Folk Tales of Scotland

by William Montgomerie

  ‘It is his knee,’ he was told. ‘He has had many doctors, he pays them well, and sometimes they give him relief, but not for long. You can hear him cry out with the pain in his leg.’

  Farquhar walked up and down before the King’s house, crying:

  ‘The black beetle to the white bone!’

  The people stared at him. They said the strange man from Reay must be daft, but this did not stop Farquhar, and next day, he stood at the castle gate and cried:

  ‘The black beetle to the white bone!’

  The King asked who was crying outside and what it was he wanted. He was told it was a stranger from the Reay country, called Farquhar the Healer.

  ‘Then bring him here,’ ordered the King. ‘Perhaps he can heal me.’

  So Farquhar was brought and he stood before the King, and said:

  ‘The black beetle to the white bone!’

  And so it was. When Farquhar examined the King’s knee, he found a small black beetle deep in a wound, close to the knee-cap. Farquhar removed the beetle and put a dressing on the wound. The doctors, in order to keep the King ill and to get their fees, had at times put a beetle in his wound, making him cry out in agony. All this Farquhar knew by his serpent’s wisdom when he put his finger under his wisdom tooth, and under his care the King was soon cured, and the doctors were punished.

  The King offered Farquhar whatever he asked, be it land or gold. Farquhar asked for the King’s daughter, and all the Isles that the sea runs round, from the point of Stoer to Stromness in the Orkneys. So the King gave him his daughter, and a grant of all the Isles.

  JOHNNIE CROY AND THE MERMAID

  NE day, Johnnie Croy went to the shore to look for driftwood. The tide was out, and he walked under the crags on the west side of Sanday. From the boulders there came the sound of singing. He peeped over the rocks. A mermaid was sitting on a rock, combing her hair.

  Johnnie swore by the moonstone to court her, though the wooing cost him his life. He crept behind her, sprang forward and kissed her.

  She flung Johnnie on the rocks with a blow of her tail that made his spine smart. Then she dived into the sea. Johnnie stood up. It was the first time anyone had laid his back to the ground. Then he found the mermaid’s comb at his feet.

  ‘Give me my comb!’ she cried.

  ‘Nay, my buddo,’ said Johnnie. ‘You’ll come and bide on land first.’

  ‘I couldn’t bear your black rain and white snow,’ she said. ‘Your sun and smoky fires would wizen me up. Come with me, and I’ll make you chief of the Fin-folk.’

  ‘You can’t entice me,’ said Johnnie. ‘I’ve a house at Volya with plenty of gear, cows and sheep, and you shall be mistress of it all if you come and stay with me.’

  But the mermaid saw the Fin-folk coming, and swam out to sea.

  Johnnie went home and told the whole story to his mother who was a wise woman.

  ‘You’re a fool to fall in love with a sea-lass,’ said she, ‘but if you want her, you must keep her comb.’

  One morning, Johnnie was wakened by music in his room. He sat up and saw the mermaid near his bed.

  ‘I’ve come for my comb,’ said she.

  ‘I’ll not give it to you, my bonny lass,’ said he. ‘But will you not stay with me and be my wife?’

  ‘I’ll make you a fair offer,’ she said. ‘I’ll live with you here for seven years, if you’ll swear to come with me, and all that’s mine, to see my own folk at the end of that time.’

  Johnnie swore by the moonstone to keep the bargain. So they were married, and as the priest prayed the mermaid stuffed her hair in her ears.

  The mermaid baked the best bread and brewed the strongest ale in all the island. She kept everything in good order, and was the best spinner in the countryside. Indeed she made the best wife and the best mother too. At their house everything went as merry as a Yuletide.

  As seven years drew near their end, the family made ready for a long voyage. Johnnie was very thoughtful and said little. His wife had a faraway look on her face.

  Now, on the eve of the last day of the seven years the youngest of their seven bairns was sleeping at his grandmother’s house. Before midnight came, the grandmother made a wire cross, which she heated on the fire. Then she laid it on the bairn’s bare behind, he screaming like a little demon.

  When morning came and they were all ready, Johnnie’s wife walked down to the boat. When she came to the beach, her goodman and six only of her seven bairns were in the boat. She sent fishermen friends back for the youngest bairn. But they returned and told her that four of them had tried to lift the cradle where the bairn lay, and they could not budge it one inch.

  Johnnie Croy’s wife ran up to the house and tried to lift the cradle, but she could not move it. She flung back the blanket and tried to lift the bairn out of the cradle. The moment she touched him a terrible burning sensation went through her arms, making her draw back and scream. She went back to the boat, her head hanging and the salt tears streaming from her eyes. As the boat sailed away, the folk on the shore heard her lamenting:

  ‘Aloor, aloor, for my bonny bairn! Aloor, for my bonny boy! Aloor, that I must leave him to live and die on dry land!’

  Away, far away, sailed the boat, no one knows where. Johnnie Croy, his bonny young wife and their six bairns were never seen again by mortal eye.

  THE WIDOW’S SON

  HERE was once a poor widow who had a son called Iain. They lived in a small cottage and all they had were a few hens and a horse. One day, Iain was riding through the forest when he met a man with a gun, a dog, and a falcon. They greeted each other and the man said:

  ‘Will you sell your horse to me?’

  ‘I’ll exchange her for your gun, your dog and your falcon,’ said Iain.

  ‘Done,’ said the man, and rode away on the horse, while Iain returned home to his mother.

  ‘Where’s our horse?’ said she.

  ‘I exchanged her for this gun, dog and falcon,’ said Iain. ‘Look at them. Wasn’t that a good bargain?’

  ‘It was not,’ said his mother. ‘What are we going to do without a horse, you stupid lad?’ And she beat him and sent him to bed without any supper.

  Now, Iain wanted to be a hunter, so in the middle of the night, he left home with the gun, the dog and the falcon. On and on he walked till he came to a farm. The farmer and his wife were up and starting the day’s work.

  ‘Good day,’ said Iain.

  ‘Good day,’ said the farmer. ‘I see you’re carrying a gun. This must be my lucky day. I’ve been looking out for a hunter. Every night a deer comes and eats my corn. Soon there’ll be none left. Stay with us a while, and we’ll give you bed and board if you promise to shoot the deer.’

  Iain promised, ate a good meal and slept in a soft bed.

  Just before dawn, he got up, dressed and went out with his gun. As the sun rose, he saw the deer and took aim, but he saw that the deer had a woman’s head and shoulders.

  ‘Don’t shoot me!’ she said. Iain could not shoot a woman, so he lowered his gun and went back to the farm.

  ‘I didn’t hear your gun,’ said the farmer.

  ‘No,’ said Iain, ‘but I’ll try again tomorrow morning.’

  He had three good meals that day, and slept in a soft bed all night. Just before dawn, he got up, dressed, and went out with his gun. As before, he saw the deer just as the sun rose, and took aim. But the deer was a lovely woman down to the waist.

  ‘Don’t shoot me!’ she cried. Iain could not shoot her, so he lowered his gun and went back to the farm.

  ‘I didn’t hear your gun,’ said the farmer.

  ‘No,’ said Iain, ‘but I’ll try again tomorrow morning.’

  He had three good meals that day, and slept in a soft bed all night. But before he went to bed, the farmer told him this was his last chance. They were not going to give him bed and board any longer, unless he killed the deer. So, just before dawn, Iain got up, dressed, and went out with his gun. He saw th
e deer just as the sun rose, and took aim. But the deer was a lovely woman from head to toe.

  ‘Don’t shoot me!’ she said, and Iain lowered his gun.

  ‘I’m the King of Lochlin’s daughter,’ she said. ‘I was enchanted, but you have broken the spell. As your reward, I’ll marry you if you follow me.’

  Iain followed her till they came to a house thatched with heather.

  ‘Go in,’ said she, ‘and eat your fill.’

  Iain opened the door and went in. The table was laid with a meal but there was no one else to eat it, so Iain ate and drank till he was satisfied. Then he heard many feet approaching the door. Afraid he would be blamed for eating the food, he hid under an empty barrel, just as twenty-four robbers entered. They were very angry that someone had been eating their meal. They searched the house, and found Iain under the barrel. The leader ordered four of his men to take Iain outside and cut off his head. This they did, and soon after the twenty-four robbers ate the food that was left and went to sleep. In the morning they went off on a raid, after one of them had laid the table with food and drink for their supper.

  While they were away, the deer came running to where the dead Iain was lying near the house. She shook her head over Iain, and out of her left ear some wax fell on him, and he jumped to his feet, alive again.

  ‘Trust me,’ said the deer. ‘Go in again and eat your fill!’

  Iain went into the house, and saw the table laid with food and drink. He ate and drank till he was satisfied. When he heard the robbers approaching the door, he hid under the empty barrel. When the robbers saw that their supper had been eaten again, they searched the house and found Iain under the barrel. The robbers’ leader ordered his men to execute the four who had been told to kill Iain the night before. The four men were executed, and another four ordered to cut off Iain’s head. This they did. Then, twenty robbers sat down to table, ate and drank, and went to bed.

  In the morning, after breakfast, the robbers went off on a raid. The deer came running. She shook her head and out of her right ear some wax fell on the dead Iain, who immediately jumped to his feet, alive.

  That night, when twenty robbers came home, they again found some of their food eaten, and Iain alive, hiding under the barrel. The four who had killed Iain the night before were executed for disobedience, and only sixteen robbers were left. They were terrified at what had happened and became mutinous. They rebelled against their leader, began to quarrel, and then to fight. They killed each other and their leader. Not one of them was left alive. Then the deer came and led Iain to the white house of the Old Carlin and her son, the Black Lad.

  ‘Meet me here tomorrow at eleven,’ said the deer to Iain, and told him to spend the night at the Old Carlin’s house.

  But next day, just before eleven, the Old Carlin gave him a pin to stick in his coat. This put Iain to sleep.

  Beautiful music came out of the air, and the deer came, changed back into a lovely woman dressed in white, riding a white horse. She dismounted, sat beside Iain, and laid his head in her lap. She combed his hair but could not waken him. Under his arm she wrote her name, ‘Daughter of the King of the Kingdom under the Waves.’

  ‘I’ll come again, tomorrow at eleven,’ she said to the Black Lad, and rode away on her white horse.

  When Iain woke, the Black Lad told him what had happened, but said nothing about the name the White Lady had written under his arm.

  Next day, just before dawn, the Black Lad stuck a pin in Iain’s coat and he fell asleep. Music came out of the air as the Lady, dressed in grey, rode up on a grey horse. She laid Iain’s head on her lap, combed his hair, and tried to waken him. She put a snuff-box in his pocket, and rode away weeping. She told the Black Lad she would return the next day at eleven, for the last time.

  Next day, just before eleven, the Old Carlin offered Iain the pin but he refused to take it. Instead she gave the Black Lad an apple, which he did not eat.

  ‘I’m thirsty,’ said Iain. ‘Give me the apple if you don’t want it!’

  The Black Lad gave him the apple, and when he ate it he fell asleep. The Lady came dressed in black, riding a black horse. She laid Iain’s head on her lap, combed his hair, but still he did not wake. So she put a ring on his finger, and told the Black Lad:

  ‘He’ll not see me again. I must go home.’

  Next day, at eleven, the Lady did not come, though Iain was awake. So he set off to look for her. On and on he went, with dusty shoes, till he wore holes in the soles. The birds were going to roost in the trees when he came to a house. A woman opened the door and invited him in.

  ‘I’ll make supper for you, and a soft bed,’ she said. ‘I know why you’ve come this way, and I’ll help you.’

  Next morning, after breakfast, she gave him a pair of old shoes.

  ‘I’ve a sister,’ she said, ‘who may be able to help you. She has a house by the roadside, a year and a day from here, but if you wear these old shoes, you’ll be there in no time. When you arrive, turn their toes to the known and their heels to the unknown, and they’ll come back here to me.’

  Sure enough, Iain arrived at the sister’s house in no time, Iain told her his story, and she gave him another pair of old shoes.

  ‘I’ve another sister,’ she said, ‘who lives a year and a day from here. She may help you. If you wear these old shoes, you’ll be there in no time. When you arrive, turn their toes to the known and their heels to the unknown, and they’ll come back to me.’

  Iain arrived at the third sister’s house in no time.

  ‘I don’t know how to help you,’ she said, ‘but maybe my son will know. He’s herd to the birds of the air.’

  Her son came and he knew what to do. He killed a cow, cooked the meat, turned the hide inside out, and made a bag into which Iain was able to crawl.

  Soon an eagle flew down, and carried the bag, with Iain in it, out to sea. When she was tired, the eagle dropped it in the water. Another eagle came, lifted the bag out of the sea, and carried it in her claws to an island where she slept with all the birds of the air. Iain crawled out of the bag and searched for food. He finished all he could find on the island, then he searched his pockets for scraps or a crust. All he found was the snuffbox the Grey Lady had put there. He opened the box, and out jumped three wee men.

  ‘What can we do for you?’ they all said together.

  ‘Take me to the Kingdom of the King under the Waves!’

  At once he was there. He found board and lodgings in the house of a weaver. The weaver told him there was to be a horse-race in the town, and the winner would marry the King’s daughter. Iain took out his snuff-box and opened it. Out jumped the three wee men.

  ‘What can we do for you?’ they all said together.

  ‘Bring me the fastest horse ever seen, and the finest clothes and a pair of glass shoes.’

  The first wee man appeared leading the horse Iain had bartered for the gun, the dog and the falcon. The second wee man appeared carrying a very fine suit of clothes over his arm; while the third wee man brought a beautiful pair of glass shoes.

  Iain put on the fine suit of clothes and the glass shoes and rode off to the races on his mother’s horse. He had never thought much of it, but it came in first and won the first prize, and the first prize was a bag of gold.

  Iain was amazed to hear the people talking about his beautiful racehorse. It surprised him, for the horse had never looked out of the ordinary. He recognised the Princess, but she didn’t know him.

  He changed into his old clothes and shoes and rode to the weaver’s house on his mother’s horse. He went into the weaver’s house and threw a handful of gold into the weaver’s apron, then broke his loom and tore his cloth. The weaver thought he was mad, but did not mind as the gold was worth more to him than the loom.

  Next day, there was a dog-race. In the morning, Iain took out his snuff-box, opened it and out jumped the three wee men.

  ‘What can we do for you?’ they said.

  ‘Fetch me
the fastest dog in the world, a suit of silver, and silver shoes!’

  The wee men went away, and brought back Iain’s own dog from nowhere, as well as a silver suit and silver shoes, Iain put on the silver clothes and rode, with his dog trotting by his side, to the dog-races. But when the race started, Iain’s dog, running like a greyhound, led all the other dogs round the course, came in first and won the first prize. The crowd admired his beautiful dog, but the Princess did not know him.

  When he returned to the weaver’s house, he gave the weaver a handful of gold, then smashed up his furniture. He looked at his horse, it looked like any ordinary horse, and his dog looked like an ordinary dog.

  Next day was the falcon race. Again he asked the three wee men to help him, and this time the first wee man brought him his own falcon. The second wee man brought him a suit of gold, and the third wee man brought him a pair of gold shoes. Iain’s falcon won the first prize. He took the bag of gold from the King’s daughter, but still she did not recognise him. After the race, he slipped away quietly, put on his old suit and his old shoes and rode back to the weaver’s house on his mother’s old horse, his dog trotting beside him like any ordinary dog. No one they passed looked at them twice. The horse did not look like a horse that could win a race, nor did the dog and nor did the falcon. As for Iain, he looked so ordinary, no one could imagine that he might marry the King’s daughter. Even the house he was living in was a ruin, for after he had given the weaver another handful of gold, Iain had knocked in the windows and pulled half the thatch off the roof.

  When the King’s men came to the weaver’s house, looking for the winner of the horse race, the dog race, and the falcon race, Iain said that he was the man they were looking for. The King’s men looked at the horse, then at the dog and the falcon, and then at Iain in his tattered clothes and old shoes, standing outside the broken-down house. They laughed. They laughed at the old horse, the mangey dog and moulting falcon, but they laughed loudest of all at Iain.

  ‘Take me to the King,’ said Iain in a firm voice.