Part 5

Then he said to the third man, “What art thou good at?” The man replied that he was a good Gripper. “How good art thou?” “The hold I once get I will not let go until my two arms come from my shoulders or until my hold comes with me.” “Thou art good enough; thou mayest pass by.”

Then he said to the fourth man, “What art thou good at?” He answered that he was a good Climber. “How good art thou?” “I can climb on a filament of silk to the stars, although thou wert to tie it there.” “Thou art good enough; thou mayest pass by.”

He then said to the fifth man, “What art thou good at?” He replied that he was a good Thief. “How good art thou?” “I can steal the egg from the heron while her two eyes are looking at me.” “Thou art good enough; thou mayest pass by.”

He asked of the sixth man, “What art thou good at?” He answered that he was a good Listener. “How good art thou?” He said that he could hear what people were saying at the extremity of the Uttermost World (Domhan Tor). “Thou art good enough; thou mayest pass by.”

Then he said to the seventh man, “What art thou good at?” He replied that he was a good Marksman. “How good art thou?” “I could hit an egg as far away in the sky as bowstring could send or bow could carry.” “Thou art good enough; thou mayest pass by.”

All this gave Finn great encouragement. He turned round and said to the Carpenter, “Prove thy skill.” The Carpenter went where the stock was, and struck it with his axe thrice; and as he had said, the Ship was ready.

When Finn saw the Ship ready he ordered his men to put her out. They did that and went on board of her.

Finn now ordered the Tracker to go to the bow and prove himself. At the same time he told him that yesterday a Big Young Hero left yonder haven in his ship and that he wanted to follow the Hero to the place in which he now was. Finn himself went to steer the Ship and they departed. The Tracker was telling him to keep her this way or to keep her that way. They sailed a long time forward without seeing land, but they kept on their course until evening was approaching. In the gloaming they noticed that land was ahead of them, and they made straight for it. When they reached the shore they leaped to land and drew up the Ship.

Then they noticed a large fine house in the glen above the beach. They took their way up to the house; and when they were nearing it they saw the Big Young Hero coming to meet them. He ran and placed his two arms about Finn’s neck and said, “Darling of all men in the world, hast thou come?” “If I had been thy darling of all men in the world, it is not as thou didst leave me that thou wouldst have left me,” said Finn. “Oh, it was not without a way of coming that I left thee,” said the Big Young Hero. “Did I not send a company of seven men to meet thee?”

When they reached the house, the Big Young Hero told Finn and his men to go in. They accepted the invitation and found abundance of meat and drink.

After they had quenched their hunger and thirst, the Big Young Hero came in where they were, and said to Finn, “Six years from this night, my wife was in childbed and a child was born to me. As soon as the child came into the world, a large Hand came in at the chimney, and took the child with it in the cap (or hollow) of the Hand. Three years from this night the same thing happened. And to-night she is going to be in childbed again. It was told me that thou wert the only man in the world who could keep my children for me, and now I have courage since I have found thee.”

Finn and his men were tired and sleepy. Finn said to the men that they were to stretch themselves on the floor and that he was going to keep watch. They did as they were told and he remained sitting beside the fire. At last sleep began to come on him; but he had a bar of iron in the fire, and as often as his eyes would begin to close with sleep, he would thrust the bar through the bone of his palm, and that was keeping him awake. About midnight the woman was delivered, and as soon as the child came into the world the Hand came in at the chimney. Finn called on the Gripper to get up.

The Gripper sprang quickly to his feet and laid hold of the Hand. He gave a pull on the Hand, and took it in to the two eyebrows at the chimney.

The Hand gave a pull on the Gripper, and took him out to the top of his two shoulders. The Gripper gave another pull on the Hand, and brought it in to the neck. The Hand gave a pull on the Gripper, and brought him out to the very middle. The Gripper gave a pull on the Hand and took it in over the two armpits. The Hand gave a pull on the Gripper and took him out to the smalls of his two feet. Then the Gripper gave a brave pull on the Hand, and it came out of the shoulder. And when it fell on the floor the pulling of seven geldings was in it. But the big Giant outside put in the other hand and took the child with him in the cap of the Hand.

They were all very sorry that they lost the child. But Finn said, “We will not yield to this yet. I and my men will go away after the Hand before a sun shall rise on a dwelling to-morrow.”

At break of dawn Finn and his men turned out, and reached the beach where they had left the Ship.

They launched the Ship, and leaped on board of her. The Tracker went to the bow, and Finn went to steer her. They departed, and now and again the Tracker would cry to Finn to keep her in that direction, or to keep her in this direction. They sailed onward a long distance without seeing anything before them, except the great sea. At the going down of the sun, Finn noticed a black spot in the ocean ahead of them. He thought it too little for an island and too large for a bird, but he made straight for it; and it was a rock, and a Castle thatched with eel-skins was on its top.

They landed on the rock. They looked about the Castle but they saw neither window nor door at which they could get in. At last they noticed that it was on the roof the door was. They did not know how they could get up, because the thatch was so slippery. But the Climber cried, “Let me over and I will not be long in climbing it.” He sprang quickly towards the Castle and in an instant was on its roof. He looked in at the door, and after taking particular notice of everything that he saw, he descended where the rest were waiting. Finn asked of him what did he see? He said that he saw a big Giant lying on a bed, a silk covering over him and a satin covering under him, and his hand stretched out and an infant asleep in the cap of the Hand; that he saw two boys on the floor playing with shinties of gold and a ball of silver; and that there was a very large deer-hound bitch lying beside the fire, and two pups sucking her.

Then said Finn, “I do not know how we shall get them out.” The Thief answered and said, “If I get in I will not be long putting them out.” The Climber said, “Come on my back and I will take thee up to the door.” The Thief did as he was told and got into the Castle.

Instantly he began to prove his skill. The first thing he put out was the child that was in the cap of the Hand. He then put out the two boys who were playing on the floor. He then stole the silk covering that was over the Giant and the satin covering that was under him, and put them out. Then he put out the shinties of gold and the ball of silver. He then stole the two pups that were sucking the bitch beside the fire. These were the most valuable things which he saw inside. He left the Giant asleep and turned out.

They placed the things which the Thief stole in the Ship and departed. They were but a short time sailing when the Listener stood up and said, “’Tis I who am hearing him, ’tis I who am listening to him!” “What art thou hearing?” said Finn. “He has just awakened,” said the Listener, “and missed everything that was stolen from him. He is in great wrath sending away the Bitch, and saying to her if she will not go that he will go himself. But it is the Bitch that is going.” In a short time they looked behind them and saw the Bitch coming swimming. She was cleaving the sea on each side of her in red sparks of fire. They were seized with fear, and said that they did not know what they should do. But Finn considered, and then told them to throw out one of the pups; perhaps when she would see the pup drowning she would return with it. They threw out the pup, and as Finn said, it happened; the Bitch returned with the pup. This left them at the time pleased.

But shortly after that the Listener arose trembling, and said, “’Tis I who am hearing him, ’tis I who am listening to him!” “What art thou saying now?” said Finn. “He is sending away the Bitch, and since she will not go he is coming himself.”

When they heard this their eye was always behind them. At last they saw him coming, and the great sea reached not beyond his haunches. They were seized with fear and great horror, for they knew not what they should do. But Finn thought of his knowledge set of teeth, and having put his finger under it, found out that the Giant was immortal except in a mole which was in a hollow of his palm. The Marksman then stood up and said, “If I get one look of it I will have him.” The Giant came walking forward through the sea to the side of the Ship. Then he lifted up his hand to seize the top of the mast, in order to sink the Ship. But when the Hand was on high the Marksman noticed the mole, and he let an arrow off in its direction. The arrow struck the Giant in the death-spot and he fell dead on the sea. They were now very happy, for there was nothing before them to make them afraid. They put about and sailed back to the Castle. The Thief stole the pup again, and they took it with them along with the one they had. After that they returned to the place of the Big Young Hero. When they reached the Haven they leaped on land and drew up the Ship on dry ground.

Then Finn went away with the family of the Big Young Hero and with everything which he and his men took out of the Castle to the fine house of the Big Young Hero.

The Big Young Hero met him coming, and when he saw his children he went on his two knees to Finn and said, “What now is thy reward?” Finn answered and said that he was asking nothing but his choice of the two pups which they took from the Castle. The Big Young Hero said that he would get that and a great deal more if he would ask it. But Finn wanted nothing except the pup. This pup was Bran, and his brother, that the Big Young Hero got, was the Grey Dog.

The Big Young Hero took Finn and his men into his house and made for them a great joyous merry feast, which was kept up for a year and a day, and if the last day was not the best it was not the worst.

That is how Finn kept his children for the Big Young Hero of the Ship and how Bran was found.

_Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition. Argyllshire series. Rev. J. Macdougall._

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