Диссертация (958832), страница 94
Текст из файла (страница 94)
They lived in three castles in sight ofeach other, and every night each of these giants shouted just before going to bed. So loud was theshout that each let out of himself that the people heard it in all the country around.Sean Ruadh drove the cattle up to the giant's land, pushed down the wall, and let them in.
Thegrass was very high, – three times better than any on the king's pastures.As Sean Ruadh sat watching the cattle, a giant came running towards him and called out: “Idon't know whether to put a pinch of you in my nose, or a bite of you in my mouth!”“Bad luck to me,” said Sean Ruadh, “if I came here but to take the life out of you!”“How would you like to fight, – on the gray stones, or with sharp swords?” asked the giant.“I’ll fight you,” said Sean Ruadh, “on the gray stones, where your great legs will be goingdown, and mine standing high.”They faced one another then, and began to fight. At the first encounter Sean Ruadh put thegiant down to his knees among the hard gray stones, at the second he put him to his waist, and at thethird to his shoulders.“Come, take me out of this,” cried the giant, “and I’ll give you my castle and all I’ve got. I’llgive you my sword of light that never fails to kill at a blow.
I’ll give you my black horse that canovertake the wind before, and outstrip the wind behind. These are all up there in my castle.”Sean Ruadh killed the giant and went up to the castle, where the housekeeper said to him: “Oh!it is you that are welcome. You have killed the dirty giant that was here. Come with me now till I showyou all the riches and treasures.”She opened the door of the giant's store-room and said: “All these are yours. Here are the keysof the castle.”“Keep them till I come again, and wake me in the evening,” said Sean Ruadh, lying down onthe giant's bed.He slept till evening; then the housekeeper roused him, and he drove the king's cattle home.The cows never gave so much milk as that night.
They gave as much as in a whole week before.Sean Ruadh met the king, and asked: “What news from your daughter?”“The great serpent did not come to-day,” said the king; “but he may come to-morrow.”“Well, to-morrow he may not come till another day,” said Sean Ruadh.Now the king knew nothing of the strength of Sean Ruadh, who was bare-footed, ragged, andshabby.The second morning Sean Ruadh put the king's cows in the second giant's land.
Out came thesecond giant with the same questions and threats as the first, and the cowboy spoke as on the daybefore.They fell to fighting; and when the giant was to his shoulders in the hard gray rocks, he said:“I’ll give you my sword of light and my brown-haired horse if you’ll spare my life.”“Where is your sword of light?” asked Sean Ruadh.“It is hung up over my bed.”Sean Ruadh ran to the giant's castle, and took the sword, which screamed out when he seized it;but he held it fast, hurried back to the giant, and asked, “How shall I try the edge of this sword?”“Against a stick,” was the reply.“I see no stick better than your own head,” said Sean Ruadh; and with that he swept the headoff the giant.The cowboy now went back to the castle and hung up the sword.
“Blessing to you,” said thehousekeeper; “you have killed the giant! Come, now, and I’ll show you his riches and treasures, whichare yours forever.”485Sean Ruadh found more treasure in this castle than in the first one. When he had seen all, hegave the keys to the housekeeper till he should need them. He slept as on the day before, then drovethe cows home in the evening.The king said: “I have the luck since you came to me. My cows give three times as much milkto-day as they did yesterday.”“Well,” said Sean Ruadh, “have you any account of the urfeist?”“He didn't come to-day,” said the king; “but he may come to-morrow.”Sean Ruadh went out with the king's cows on the third day, and drove them to the third giant'sland, who came out and fought a more desperate battle than either of the other two; but the cowboypushed him down among the gray rocks to his shoulders and killed him.At the castle of the third giant he was received with gladness by the housekeeper, who showedhim the treasures and gave him the keys; but he left the keys with her till he should need them.
Thatevening the king's cows had more milk than ever before.On the fourth day Sean Ruadh went out with the cows, but stopped at the first giant's castle.The housekeeper at his command brought out the dress of the giant, which was all black. He put on thegiant's apparel, black as night, and girded on his sword of light. Then he mounted the black-hairedsteed, which overtook the wind before, and outstripped the wind behind; and rushing on between earthand sky, he never stopped till he came to the beach, where he saw hundreds upon hundreds of kings'sons, and champions, who were anxious to save the king's daughter, but were so frightened at theterrible urfeist that they would not go near her.When he had seen the princess and the trembling champions, Sean Ruadh turned his blacksteed to the castle. Presently the king saw, riding between earth and sky, a splendid stranger, whostopped before him.“What is that I see on the shore?” asked the stranger.
“Is it a fair, or some great meeting?”“Have n't you heard,” asked the king, “that a monster is coming to destroy my daughter today?”“No, I have n't heard anything,” answered the stranger, who turned away and disappeared.Soon the black horseman was before the princess, who was sitting alone on a rock near the sea.As she looked at the stranger, she thought he was the finest man on earth, and her heart was cheered.“Have you no one to save you?” he asked.“No one.”“Will you let me lay my head on your lap till the urfeist comes? Then rouse me.”He put his head on her lap and fell asleep. While he slept, the princess took three hairs from hishead and hid them in her bosom. As soon as she had hidden the hairs, she saw the urfeist coming onthe sea, great as an island, and throwing up water to the sky as he moved.
She roused the stranger, whosprang up to defend her.The urfeist came upon shore, and was advancing on the princess with mouth open and wide asa bridge, when the stranger stood before him and said: “This woman is mine, not yours!”Then drawing his sword of light, he swept off the monster’s head with a blow; but the headrushed back to its place, and grew on again.In a twinkle the urfeist turned and went back to the sea; but as he went, he said: “I'll be hereagain to-morrow, and swallow the whole world before me as I come.””Well,” answered the stranger, “maybe another will come to meet you.”Sean Ruadh mounted his black steed, and was gone before the princess could stop him. Sadwas her heart when she saw him rush off between the earth and sky more swiftly than any wind.Sean Ruadh went to the first giant’s castle and put away his horse, clothes, and sword.
Then heslept on the giant’s bed till evening, when the housekeeper woke him, and he drove home the cows.Meeting the king, he asked: “Well, how has your daughter fared to-day?”“Oh! the urfeist came out of the sea to carry her away; but a wonderful black champion cameriding between earth and sky and saved her.”“Who was he?”486“Oh! there is many a man who says he did it. But my daughter is n't saved yet, for the urfeistsaid he 'd come to-morrow.”“Well, never fear; perhaps another champion will come to-morrow.”Next morning Sean Ruadh drove the king’s cows to the land of the second giant, where he leftthem feeding, and then went to the castle, where the housekeeper met him and said: “You arewelcome.
I’m here before you, and all is well.”“Let the brown horse be brought; let the giant's apparel and sword be ready for me,” said SeanRuadh.The apparel was brought, the beautiful blue dress of the second giant, and his sword of light.Sean Ruadh put on the apparel, took the sword, mounted the brown steed, and sped away betweenearth and air three times more swiftly than the day before.He rode first to the seashore, saw the king’s daughter sitting on the rock alone, and the princesand champions far away, trembling in dread of the urfeist.
Then he rode to the king, enquired about thecrowd on the seashore, and received the same answer as before. “But is there no man to save her?”asked Sean Ruadh.“Oh! there are men enough,” said the king, “who promise to save her, and say they are brave;but there is no man of them who will stand to his word and face the urfeist when he rises from thesea.”Sean Ruadh was away before the king knew it, and rode to the princess in his suit of blue,bearing his sword of light.
“Is there no one to save you?” asked he.“No one.”“Let me lay my head on your lap, and when the urfeist comes, rouse me.”He put his head on her lap, and while he slept she took out the three hairs, compared them withhis hair, and said to herself: “You are the man who was here yesterday.”When the urfeist appeared, coming over the sea, the princess roused the stranger, who sprangup and hurried to the beach.The monster, moving at a greater speed, and raising more water than on the day before, camewith open mouth to land. Again Sean Ruadh stood in his way, and with one blow of the giant’s swordmade two halves of the urfeist.
But the two halves rushed together, and were one as before.Then the urfeist turned to the sea again, and said as he went: “All the champions on earth won'tsave her from me to-morrow!”Sean Ruadh sprang to his steed and back to the castle. He went, leaving the princess in despairat his going. She tore her hair and wept for the loss of the blue champion, – the one man who haddared to save her.Sean Ruadh put on his old clothes, and drove home the cows as usual. The king said: “Astrange champion, all dressed in blue, saved my daughter to-day; but she is grieving her life awaybecause he is gone.”“Well, that is a small matter, since her life is safe,” said Sean Ruadh.There was a feast for the whole world that night at the king’s castle, and gladness was on everyface that the king’s daughter was safe again.Next day Sean Ruadh drove the cows to the third giant’s pasture, went to the castle, and toldthe housekeeper to bring the giant’s sword and apparel, and have the red steed led to the door.
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