Folk Tales of Scotland

by William Montgomerie

  ‘Come and give us a hand!’ called the old wren to another son.

  But the three of them were no better than two. Although they pulled this way and that with all their strength, they could not move the root.

  One after another of the sons came to help. They all pulled together but it was no use till the twelfth son came. Then the thirteen wrens pulled, pulled with all their might and were white in the face and red in the cheeks, when all of a sudden, the plant came out of the ground, root and all. The old wren fell back on his first son, the first fell back on the second son, the second fell back on the third son, the third fell on the fourth son, the fourth fell on the fifth son, the fifth fell on the sixth son, the sixth fell on the seventh son, the seventh fell on the eighth son, the eighth fell on the ninth son, the ninth fell on the tenth son, the tenth fell on the eleventh son, and the eleventh fell on the twelfth son, who fell back into the peat-bog, taking all the others with him.

  MALLY WHUPPIE

  NCE upon a time a man and a woman had so many children they could not get enough food to feed them all. So they took the three youngest lasses and left them in a wood.

  The three children walked and walked, without seeing a house. It began to grow dark and they were hungry. At last they saw a light, and made for it. They found it was a house.

  They knocked at the door. A woman opened it and asked them what they wanted. They begged her to let them in and give them a bite of bread. The woman said she could not do that, as her husband was a giant and he would kill them if he came home and found them there.

  ‘Let us stay just for a while,’ they begged. ‘We’ll go away before your husband returns.’

  So the woman took them in and set them down by the fire, and gave them bread and milk. But just as they had begun to eat, there was the sound of heavy footsteps and in came the giant, and bellowed:

  ‘Fee, fa, fo, fum!

  I smell the blood of some earthly one!’

  ‘What have you there, wife, what have you there?’ he said.

  ‘Three poor lasses cold and hungry. They’ll go away as soon as they’ve had a bite of food,’ said she. ‘You’ll not touch them, husband?’

  The giant said nothing, but ate his supper. Then he ordered the three lasses to stay the night, and share a bed with his own three daughters.

  Before they went to bed, the giant put straw ropes round the necks of the strangers, while round the necks of his three daughters he put chains of gold. Now, the youngest of the three strangers was called Mally Whuppie. She was very clever, and noticed what the giant had done. She took good care not to fall asleep, but waited till she was sure all the others were sound asleep.

  Then she slipped out of bed and exchanged the necklaces. The giant’s daughters now wore straw necklaces, while Mally Whuppie and her two sisters wore necklaces of gold. Then she lay down again, pretending to be asleep.

  In the middle of the night, the giant got up, armed with a heavy club, and in the dark he felt for the girls with the straw necklaces. He took his own three daughters out of the bed and beat them. Then he lay down again.

  Mally Whuppie thought it was time she and her sisters were away, so she wakened them and told them to be very quiet. They slipped out of the house and ran, and ran, till morning when they came to a King’s house. Mally told their story to the King.

  ‘Well, Mally, you’re a clever lass,’ said he, ‘and you’ve done well. But if you’d do better, go back and take the giant’s sword that hangs at the back of his bed. Bring it to me and I’ll marry your eldest sister to my eldest son.’

  Mally said she would try. So she went back, slipped into the giant’s house and crept below the bed.

  The giant came home, ate a big supper, hung up his sword and went to bed. Mally Whuppie waited until he was snoring, then she crept out, stretched over the giant and took down the sword. But as she did so, it gave a rattle. Up jumped the giant, but Mally Whuppie dodged out of the door with the sword.

  Mally ran, and the giant ran, till they came to the Bridge of One Hair. She won over, but he could not.

  ‘Woe be to you, Mally Whuppie!’ cried the giant. ‘May you never come here again!’

  ‘Twice yet, carle!’ said she.

  Mally Whuppie took the sword to the King, and her eldest sister was married to his eldest son.

  ‘You’ve done well, Mally Whuppie!’ cried the King, ‘but if you would do better, bring me the purse under the giant’s pillow, and I’ll marry your second sister to my second son.’

  Mally said she would try. She set out for the giant’s house, slipped in below the bed, and waited till the giant had eaten his supper and was snoring.

  Then she crept out, slipped her hand under the pillow and took the purse. But just as she was going out the coins clinked in the purse. The giant woke up, and was after her in no time.

  She ran, and he ran, till they came to the Bridge of One Hair. She won over, but he could not.

  ‘Woe to you, Mally Whuppie,’ said he. ‘May you never come here again!’

  ‘Once more, carle!’ said she.

  Mally took the purse to the King, and her second sister was married to his second son.

  ‘Mally, you’re a clever lass,’ said the King, ‘but if you would do better still, bring me the giant’s ring he wears on his finger, and I’ll give you my youngest son.’

  Mally said she would try. Back she went to the giant’s house, crept in, hid below the bed and waited till the giant came in and had eaten his supper. Soon he was snoring.

  Then Mally crept out, reached over the bed and took hold of the giant’s hand. She twisted and twisted till the ring came off. But at that very moment the giant rose and gripped her by the hand.

  ‘Now, I have caught you, Mally Whuppie,’ said he, ‘and if I had done as much ill to you as you have done to me, what would you do?’

  ‘I’d put you in a bag,’ said she, ‘and I’d put a cat and a dog beside you, and a needle, thread and scissors. Then I’d hang you on the wall. I’d go into the wood for a thick stick, and I’d come home and take the bag down, with you still inside. Then I’d beat it with the stick.’

  ‘Well, Mally, I’ll do just that to you,’ said the giant.

  So he put Mally into a large bag, and the cat and dog in beside her, and a needle, thread and scissors. Then he hung the bag up on the wall, and went to the wood to find a heavy stick.

  ‘Oh, if you saw what I see!’ sang Mally, inside the bag.

  ‘What do you see?’ asked the giant’s wife.

  But Mally only went on singing: ‘Oh if you saw what I see!’

  The giant’s wife begged Mally to take her up into the bag so that she might see what Mally saw. So Mally took the scissors and cut a hole in the bag, and jumped out, taking the needle and thread with her. She helped the giant’s wife up into the bag, and sewed up the hole.

  ‘I see nothing!’ cried the giant’s wife. ‘Let me out!’

  But Mally took no notice, and hid herself at the back of the door.

  Home came the giant, a great stick in his hand. He took down the bag, and began to beat it.

  ‘Stop! It’s me, husband!’ cried his wife. ‘It’s me!’

  But the dog barked and the cat mewed inside the bag, and he did not hear his wife’s voice. Now, Mally did not want the wife to be killed, so she ran out by the back door. The giant saw her and was after her.

  He ran, and she ran, till they came to the Bridge of One Hair, and she won over, but he could not.

  ‘Woe be to you, Mally Whuppie,’ he cried. ‘May you never return here again!’

  ‘Never more, carle!’ said she.

  Mally Whuppie took the ring to the King, and married his youngest son.

  THE WHITE PET

  HERE was once a farmer who had a sheep he called his White Pet. One day before Christmas, he decided to kill this animal. The White Pet heard this and ran away. He had not gone far when he met a Bull.

  ‘Hullo, White Pet,’ said the Bull. ‘Where
are you going?’

  ‘I’m going to seek my fortune,’ said White Pet. ‘They were going to kill me for Christmas, so I thought I’d better run away.’

  ‘I’ll go with you,’ said the Bull. ‘They were going to do the same with me.’

  ‘The bigger the party, the better the fun,’ said White Pet.

  So they went on together till they met a Dog.

  ‘Hullo, White Pet,’ said the Dog.

  ‘Hullo, Dog!’

  ‘Where are you going?’ said the Dog.

  ‘I’m running away. I heard they were going to kill me for Christmas.’

  ‘They were going to shoot me,’ said the Dog, ‘so I’ll go along with you and the Bull!’

  ‘Come on then,’ said the White Pet.

  So on they went, all three, till a Cat joined them.

  ‘Hullo, White Pet,’ said the Cat.

  ‘Hullo, Cat,’ said White Pet.

  ‘Where are you going?’ said the Cat.

  ‘I’m going to seek my fortune,’ said the White Pet. ‘They were going to kill me for Christmas.’

  ‘They were talking of drowning me,’ said the Cat, ‘so I’ll go along with you, the Bull and the Dog.’

  ‘Come on then!’ said the White Pet, and away they went, all four, till they met a Cock.

  ‘Hullo, White Pet,’ said the Cock.

  ‘Hullo to yourself, Cock,’ said the White Pet.

  ‘Where are you going?’ said the Cock.

  ‘I’m running away,’ said the White Pet. ‘They were going to kill me for Christmas.’

  ‘They were going to kill me too,’ said the Cock, ‘so I’ll go along with you.’

  ‘Come on then,’ said the White Pet, and away they went all five, till they met a Goose.

  ‘Hullo, White Pet!’ said the Goose.

  ‘Hullo yourself, Goose,’ said the White Pet.

  ‘Where are you going?’ said the Goose.

  ‘Oh,’ said the White Pet, ‘I’m running away. They were going to kill me for Christmas.’

  ‘They were going to kill me too,’ said the Goose. ‘So I’ll go along with you.’

  ‘Come on then,’ said the White Pet, and on they went all six, till it was dark. They saw a light far away. It came from a house, and though it was far away, they were not long getting there. They looked in at the window, and there they saw thieves counting money.

  ‘Let each one of us call his own call,’ said the White Pet. ‘I’ll call my own call. Let the Bull call his own call, the Dog his own call, the Cat her own call, the Cock his own call and the Goose her own call.’

  With that they gave one LOUD SHOUT:

  ‘GAIRE! GAIRE!’

  When the thieves heard the noise, they fled into the wood near by. When the White Pet and his companions saw the house was empty, they went in. They divided the money among themselves, and then decided to go to sleep.

  ‘Where will you sleep tonight, Bull?’ said the White Pet.

  ‘I’ll sleep behind the door,’ said the Bull. ‘Where will you sleep yourself, White Pet?’

  ‘I’ll sleep in the middle of the floor,’ said the White Pet.

  ‘I’ll sleep beside the fire,’ said the Dog. ‘Where will you sleep, Cat?’

  ‘I’ll sleep in the candle-cupboard,’ said the Cat.

  ‘Where will you sleep, Cock?’ said the White Pet.

  ‘I’ll sleep on the rafters,’ said the Cock. ‘Where will you sleep, Goose?’

  ‘I’ll sleep in the midden,’ said the Goose.

  After they had all gone to rest, one of the thieves returned to the house and looked in. Everything was dark and still. He went to the candle-cupboard for a candle, but when he put his hand in the box, the Cat scratched him. He tried to light the candle, but the Dog, dipping his tail in water, shook it and put out the flame. The thief fled. As he passed, the White Pet butted him with his horns, the Bull knocked him down and the Cock began to crow. Outside the Goose beat her wings about his legs. So he ran into the wood as fast as his legs would carry him.

  ‘What happened?’ asked his companions.

  ‘Well, when I went into the candle-press, there was a man in it, and he thrust knives into my hand. When I went to the fire to light the candle, there was a big man in the middle of the floor who gave me a shove. Another man behind the door pushed me out. There was a little fellow on the left, calling: “Cuir-anees-an-shaw-ay-s-foni-mi-hayn-da! Send him up here and I’ll do for him!” And there was a shoemaker out on the midden, hitting me about the legs with his apron.’

  When the thieves heard that, they didn’t go back to look for their money. The White Pet and his companions kept it, and lived happily ever after.

  BIG FOX AND LITTLE FOX

  HERE were once two foxes who hunted together for food. Although they shared the hunt, one of them always managed to get twice as much food as the other. So one got bigger and bigger, while the other got smaller and smaller.

  One day, Big Fox and Little Fox saw a man walking along carrying a creel full of herring.

  ‘I’d like herring for my supper,’ said Big Fox.

  ‘So would I,’ said Little Fox.

  ‘Well, I know what we must do,’ said Big Fox. ‘You follow this man while I run ahead. Further up the road I’ll lie down and pretend to be dead.’

  ‘All right, I’ll do that,’ said Little Fox.

  So Big Fox ran ahead by a short cut, lay down in the middle of the road, and pretended to be dead.

  When the man with the creel came along, he was pleased to find a fine fox lying dead on the road.

  ‘This fox’s skin will bring me more money than twenty creels of herring,’ said he, as he flung Big Fox across his back.

  That was not Big Fox’s idea at all. He settled himself comfortably on the man’s back, and then began to throw the herring out of the creel to Little Fox, who picked them up and followed on behind.

  When the creel was half empty, Little Fox stopped and cried:

  ‘Thank you, Big Fox! Now I’ll leave you the rest of the herring, for it’s time I was off home.’

  ‘You can’t do that,’ cried Big Fox. ‘It isn’t fair!’

  ‘Fairer than the shares you’ve always given me,’ called Little Fox, as he ran through a hedge and off to the woods.

  The man felt Big Fox moving on his back, and was about to tighten his grip, when Big Fox jumped down leaving his share of the herring in the creel, for he knew he’d be lucky to get away with his skin.

  Away he ran, as fast as he could, through the hedge and off to the woods. But he never found Little Fox, who shared his herring with a fox more his own size.

  THE TALE OF THE HOODIE

  NCE upon a time there was a farmer who had three daughters. One day they were waulking clothes by a river, when a hoodie came and said to the eldest:

  ‘Will you wed me, farmer’s daughter?’

  ‘I’ll not wed you,’ said she. ‘The hoodie is an ugly creature.’

  The next day he came to the second daughter, and said:

  ‘Will you wed me, farmer’s daughter?’

  ‘I’ll not wed you,’ said she. ‘The hoodie is a horrid creature!’

  The third day he came to the youngest daughter, and said:

  ‘Will you wed me, farmer’s daughter?’

  ‘Yes, I’ll marry you,’ said she. ‘The hoodie is a bonny bird.’

  So next day they were married.

  ‘Would you prefer me to be a hoodie by day, and a man by night, or a hoodie by night and man by day?’ he asked.

  ‘I’d rather you were a man by day and a hoodie by night,’ said she.

  After that he was a handsome young man by day, and a hoodie at night. Soon after their marriage he took her to his house.

  At the end of nine months they had a little son. One night, when everyone was in bed, there came the most beautiful music ever heard, but everyone slept and the child was taken away by the hoodie.

  The young mother wept. Her husband returned in the
morning, but he did not seem to know what to do when he heard that his child had been taken away.

  At the end of nine months, another little son was born. Everyone kept watch. But one night the music came as before, and while everyone slept, the second child was taken away by the hoodie.

  The young mother wept. And when her husband returned home and found that his son had been taken away, he did not seem to know what to do.

  At the end of nine months, yet another son was born. Watch was kept, but one night the music came as before, and while everyone slept, the child was taken away by the hoodie.

  In the morning the husband returned, and took the young mother away in a coach. On the way, he said to her:

  ‘See if you’ve forgotten anything.’

  ‘I’ve forgotten my comb,’ she said. And at that instant the coach in which they were travelling became a withered stick, and the husband flew away as a hoodie.

  His young wife followed him. When he was on a hilltop, she would climb the hill to catch him; but when she reached the top of the hill, he’d be down in the valley. And when she was down in the valley, the hoodie was on another hill. Night came and she was tired. She had nowhere to sleep. Then she saw a light in a house far away, so she went on toward the house and was there in no time.

  Looking in through the window, she saw a wee lad in the house, and her heart went out to him. The woman of the house asked her to come in and rest. So the hoodie’s wife lay down, and slept till dawn.

  She left the house, and went from hill to hill looking for the hoodie. She saw him on a hill, but when she reached the top of the hill he was down in the valley. And when she went down into the valley, the hoodie was on another hill. When night came she had no place to sleep. She saw a light in a house in the distance and she got there in no time.

  She went to the door and, peeping in, she saw a wee lad on the floor, and her heart went out to him. The woman of the house made up a bed for her, so she lay down and slept till dawn.

  Next day she left and walked on searching for the hoodie, and when night came she reached another house. The woman of the house welcomed her, and told her that the hoodie had just left.