The Scottish Celtic review

188 ILjw Fin went to the Kingdom of the B'uj Men.and what he wanted. " I have come to combat you," saidFin.Fin and BrSn began the combat.Fin was going backwards, andthe Huge Man was following. Fin called to Br3,n, "Are you goingto let him kill me ?" BrSn had a venomous shoe ;and he leapedand struck the Huge Man with the venomous shoe on the breastbone,and took the heart and lungs out of him. Fin drew Mac-a-Luin (his swoi-d), cut oS'his head, put it on a hempen rope, andwent with it to the Palace of the King. He took it into theKitchen, and put it behind the door. In the morning the servantcould not turn it, nor open the door. The King went down ; hesaw the Huge Mass, caught it by the top of the head, and liftedit, and knew it was the head of the Man who was for so long atime asking combat from him, and keeping him from sleep. "Howat all," said he, " has this head come here ? Surely it is not mydwarf that has done it." " Why," said Fin, "should he not?"Next night, the King wanted to go himself to the place of combat;" because," said he, " a bigger one than the former will cometo-night, and the kingdom will be destroyed, and you yourselfkilled ; and that is not the pleasure I take in having you with me.''But Fin went, and everything happened as formerly till that BigMan came again, asking vengeance for his son, and to have the kingdomfor himself, or equal combat. He and Fin began ; and Finwas going backwards. He spoke to BrSn, "Are you going to allowhim to kill me ?" BrSn whined, and went and sat down on thebeach. Fin was ever going back, and he called again out to Bran.Bran jumped and .struck the Big Man with the venomous .shoe, andtook the heart and the lungs out of him. Fin cut the head off,and took it with him, and left it in front of the house. The Kingawoke in great terror, and cried out, " My kingdom is lost, and mydwarf and my lapdog are killed!" Fin raised himself up and said," They are not ;" and the King's joy was not small when he wentout and saw the head that was in front of the house.The next night, a Big Hag came ashore, and the tooth in thefront (literally door) of her mouth would make a distaff. Shesounded a challenge on her shield— " You killed," she said, " myhusband and my son." " I did kill them," said Fin. They engaged,and it was worse for Fin to guard himself from the tooththan from the hand of the Big Hag. When she had nearly donefor him. Bran struck her with the venomous shoe, and killed her,as he had done to the rest. Fin took with him the head, and left