A Legend of Knockmany · page 21 2101"Well, honest man," replied Oonagh, "if you're not able to eat the bread, say so quietly, and don't be wakening the child in the cradle there.102There, now, he's awake upon me."103Fin now gave a skirl that startled the giant, as coming from such a youngster as he was supposed to be.104"Mother," said he, "I'm hungry--get me something to eat."105Oonagh went over, and putting into his hand a cake that had no griddle in it, Fin, whose appetite in the meantime had been sharpened by seeing eating going forward, soon swallowed it.106Cucullin was thunderstruck, and secretly thanked his stars that he had the good fortune to miss meeting Fin, for, as he said to himself, "I'd have no chance with a man who could eat such bread as that, which even his son that's but in his cradle can munch before my eyes."107"I'd like to take a glimpse at the lad in the cradle," said he to Oonagh; "for I can tell you that the infant who can manage that nutriment is no joke to look at, or to feed of a scarce summer."108"With all the veins of my heart," replied Oonagh; "get up, acushla, and show this decent little man something that won't be unworthy of your father, Fin M'Coul."109Fin, who was dressed for the occasion as much like a boy as possible, got up, and bringing Cucullin out, "Are you strong?" said he.110"Thunder an' ounds!" exclaimed the other, "what a voice in so small a chap!"111"Are you strong?" said Fin again; "are you able to squeeze water out of that white stone?" he asked, putting one into Cucullin's hand.112The latter squeezed and squeezed the stone, but in vain.113"Ah, you're a poor creature!" said Fin. "114You a giant!115Give me the stone here, and when I'll show what Fin's little son can do, you may then judge of what my daddy himself is."116Fin then took the stone, and exchanging it for the curds, he squeezed the latter until the whey, as clear as water, oozed out in a little shower from his hand.117"I'll now go in," said he, "to my cradle; for I scorn to lose my time with any one that's not able to eat my daddy's bread, or squeeze water out of a stone.118Bedad, you had better be off out of this before he comes back; for if he catches you, it's in flummery he'd have you in two minutes."119Cucullin, seeing what he had seen, was of the same opinion himself; his knees knocked together with the terror of Fin's return, and he accordingly hastened to bid Oonagh farewell, and to assure her, that from that day out, he never wished to hear of, much less to see, her husband. "120I admit fairly that I'm not a match for him," said he, "strong as I am; tell him I will avoid him as I would the plague, and that I will make myself scarce in this part of the country while I live."121Fin, in the meantime, had gone into the cradle, where he lay very quietly, his heart at his mouth with delight that Cucullin was about to take his departure, without discovering the tricks that had been played off on him.122"It's well for you," said Oonagh, "that he doesn't happen to be here, for it's nothing but hawk's meat he'd make of you."123"I know that," says Cucullin; "divil a thing else he'd make of me; but before I go, will you let me feel what kind of teeth Fin's lad has got that can eat griddle-bread like that?"124"With all pleasure in life," said she; "only, as they're far back in his head, you must put your finger a good way in."125Cucullin was surprised to find such a powerful set of grinders in one so young; but he was still much more so on finding, when he took his hand from Fin's mouth, that he had left the very finger upon which his whole strength depended, behind him.126He gave one loud groan, and fell down at once with terror and weakness.127This was all Fin wanted, who now knew that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was at his mercy.128He started out of the cradle, and in a few minutes the great Cucullin, that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all his followers, lay a corpse before him.129Thus did Fin, through the wit and invention of Oonagh, his wife, succeed in overcoming his enemy by cunning, which he never could have done by force.1 2← previousThe Sea-maidennext →Fair, Brown, and Trembling↑ back to Celtic Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7885/22/page/2/