away. They had not gone far before the giant handed the boy a rod.

  ‘If your father had that rod, what would he do with it?’

  ‘He’d beat the cats and the dogs if they came near the King’s wine-cellar.’

  ‘You are the butler’s son,’ said the giant, and returned to the castle. The earth trembled under his feet, the castle shook and everything in it.

  ‘Bring your son out here,’ he shouted, ‘or in a flash the highest stone in your castle will be the lowest.’

  So the King brought his son and gave him to the giant, who led him away. They had not gone far before the giant handed the boy a rod.

  ‘If your father had that rod,’ said the giant, ‘what would he do with it?’

  ‘He’d use it as a sceptre and rule the land with it,’ said the young Prince.

  ‘Come with me,’ said the giant. ‘You’re the King’s own son, right enough.’ And he took the young Prince home and brought him up as his own son.

  One day, years later, when the giant was out, the lad heard music coming from a window at the top of the giant’s house, and looking up he saw the giant’s youngest daughter. She told him to come again at midnight.

  He did so and the giant’s daughter climbed down beside him.

  ‘Tomorrow you will be given the choice of my two sisters in marriage,’ said she. ‘Say you will take no one but me. My father wants me to marry the son of the King of the Green City, but I don’t love him.’

  Next day the giant brought out his three daughters.

  ‘Now, King’s son,’ said he, ‘you’ve lost nothing by living with me so long. Now you’ll marry one of my daughters.’

  ‘If you give me your youngest daughter,’ said the King’s son, ‘I’ll agree.’

  ‘Before you have her,’ said the giant, ‘you must do three things.’

  The giant took him to the byre.

  ‘A hundred cattle have been in the byre, and it hasn’t been cleaned for seven years,’ said the giant. ’If, before night, the byre is not so clean that a golden apple will run from one end to the other, you’ll not marry my youngest daughter, and I’ll kill you.’

  The Prince began to clean the byre, but he might as well have tried to bale out the ocean. After midday, when his sweat was blinding him, the giant’s youngest daughter came to him.

  ‘You are being punished, King’s son,’ said she.

  ‘I am that,’ said he.

  ‘Come here,’ said she, ‘and lay down your weariness.’

  ‘I’ll do that,’ said he, ‘there’s only death awaiting me.’

  He sat down beside her and was so tired that he fell asleep. When he awoke, the giant’s daughter was gone, and the byre was so clean that a golden apple would run from one end to the other.

  ‘You’ve cleaned the byre, King’s son,’ said the giant, as he came in.

  ‘I have,’ said the Prince.

  ‘Someone has cleaned it,’ said the giant. ‘Now you must thatch the byre with feathers by this time tomorrow, and no two feathers are to be the same colour.’

  The Prince was up before the sun. He took his bow and a quiver of arrows to shoot the birds. He ran after them till the sweat blinded him, but he missed all but two. Then the youngest daughter came to him.

  ‘You are tiring yourself, King’s son,’ said she.

  ‘Only two blackbirds fell, and they’re both the same colour.’

  ‘Come here, and lay down your weariness,’ she said.

  He lay down beside her and soon fell asleep. When he awoke she had gone, but the byre was thatched with feathers, and no two were the same colour.

  ‘You’ve thatched the byre, King’s son,’ said the giant as he came in.

  ‘I have,’ said the Prince.

  ‘Someone has thatched it,’ said the giant. ‘Well now, there’s a fir tree by the loch, and on its branches a magpie’s nest with five eggs in it. Bring them to me by this time tomorrow.’

  The Prince was up before the sun. He went round and round the fir tree, trying to find a foothold, till he was blinded by sweat. Then the giant’s youngest daughter came to him.

  ‘You’re losing the skin off your hands,�
�� she said.

  ‘I’m no sooner up than I’m down,’ said he.

  ‘There’s no time to lose,’ she said, putting her fingers, like nails, one after the other into the tree, making footholds up to the magpie’s nest. He climbed the tree and took the eggs.

  ‘Make haste!’ she cried. ‘I feel my father’s breath burning my neck.’ In her hurry she left the little finger of her right hand in the tree.

  ‘Take the eggs to my father,’ she said. ‘Tonight he’ll give you the choice of his three daughters. We’ll be dressed alike, but choose the one whose little finger is missing.’

  So the Prince gave the eggs to the giant.

  ‘Now you can choose your wife,’ the giant said.

  The giant presented his three daughters, dressed exactly alike, and the Prince chose the one whose little finger was missing. They were married, but when night came, she said:

  ‘We must fly, or my father will kill you. Go saddle the grey filly while I play a trick on him.’

  She took nine apples. She put two at the head of her bed, two at the foot of her bed, two at the bedroom door, two at the house door and one in the garden. Then they mounted the grey filly, and rode away.

  The giant woke up.

  ‘Are you asleep?’ he called.

  ‘Not yet,’ said the apples at the head of the bed.

  ‘Are you asleep?’ he called, after a while.

  ‘Not yet,’ said the apples at the foot of the bed.

  ‘Are you asleep?’ he called again.

  ‘Not yet,’ said the apples at the bedroom door.

  ‘Are you asleep?’ the giant called later.

  ‘Not yet,’ said the apples at the house door.

  ‘You are going away,’ said the giant.

  ‘Not yet,’ said the apple in the garden.

  At that, the giant jumped out of bed and, finding the Prince and his bride had gone, ran after them.

  In the mouth of the day, the giant’s daughter said her father’s breath was burning her neck.

  ‘Quickly, put your hand in the grey filly’s ear!’ said she.

  ‘There’s a twig of blackthorn,’ said he.

  ‘Throw it behind you!’ said she.

  No sooner had he done this than there sprang up twenty miles of blackthorn wood, so thick that a weasel could not go through.

  The giant came striding headlong, and fleeced his head and neck in the thorns.

  ‘More of my daughter’s tricks!’ said he. ‘If I had my big axe and wood knife, I wouldn’t be long making my way through this.’

  He went home for his big axe and wood knife. He was not long returning, and soon made his way through the blackthorn.

  ‘I’ll leave the axe and wood knife here till I return,’ said he.

  ‘If you leave them, we’ll steal them,’ said a hoodie in a tree.

  ‘Then I’ll take them home,’ said the giant, took them back to his house, and left them there.

  In the heat of the day, the giant’s daughter said:

  ‘I feel my father’s breath burning my neck. Put your hand in the filly’s ear, and whatever you find there, throw it behind you!’

  He found a splinter of grey stone, and threw it behind him. At once there sprang up twenty miles of grey rock, high and broad as a range of mountains. The giant came full pelt after them, but past the rock he could not go.

  ‘My daughter’s tricks are hard to bear,’ said he, ‘but if I had my lever and my big mattock, I’d make my way through this rock in no time.’

  There was no help for it. He had to return for his lever and mattock. But he was not long returning, and was through the rock in no time.

  ‘I’ll just leave the tools here,’ said he.

  ‘If you do, we’ll steal them,’ said a hoodie perched on the rock.

  ‘Steal them if you want to,’ said the giant. ‘There’s no time to go back with them.’

  Meanwhile, the Prince and the giant’s daughter rode on.

  ‘I feel my father’s breath burning my neck,’ said she. ‘Put your hand in the filly’s ear, King’s son, and whatever you find there, throw behind you!’

  This time he found a thimble of water. He threw it behind him, and at once there was a fresh-water loch, twenty miles in length and breadth.

  The giant came on, but was running so quickly he did not stop till he was in the middle of the loch, where he sank and did not come up.

  Next day the Prince and his wife came in sight of his father’s house.

  ‘Before we go farther, go in to your father and tell him about me. But don’t let any man or creature kiss you. If you do, you’ll forget me.’

  He was given a warm welcome at his father’s house. He asked them not to kiss him, but before he could say more, his old greyhound jumped up and licked his mouth. After that he forgot the giant’s daughter.

  She sat beside a well where the Prince had left her, but he did not return. In the mouth of night, she climbed into the fork of an oak tree by the well, and lay there.

  Next day, a shoemaker, who lived near by, asked his wife to fetch him a jug of water. At the well she saw, in the water, the reflection of the giant’s daughter and thought it was herself. She had not imagined till now that she was so beautiful, so she threw away the jug and went home.

  ‘Where is the water?’ said the shoemaker.

  ‘You stupid old man,’ said she, ‘I’ve been too long your wood-and-water slave!’

  ‘I’m thinking, wife, that you’ve gone crazy,’ said he. ‘Go, daughter, and fetch your father a drink.’

  His daughter went, and the same thing happened to her when she saw the reflection in the water. She had not imagined till then that she was so bonny and, without fetching any water, she went home.

  ‘Where’s my drink?’ said the shoemaker.

  ‘You homespun old man,’ said she, ‘do you think I’m fit only to be your slave?’

  The poor shoemaker thought they had lost their wits, and went to the well himself. There he saw the lass’s reflection in the water. Looking up at the tree, he saw the fairest woman he had ever seen.

  ‘You’ve a bonny face,’ said the shoemaker. ‘Come down, for I need you at my house.’

  The shoemaker knew that this was the reflection that had driven his family crazy. He took her to his house, and gave her a share of everything.

  One day, three young men came to have shoes made for the Prince, who was soon to be married. They saw the giant’s daughter.

  ‘You’ve a bonny daughter,’ they said.

  ‘She is that,’ said he, ‘but she’s no daughter of mine.’

  ‘By St Crispin,’ said one of them, ‘I’d give a hundred pounds to marry her.’ And his companions said the same.

  ‘It has nothing to do with me,’ said the shoemaker.

  ‘Ask her tonight,’ they said, ‘and tell us tomorrow.’

  The giant’s daughter heard this.

  ‘Follow them,’ she said. ‘I’ll marry one of them, but tell him to bring his purse with him.’

  The first young man returned, giving the shoemaker a hundred pounds for tocher.

  When they went to rest, the lass lay down and asked the young man for a drink of water from the jug on the table. But his hands stuck to the jug, and the jug stuck to the table, so that he could not move till daylight. He went away ashamed, and did not tell his friends what had happened to him.

  The next evening the second young man came, bringing a hundred pounds as tocher for the shoemaker. When they went to rest, the lass said to the young man:

  ‘See if the latch is fastened.’

  But the latch stuck to his hands, and he could not move till daylight. He too went away, and did not tell the third young man what had happened.

  Then the third man came, and the same thing happened to him. His feet stuck to the ground. He could neither come nor go, and there he stayed till daybreak. That morning he went away and did not look behind him.

  ‘Now,’ said the giant’s daughter, ‘t
he sporran of gold is yours, shoemaker. I don’t need it. It’ll help you and reward you for your kindness.’

  Now the shoemaker had finished the shoes for the Prince’s wedding and was making ready to take them to the castle.

  ‘I would like to peep at the King’s son,’ said the giant’s daughter.

  ‘Come with me then,’ said the shoemaker. ‘I know the servants at the castle and you’ll get a peep at the Prince.’

  When the people at Court saw this beautiful young woman, they gave her a glass of wine. As she was about to drink, a flame sprang out of the glass, and a golden pigeon and a silver pigeon flew out of the flame. The pigeons were flying about the hall when three grains of barley fell on the floor. The silver pigeon alighted and ate them.

  ‘When I cleaned the byre,’ said the golden pigeon, ‘you wouldn’t have eaten without giving me a share.’

  Three other grains of barley fell. The silver pigeon alighted and ate them up.

  ‘When I thatched the byre,’ said the golden pigeon, ‘you wouldn’t have eaten without giving me a share.’

  Three other grains of barley fell. The silver pigeon ate them up too.

  ‘When I harried the magpie’s nest,’ said the golden pigeon, ‘I lost my little claw in the tree.’

  Then the King’s son noticed that the little finger of the young woman’s right hand was missing. At last he remembered, and kissed her from hand to mouth.

  THE GOOD HOUSEWIFE

  NE night, long after her husband and family were in bed, a rich farmer’s wife was finishing some cloth she was weaving.

  ‘Oh that I had some help with this cloth!’ she said aloud.

  At once there was a knock on the door.

  ‘Inary, good housewife, open the door and I’ll help you!’

  A little old woman dressed in green came in, and sat down at the spinning-wheel. There was a second knock at the door.

  ‘Inary, good housewife, open the door and I’ll help you!’

  And another little woman dressed in green came in, and sat down at the distaff. There was a third knock on the door.

  ‘Inary, good housewife, open the door and I’ll help you!’

  And the third little woman dressed in green came in, and sat down to card the wool. Then there was a fourth knock at the door.