The Battle of the Birds · page 31 2 3201"Put your hand, quick," said she, "in the ear of the grey filly, and whatever you find in it, throw it behind us."202"There is a twig of sloe tree," said he.203"Throw it behind us," said she.204No sooner did he that, than there were twenty miles of blackthorn wood, so thick that scarce a weasel could go through it.205The giant came headlong, and there he is fleecing his head and neck in the thorns.206"My own daughter's tricks are here as before," said the giant; "but if I had my own big axe and wood knife here, I would not be long making a way through this."207He went home for the big axe and the wood knife, and sure he was not long on his journey, and he was the boy behind the big axe.208He was not long making a way through the blackthorn.209"I will leave the axe and the wood knife here till I return," says he.210"If you leave 'em, leave 'em," said a hoodie that was in a tree, "we'll steal 'em, steal 'em."211"If you will do that," says the giant, "I must take them home."212He returned home and left them at the house.213At the heat of day the giant's daughter felt her father's breath burning her back.214"Put your finger in the filly's ear, and throw behind whatever you find in it."215He got a splinter of grey stone, and in a twinkling there were twenty miles, by breadth and height, of great grey rock behind them.216The giant came full pelt, but past the rock he could not go.217"The tricks of my own daughter are the hardest things that ever met me," says the giant; "but if I had my lever and my mighty mattock, I would not be long in making my way through this rock also."218There was no help for it, but to turn the chase for them; and he was the boy to split the stones.219He was not long in making a road through the rock.220"I will leave the tools here, and I will return no more."221"If you leave 'em, leave 'em," says the hoodie, "we will steal 'em, steal 'em."222"Do that if you will; there is no time to go back."223At the time of breaking the watch, the giant's daughter said that she felt her father's breath burning her back.224"Look in the filly's ear, king's son, or else we are lost."225He did so, and it was a bladder of water that was in her ear this time.226He threw it behind him and there was a fresh-water loch, twenty miles in length and breadth, behind them.227The giant came on, but with the speed he had on him, he was in the middle of the loch, and he went under, and he rose no more.228On the next day the young companions were come in sight of his father's house. "229Now," says she, "my father is drowned, and he won't trouble us any more; but before we go further," says she, "go you to your father's house, and tell that you have the likes of me; but let neither man nor creature kiss you, for if you do, you will not remember that you have ever seen me."230Every one he met gave him welcome and luck, and he charged his father and mother not to kiss him; but as mishap was to be, an old greyhound was indoors, and she knew him, and jumped up to his mouth, and after that he did not remember the giant's daughter.231She was sitting at the well's side as he left her, but the king's son was not coming.232In the mouth of night she climbed up into a tree of oak that was beside the well, and she lay in the fork of that tree all night.233A shoemaker had a house near the well, and about mid-day on the morrow, the shoemaker asked his wife to go for a drink for him out of the well.234When the shoemaker's wife reached the well, and when she saw the shadow of her that was in the tree, thinking it was her own shadow--and she never thought till now that she was so handsome--she gave a cast to the dish that was in her hand, and it was broken on the ground, and she took herself to the house without vessel or water.235"Where is the water, wife?" said the shoemaker.236"You shambling, contemptible old carle, without grace, I have stayed too long your water and wood thrall."237"I think, wife, that you have turned crazy.238Go you, daughter, quickly, and fetch a drink for your father."239His daughter went, and in the same way so it happened to her.240She never thought till now that she was so lovable, and she took herself home.241"Up with the drink," said her father.242"You home-spun shoe carle, do you think I am fit to be your thrall?"243The poor shoemaker thought that they had taken a turn in their understandings, and he went himself to the well.244He saw the shadow of the maiden in the well, and he looked up to the tree, and he sees the finest woman he ever saw.245"Your seat is wavering, but your face is fair," said the shoemaker. "246Come down, for there is need of you for a short while at my house."247The shoemaker understood that this was the shadow that had driven his people mad.248The shoemaker took her to his house, and he said that he had but a poor bothy, but that she should get a share of all that was in it.249One day, the shoemaker had shoes ready, for on that very day the king's son was to be married.250The shoemaker was going to the castle with the shoes of the young people, and the girl said to the shoemaker, "I would like to get a sight of the king's son before he marries."251"Come with me," says the shoemaker, "I am well acquainted with the servants at the castle, and you shall get a sight of the king's son and all the company."252And when the gentles saw the pretty woman that was here they took her to the wedding-room, and they filled for her a glass of wine.253When she was going to drink what is in it, a flame went up out of the glass, and a golden pigeon and a silver pigeon sprang out of it.254They were flying about when three grains of barley fell on the floor.255The silver pigeon sprung, and ate that up.256Said the golden pigeon to him, "If you remembered when I cleared the byre, you would not eat that without giving me a share."257Again there fell three other grains of barley, and the silver pigeon sprung, and ate that up as before.258"If you remembered when I thatched the byre, you would not eat that without giving me my share," says the golden pigeon.259Three other grains fall, and the silver pigeon sprung, and ate that up.260"If you remembered when I harried the magpie's nest, you would not eat that without giving me my share," says the golden pigeon; "I lost my little finger bringing it down, and I want it still."261The king's son minded, and he knew who it was that was before him.262"Well," said the king's son to the guests at the feast, "when I was a little younger than I am now, I lost the key of a casket that I had.263I had a new key made, but after it was brought to me I found the old one.264Now, I'll leave it to any one here to tell me what I am to do.265Which of the keys should I keep?"266"My advice to you," said one of the guests, "is to keep the old key, for it fits the lock better and you're more used to it."267Then the king's son stood up and said: "I thank you for a wise advice and an honest word.268This is my bride the daughter of the giant who saved my life at the risk of her own.269I'll have her and no other woman."270So the king's son married Auburn Mary and the wedding lasted long and all were happy.271But all I got was butter on a live coal, porridge in a basket, and they sent me for water to the stream, and the paper shoes came to an end.1 2 3← previous"andrew Coffey! 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