Folk Tales of Scotland
Page 7
‘Inary, good housewife, open the door, and I’ll help you!’
Another little woman in green came in, and sat down to tease the wool. There was a fifth knock on the door.
‘Inary, good housewife, open the door and I’ll help you!’
And the fifth little woman in green came in and sat down to pull the wool. A sixth and a seventh and an eighth and a ninth and a tenth, and many more weird little women and men came in, and went to work with distaff, cards, spinning-wheel and loom. The house was full of fairies teasing, carding, pulling and rolling. The fulling-water was boiling over, as they were busy with the cloth, fulling and cleansing it with soap and fuller’s earth.
Among the whirr and rasp and rustle and thrum, the good housewife prepared a meal for all her busy little helpers. But the more they worked the hungrier they grew, till the sweat poured off the goodwife’s face, as she cooked at the fire for them.
At midnight, she tried to waken the goodman, but he slept like a millstone. Then she thought of a wise man who might help her. So, leaving the fairies eating her newly baked loaves, she slipped out of the house.
‘As long as you live,’ said the wise man, ‘don’t wish for anything without thinking about it well beforehand, in case your wish is granted and brings bad luck. Your husband is under a spell, and before you can waken him, your visitors must leave the house, and then you must sprinkle some fulling-water over your goodman.’
‘How can I rid myself of my strange visitors?’ she asked.
‘Return home,’ said the wise man, ‘stand on the knowe beside your door, and shout three times: “Burg Hill’s on fire!” The fairies will all rush out to look. As soon as they are all outside, reverse, invert, put everything topsy-turvy and mixter-maxter.’
The goodwife went home and climbed the knowe at her door.
‘Burg Hill’s on fire! Burg Hill’s on fire! Burg Hill’s on fire!’ she shouted.
The fairy people rushed out of the house, crying for the treasure they had left in the fairy mound, Burg Hill. The good housewife shut her door and fastened it. Then she took the band off the spinning-wheel, spun the distaff the wrong way round, put the wool-cards together, turned the loom mixter-maxter, and took the fulling-water off the fire.
‘Inary, good housewife, let us in!’ begged the fairies.
‘I can’t,’ said the goodwife, ‘I’m baking bread!’
‘Spinning-wheel, come and open the door!’ they cried.
‘I can’t,’ said the spinning-wheel, ‘I have no band.’
‘Distaff, come and open the door!’ they cried.
‘I can’t, I’m twisted the wrong way.’
‘Wool-cards, come and open the door!’
‘We can’t move,’ said the cards.
‘Loom, come and open the door!’
‘I can’t, I’m all mixter-maxter.’
‘Fulling-water, come and open the door!’
‘I can’t. I’m off the fire.’
Then the fairies remembered the little bannock that was toasting on the hearth,
‘Little Bannock,’ they cried, ‘open the door!’
The little bannock jumped up and ran to the door. But the goodwife was too quick for him. She caught him and he fell on the floor, broken.
Then the goodwife remembered what she had to do with the fulling-water. She threw a cogful over the goodman, who woke up at once. He got out of bed, and opened the door. At once the fairies became quiet and went away.
THE KING OF LOCHLIN’S THREE DAUGHTERS
HERE was a King of Lochlin, who had three daughters. One day when they were out for a walk they were carried off by three giants and no one knew where they had gone. The King consulted a story-teller and this wise man told him that the giants had taken them under the earth.
‘The only way to reach them,’ said he, ‘is to build a ship that will sail on land and sea.’
So the King sent out a proclamation that any man who could make such a ship could marry his eldest daughter.
Now there was a widow who had three sons. The eldest went to his mother and said:
‘Bake me a bannock and roast me a cock. I am going to cut wood and build a ship to sail on land and sea.’
‘A large bannock with a malison, or a small bannock with a blessing?’ asked his mother.
‘A large bannock will be small enough before I’ve built the ship!’
Away he went with his bannock and roasted cock, to a wood by the river. He sat down to eat, when a great Uruisg, or water goblin, came up out of the water.
‘Give me a share of your bannock,’ said the Uruisg.
‘I’ll not do that,’ said he. ‘There’s little enough for myself.’
After he had eaten, he began to chop down a tree, but as soon as he felled a tree it was standing again. At night he gave up and went home.
The next day the second son asked his mother to bake him a bannock and roast him a cock.
‘A large bannock with a malison, or a small bannock with a blessing?’ she asked.
‘A large one will be little enough,’ said he.
And away he went with the bannock and roasted cock, to the wood by the river. He sat down to eat, when a great Uruisg came up out of the water.
‘Give me a share of your bannock,’ said she.
‘There’s less than enough for myself,’ he replied.
The same thing happened to him as to his eldest brother. As fast as he cut down a tree, it was standing again. So he gave up and went home.
Next day the youngest son asked his mother to bake him a bannock and roast him a cock. But he chose the wee bannock with a blessing.
Away he went to the wood by the river. There he sat down to eat, when a great Uruisg came up out of the water, and said:
‘Give me a share of your bannock.’
‘You shall have that,’ said the lad, ‘and some of the roasted cock too, if you like.’
After the Uruisg had eaten, she said:
‘Meet me here at the end of a year and a day, and I shall have a ship ready to sail on land and sea.’
At the end of a year and a day, the youngest son found that the Uruisg had the ship ready. He went aboard, and sailed away.
He had not sailed far when he saw a man drinking up a river.
‘Come with me,’ said the lad. ‘I’ll give you meat and wages, and better work than that.’
‘Agreed!’ said the man.
They had not sailed far when they saw a man eating all the oxen in a field.
‘Come with me,’ said the lad. ‘I’ll give you meat and wages, and better work than that.’
‘Agreed!’ said the man.
They had not sailed much farther when they saw a man with his ear to the ground.
‘What are you doing?’ asked the lad.
‘I’m listening to the grass coming up through the earth,’ said the man.
‘Come with me,’ said the lad. ‘I’ll give you meat and wages, and better work than that.’
So he went with the lad and the other two men, and they sailed on till the Listener said:
‘I hear the giants and the King’s three daughters under the earth.’
So they let a creel down the hole, with four of them in it, to the dwelling of the first giant and the King’s eldest daughter.
‘You’ve come for the King’s daughter,’ said the giant, ‘but you’ll not get her unless you have a man that can drink as much water as I.’
The lad set the Drinker to compete with the giant. Before the Drinker was half full, the giant burst. They freed the eldest daughter, and went to the house of the second giant.
‘You’ve come for the King’s daughter,’ said he, ‘but you’ll not get her till you find a man who can eat as much as I.’
So the lad set the Eater to compete with the giant. Before he was half full, the giant burst. They freed the second daughter, and went to the house of the third giant.
‘You’ve come for the King’s daughter,’ said the giant, ‘but you’ll not get
her unless you are my slave for a year and a day.’
‘Agreed!’ said the lad.
Then he sent the Listener, the Drinker and the Eater up in the creel, and after them the three Princesses. The three men left the lad at the bottom of the hole and led the Princesses back to their father, the King of Lochlin. They told the King of all the brave deeds they had done to rescue his daughters.
Now, at the end of a year and a day, the lad told the giant he was leaving, and the giant said:
‘I’ve an eagle that will carry you to the top of the hole.’
The lad mounted the eagle’s back, taking fifteen oxen to feed the eagle, but the eagle had eaten them before she had flown half way. So the lad had to return.
‘You’ll be my slave for another year and a day,’ said the giant.
At the end of that time the lad mounted the eagle’s back, taking thirty oxen to feed the eagle, but the eagle ate them all before she had flown three-quarters of the way. So they returned.
‘You must be my slave for another year and a day,’ said the giant.
At the end of that time, the lad mounted the eagle’s back, taking sixty oxen to feed the eagle on the way, and they had almost reached the top when the meat was finished. Quickly the lad cut a piece from his own thigh and gave it to the eagle. With one breath they were in the open air.
Before leaving him, the eagle gave the lad a whistle.
‘If you are in difficulty,’ said she, ‘whistle, and I’ll help you.’
When the lad reached the King of Lochlin’s castle, he went to the smith and asked him if he needed a gillie to blow the bellows. The smith agreed to take him.
Shortly after, the King’s eldest daughter ordered the smith to make her a golden crown, like the one she had worn under the earth,
‘Bring me the gold, and I’ll make the crown,’ said the new gillie to the smith.
The smith brought the gold. Then the gillie whistled, and the eagle came at once.
‘Fetch the gold crown that hangs behind the first giant’s door.’
The eagle returned with the crown, which the smith took to the King’s eldest daughter.
‘This looks like the crown I had before,’ said she.
Then the second daughter ordered the smith to make her a silver crown like the one she had worn under the earth.
‘Bring me the silver, and I’ll make the crown,’ said the gillie.
The smith brought the silver. Then the gillie whistled, and the eagle came.
‘Fetch the silver crown that hangs behind the second giant’s door,’ said the lad.
The eagle returned with the crown, which the smith took to the King’s second daughter.
‘This looks like the crown I had before,’ said she.
Then the King’s youngest daughter ordered the smith to make her a copper crown like the one she had worn under the earth.
‘Bring me the copper, and I’ll make the crown,’ said the lad.
The smith brought the copper. Then the gillie whistled, and the eagle came at once.
‘Fetch the copper crown that hangs behind the third giant’s door,’ said the gillie.
The eagle returned with the crown, which the smith took to the King’s youngest daughter.
‘This looks like the crown I had before,’ said she.
‘Where did you learn to make such fine crowns?’ the King asked the smith.
‘It was my gillie who made them,’ said he.
‘I must see him,’ said the King.’ I must ask him to make me a crown.’
The King sent a coach-and-four to fetch the gillie from the smiddy, but when the coachmen saw how dirty he looked they threw him into the coach like a dog. So he whistled for the eagle, who came at once.
‘Get me out of this,’ said the lad, ‘and fill the coach with stones.’
The King came to meet the coach, but when the door was opened for the gillie, a great heap of stones tumbled out instead.
Other servants were sent to fetch the gillie, but they treated him just as badly, so he whistled for the eagle.
‘Get me out of this,’ said he, ‘and fill the coach with rubbish from the midden.’
Again the King came to meet the coach, but when the door was opened for the gillie, a great mound of rubbish fell out on to the King.
The King then sent his trusted old servant to fetch the gillie. He went straight to the smiddy, and found the lad blowing the bellows, his face black with soot.
‘The King wishes to see you,’ said the King’s servant, ‘but first, clean a little of the soot off your face.’
The lad washed himself and went with the servant to the King. On the way he whistled for the eagle.
‘Fetch me the gold and silver clothes belonging to the giants,’ said he.
The eagle returned with the clothes, and when the lad put them on he looked like a prince.
The King came to meet him, and took him to the castle, where he told the King the whole story from beginning to end.
The Drinker, the Eater and the Listener were punished. The King gave his eldest daughter to the lad, so they were married, and the wedding lasted twenty days and twenty nights.
THE WIFE AND HER BUSH OF BERRIES
NCE upon a time there was a wife who lived in a house by herself. As she was sweeping the house one day, she found twelve pennies.
She wondered what she would do with her twelve pennies, and at last thought she couldn’t do better than go to market with them. So she went to the market and bought a kid.
As she was going home she spied a bonny bush of berries growing beside a bridge.
‘Kid, kid,’ said she, ‘look after my house till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed not,’ said the kid, ‘I’ll not look after your house till you pull your bonny bush of berries.’
Then the wife went to the dog, and said:
‘Dog, dog, bite kid!
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the dog, ‘I’ll not bite the kid, for the kid never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the stick, and said:
‘Stick, stick, beat dog!
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the stick, ‘I won’t beat the dog, for the dog never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the fire, and said:
‘Fire, fire, burn stick!
Stick won t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the fire, ‘I won’t burn the stick, for the stick never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the water, and said:
‘Water, water, quench fire!
Fire won’t burn stick,
Stick won’t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the water, ‘I’ll not quench the fire, for the fire never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went on to the ox, and said:
‘Ox, ox, drink water!
Water won’t quench fire,
Fire won’t burn stick,
Stick won’t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the ox, ‘I won’t drink the water, for the water never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the axe, and said:
‘Axe, axe, fell ox!
Ox won’t drink water,
Water won’t quench fire,
Fire won’t burn stick,
Stick won’t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,<
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Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the axe, ‘I’ll not fell the ox, for the ox never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the smith, and said:
‘Smith, smith, blunt axe!
Axe won’t fell ox,
Ox won’t drink water,
Water won’t quench fire,
Fire won’t burn stick,
Stick won’t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the smith, ‘I won’t blunt the axe, for the axe has never done me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the rope, and said:
‘Rope, rope, hang smith!
Smith won’t blunt axe,
Axe won’t fell ox,
Ox won’t drink water,
Water won’t quench fire,
Fire won’t burn stick,
Stick won’t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the rope, ‘I won’t hang the smith, for the smith never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the mouse, and said:
‘Mouse, mouse, nibble rope!
Rope won’t hang smith,
Smith won’t blunt axe,
Axe won’t fell ox,
Ox won’t drink water,
Water won’t quench fire,
Fire won’t burn stick,
Stick won’t beat dog,
Dog won’t bite kid,
Kid won’t look after my house,
Till I pull my bonny, bonny bush of berries.’
‘Indeed,’ said the mouse, ‘I’ll not nibble the rope, for the rope never did me any harm.’
Then the wife went to the cat, and said:
‘Cat, cat, kill mouse!
Mouse won’t nibble rope,
Rope won’t hang smith,
Smith won’t blunt axe,