Folk Tales of Scotland

by William Montgomerie

  To be his mortal foe;

  But that man is yet unborn,

  And lang may it be so.’

  ‘But I’m that man, and I have been born,’ said Rab to himself.

  He felt confident. He had his mother’s blessing, and the magic wand the old woman had given him. He was not afraid of the Red Etin.

  Then he met the monsters. They weren’t sheep with a shepherd, nor swine with a swineherd, nor goats with a goatherd. They were TERRIBLE. Each of them had two heads, each head had four horns, and no one was herding them. When one of them put its two heads down and charged with its four horns, Rab ran for his life. He knew he could not run fast enough to escape, so he waited till he felt the monster’s breath. He stepped to one side and, as the beast galloped past, he touched it with the magic wand. Immediately the monster fell down dead. The others galloped off out of sight.

  Rab walked slowly towards the castle, knocked on the door and went in. There by the fire sat an old, old woman.

  ‘Where have you come from?’ said she.

  ‘I’m from Auchtermuchty, and I left home to seek my fortune.’

  ‘Well, you’re not the first,’ said the old wife. ‘Did your mother give you her blessing before you left home?

  ‘She did,’ said Rab.

  ‘That’s good. You’ll need it. This castle belongs to the Red Etin of Ireland and he’s a real monster. He’ll be here any minute, but hide behind my chair. I’ll not give you away.’

  Rab hid behind the old wife’s chair. Soon the Red Etin came in, and one of his three heads looked in one corner of the room, the second head looked in another corner, and the third looked into the third corner. The Red Etin knew a stranger was somewhere in the room, and he shouted in a loud, hungry voice:

  ‘Be he from Fife,

  Or be he from Tweed,

  His heart this night

  Shall kitchen my breid.’

  Then one head looked over the back of the old wife’s chair, and saw the lad. With two great hairy hands, the Red Etin pulled Rab out.

  ‘Ho! ho! ho!’ he roared. ‘There you are! Now I’ll ask you three questions. Give me the right answer and I’ll not kill you. If you can’t answer them at all, I’ll hit you over the head with this mallet! Here’s my first question: How many ladders do you need to reach the moon?’

  ‘One,’ said Rab, ‘if it’s long enough.’

  ‘You’re the clever one,’ said the Red Etin, and two of his six eyes closed as if one of his heads was asleep. ‘Now answer my second question: How long would it take to travel round the earth?’

  ‘One day,’ said Rab, ‘if I travel as fast as the sun and moon.’

  The Red Etin looked worried as the two eyes of his second head closed as though he was asleep. Then he asked his last question:

  ‘What kind of wood is neither bent nor straight?’

  ‘Sawdust,’ said Rab.

  Immediately the eyes of the Red Etin’s third head closed. His legs sagged at the knees, he dropped his mallet and fell to the ground, fast asleep.

  Swiftly Rab seized a long-handled axe from a corner by the door, and cut off the Red Etin’s three heads. Chop! chop! chop! Now the Red Etin lay dead on the kitchen floor.

  Rab left the old wife sleeping by the fire and searched the castle for his friend. He found a row of statues, and one of them looked like Andy. He touched it with his wand, and immediately Andy stood beside him alive and well. Then Rab touched all the other statues, and they too came to life again.

  Among them was a bonny lass and she, like the others, followed Rab out of the castle. As they went they were attacked by the Red Etin’s terrible monsters, but Rab soon drove them off with his wand and killed them one by one.

  On the way home, they met the little old woman of the woods.

  ‘I couldn’t have managed without it,’ said Rab, as he gave her back her magic wand.

  There was a great welcome for them in Auchtermuchty. Rab married the bonny lass and everyone came to the wedding. As for Rab’s mother, if she blessed him when he went away, she blessed him twice over when he returned.

  THE EAGLE AND THE WREN

  HERE was a time when the birds of the air had a contest to see who could fly the highest. All the birds competed except the Wren, and none could fly as high as the Eagle. So the birds made him King.

  ‘He must be King,’ they said. ‘He’s the biggest and strongest of us all. Not one of us can fly as high as the Eagle.’

  ‘I can,’ said the Wren.

  ‘You!’ laughed the Hawk. ‘Why the Eagle wouldn’t waste time competing with a bird as small as you!’

  But the Eagle said:

  ‘Come, wee Wren, let’s see which of us can fly the higher!’

  Off they flew, higher and higher. The Wren was soon out of sight, for she was so small. No one noticed, not even the Eagle, when she hopped on to his back and allowed herself to be carried up by him.

  When the Eagle had flown as high as he could, he called out:

  ‘Wee Wren! Where are you?’ And the wee Wren slipped off his back and flew above him.

  ‘I’m up here, Eagle,’ said she, ‘and I’m higher than you are!’

  The other birds were very surprised when they heard that the Wren had flown higher than the Eagle.

  ‘The Eagle shall remain our King,’ they said, ‘for he’s still the biggest and strongest of us all, but the wee Wren shall be Queen, and can have twelve eggs.’

  And so, as a reward, the Wren was allowed to lay twelve eggs if she wanted to, while the Eagle lays only two.

  IAIN THE SOLDIER’S SON

  HE Knight of Greenock had three beautiful daughters. One day a beast came from the sea and carried them off, no one knew where.

  There was a soldier in the same town who had three sons, and on New Year’s Day they were playing at shinty when the youngest son said they should play on the Knight of Greenock’s lawn. His brothers said the Knight would not be pleased for their play would remind him of his daughters.

  ‘Let that be as it may,’ said Iain the youngest son, ‘but we should play there all the same. I don’t care whether the Knight is pleased or not.’ So they played.

  The Knight looked out of a window and saw them playing.

  ‘Bring those lads here,’ said he. ‘I’ll punish them for playing shinty on my lawn and reminding me of my daughters.’ So they were brought before him.

  ‘Why did you play shinty on my ground, reminding me of my lost children? You must suffer for this.’

  ‘There’s no need to punish us,’ said Iain the youngest son. ‘Build us a ship, and whether your daughters are leeward or windward, or under the four brown shores of the sea, we’ll find them before the end of a year and a day, and we’ll bring them back to Greenock.’

  ‘Though you’re the youngest, your head holds the best counsel,’ said the Knight. ‘Let us make the ship!’

  So shipwrights were brought and a ship was built in seven days. Food and drink necessary for the journey were put on board. Her bows were turned to the sea, her stern to the land, then they sailed away. In seven days they reached a white sandy beach. They went ashore, and found six men and ten, with a foreman, blasting the face of the cliff.

  ‘What place is this?’ asked the captain.

  ‘This is where the three daughters of the Knight of Greenock are to marry three giants,’ said the foreman.

  ‘How can we reach them?’ asked the three sons.

  ‘There’s only one way up the face of the cliff, and that’s in a creel.’

  The eldest son got into a creel, but when he was half-way up the cliff, a stumpy black raven flew down, clawed at him and beat him with its wings till the lad was almost blind, and he had to come down.

  The second son went into the creel, and halfway up the black raven clawed at him and beat him with its wings, till he too had to come down.

  Last of all, Iain went into the creel, and half-way up the black raven clawed and beat him about the face. But Iain would no
t give in.

  ‘Pull me up quickly before I’m blinded,’ he shouted. At the top of the cliff he stepped out of the creel.

  ‘Give me a quid of tobacco,’ said the raven.

  ‘That’s a high price for nothing,’ said Iain.

  ‘Never mind that,’ said the raven. ‘I’ll be a good friend to you. Now, go to the big giant’s house, and you’ll see the Knight’s eldest daughter. She’ll be sewing, her thimble wet with tears.’

  Iain walked on till he came to the giant’s house, and he went in. The Knight’s daughter was sewing, her thimble wet with tears.

  ‘What brought you here?’ said she.

  ‘What brought you here?’ said Iain.

  ‘I was brought here against my will,’ said she.

  ‘I know that,’ said Iain. ‘Where is the giant?’

  ‘He’s on the hunting hill.’

  ‘How can I bring him home?’

  ‘Shake that chain outside the house. But there’s no one to leeward, or to windward, within the four brown shores of the sea, who will fight with him except young Iain the soldier’s son, from Albainn. He’s only sixteen and too young to fight the giant.’

  ‘There are many in Albainn as strong as Iain the soldier’s son,’ said Iain.

  Then he went outside and hauled at the chain. But he could not move it and fell on his knees. He got up, pulled on the chain a second time and broke a link of it. The giant heard it on the hunting hill.

  ‘Aha!’ said he. ‘Who could move my chain but young Iain the soldier’s son, but he’s only sixteen and too young yet.’

  The giant strung a dead deer on a willow branch and strode home.

  ‘Are you Iain the soldier’s son from Albainn?’

  ‘No!’ said Iain. ‘There are many as strong in Albainn as Iain the soldier’s son.’

  ‘I’ve heard that,’ said the giant. ‘How would you like to try your strength?’

  ‘In a wrestle,’ said Iain.

  Then they seized each other, and hugged each other, and the giant pulled Iain down on his knee. The giant seemed stronger than Iain. But the soldier’s son would not give in. They twisted and pulled till Iain kicked the giant’s ankle and threw him to the ground on his back.

  ‘Help me, raven!’ called Iain. And the stumpy black raven came, clawed the giant’s face, and beat his wings on the giant’s ears, deafening him.

  ‘Cut off the giant’s head!’ said the raven.

  ‘I can’t,’ said Iain. ‘I’ve no sword, not even a knife.’

  ‘Put your hand under my right wing!’ said the raven. ‘You’ll find a sharp little knife I use for gathering rose-buds. Cut his head off with that.’

  Iain did as he was told, and cut off the giant’s head.

  ‘Now Iain, when you return to the eldest daughter of the Knight, she’ll ask you not to go farther. Don’t listen to her! Go on till you come to the second giant’s house. There you’ll find the Knight’s middle daughter. Before you go, give me a quid of tobacco!’

  ‘You’ve earned it,’ said Iain. ‘I’ll give you half of all I have.’

  ‘You will not,’ said the raven. ‘But wash yourself in warm water. Rub your skin with the balsam you’ll find in a dish above the door. Go to bed, and by tomorrow you’ll be ready to go to the house where the Knight’s second daughter stays.’

  ‘Don’t go farther into more danger,’ said the eldest daughter when Iain went into the house. ‘There’s plenty of gold and silver here. We’ll take it with us and go home.’

  ‘I’ll take the road before me,’ said Iain. ‘But first I must have a night’s rest.’

  Early next morning, before the girl woke up, Iain went on his way till he reached the house of the Knight’s second daughter. Exactly the same thing happened here, and he killed the second giant.

  ‘Don’t go farther into more danger!’ said the second daughter. ‘There’s plenty of gold and silver here. We’ll take it with us and go home.’

  ‘I’ll take the road before me,’ said Iain, and went on till he reached the house of the Knight’s youngest daughter.

  The same thing happened to him here as before, and he killed the third giant.

  ‘Now,’ said the raven, ‘rest as you did last night. In the morning you’ll find the Knight of Greenock’s three daughters waiting for you. They’ll have with them the gold and silver from the giants. Your task will be to take them back to the cliff. There you must go down first and let them down in the creel after you. And now you can give me a quid of tobacco.’

  ‘You well deserve it,’ said Iain. ‘Here, take all of it!’

  ‘I’ll only take a quid of your tobacco, but no more!’ said the raven. ‘It’s a long time to May-day!’

  ‘I’ll not be here till May-day,’ said Iain.

  ‘You know what’s behind you, but you don’t know what’s before you,’ said the raven.

  In the morning, there were the three daughters waiting for Iain. They fetched donkeys, and loaded the giants’ gold and silver on to their backs. At last Iain, the three daughters and the donkeys reached the edge of the cliff. The creel was there, but instead of going first as the raven had told him, Iain lowered the three girls down the cliff, one by one. Each of them was wearing a gold cap, covered in diamonds, and made in Rome, the like of which was not to be found in the whole world. But as he lowered the youngest daughter down in the creel, Iain took her cap and kept it.

  When they had all reached the bottom of the cliff, the three girls forgot to help Iain down the cliff, and they hurried on board the ship and sailed home to Greenock. There was no one left to pull the rope and Iain was alone on the cliff top, unable to get down. Then the raven came flying and perched on the ground beside him.

  ‘You didn’t take my advice, Iain,’ said he. ‘But now you must go to the giant’s house and sleep there tonight. I can’t stay and keep you company, but you can give me a quid of tobacco.’

  ‘I’ll do that,’ said Iain, and gave him the tobacco.

  Next morning the raven came to Iain and told him to go into the giant’s stable.

  ‘There’s a horse there that can gallop on sea and land. She may help you,’ said the raven.

  Together they went to the stable, which was chiselled out of rock with a heavy stone door. This door was slamming back and forward, from early morning till night, and from night to day.

  ‘Watch me!’ said the raven.

  He gave a hop and a jump into the stable, but the swinging door caught his wing and knocked a feather out of it, and he shrieked with pain.

  Iain took a run back, and a run forward, and jumped. But the door caught his behind and tore off half his buttocks. Iain cried out and fell senseless on the ground. The raven lifted him and carried him on his wings to the giant’s house, and laid him face down on a bench. Then he flew off to fetch herbs. He made an ointment which he rubbed into Iain’s wounds, and looked after him. In ten days Iain had recovered and then the raven left him, after asking for a quid of tobacco.

  Iain wandered through the hills and in a glen he saw three heroes lying on their backs, each with a spear on his chest, and each of them sound asleep and sweating. Iain lifted the spear off each hero, and they awoke and stood up.

  ‘You are young Iain, the soldier’s son from Albainn,’ said one of them. ‘We now put a spell on you to go with us through the southern end of the island.’

  Iain went with the three heroes. A slender smoke was coming from a cave and they went to see what was there. One hero went into the cave, and saw a hag sitting there. Her smallest tooth would have made a knitting needle, a walking stick, or a poker for stirring the embers. Her long fingernails twisted about her elbows, and her hoary hair tumbled about her toes. She was not very beautiful.

  She seized a magic club, struck the hero and turned him to stone. The others wondered why he didn’t return, so the second hero went into the cave, and the same thing happened to him. The third hero went in and didn’t come out, so Iain went into the cave after them. Th
ere a great red-headed cat attacked him with a barrowful of red peat-ash. He kicked her away with the toe of his boot, and again the raven came to help him.

  ‘The heroes are under spells,’ said the raven. ‘To take the spells off them, you must go to the island of the Big Women of Jura, take a bottle of living water from the island, come back and rub the heroes with it. The spells will then vanish and the heroes will come alive. You see, you did not do as I told you and you’ve brought more trouble on yourself. After a good night’s rest, you’ll feed and water the mare. Sea and land are all one to her. When you reach the island of the Big Women, sixteen stable lads will meet you. They’ll all be for feeding the mare, and stabling her, but don’t let them. Say you’ll do that yourself. Every one of the sixteen lads will turn the key in the stable door. But you will put a turn for every turn that they put in the key. And now you’ll give me a quid of tobacco.’

  ‘I’ll do that,’ said Iain.

  Next morning, Iain saddled the mare and rode away. He turned her head to the sea and her tail to the shore, and soon they reached the island of the Six Big Women. Everything happened as the raven had said. The mare warned him to drink only water and whey in the house of the Big Women, and not to go to sleep. Iain did as he was told, but the Six Big Women drank till they fell asleep.

  When Iain left the room, he heard sweet music. In another room he heard even sweeter music. Beside a stair he heard the sweetest music ever heard, and then he fell asleep. The mare broke out of her stable and kicked him awake.

  ‘You didn’t take my advice,’ she said, ‘and now there’s no knowing whether you can straighten things out, or not.’

  Iain was very sorry. He seized the Sword of Light in a corner of the room, and cut off the heads of the sixteen grooms. At the well he filled his bottle with living water, and returned. The mare met him, and he turned her head to the sea and her tail to the shore and rode to the other island, where the raven met him.

  ‘Stable the mare, and have a good night’s rest,’ said the raven. ‘Tomorrow go, bring the three heroes to life and slay the carlin you’ll meet in the cave. Try not to be foolish this time, but do as I tell you!’