The Scottish Celtic review

lloio Fin icent to the Kingdom of the Big Men. 180it in front of the house. The King awoke in great anxiety, andcalled out, " My kingdom is lost, and my dwarf and my lapdog arekilled !" " They are not," said Fin, answering him ;and whenthey went out and saw the head, the King said, " I and my kingdomwill have peace ever after this. The mother herself of thebrood is killed ; but tell me who you are. It was foretold forme that it would be Fin-mac-Coul that would give me relief, andhe is only now eighteen years of age. Who are you then, or whatis your name ?" " There never stood," said Fin, " on hide of cowor horse, one to whom I would deny my name. I am Fin, theson of Coul (Cuwal) son of Loojich, son of Trein, son of Fin, sonof Art (Ai-thur), son of the young High King of Erin ; and it istime for me now to go home.It has been with much wanderingout of my way that I have come to your kingdom; and this is thereason why I have come, that I might find out what injury I havedone to you, or the reason why you sent the three heroes to ask combatfrom me, and bring destruction on my Men." "You never didany injury to me," said the King "; and I ask a thousand pardons.I did not send the heroes to you. It is not the truth they told.They were three men, who were courting three fairy women(elfin women), and these gave them their shirts ; and when theyhave on the shirts, the combat of a hundred men is upon thehand of every one of them. But they must put oft' the shirts everynight, and put them on the backs of chairs ; and if the shirtswere taken from them they would be next day as weak as otherpeople."Fin got every honour, and all that the King could give him ;and when he went away, the King, and the Queen, and the peoplewent down to the shore to give him their blessing.Fin now went away in liis coracle, and was sailing close to land(lit.bj' the side of the shore), when he saw a young man runningand calling out to him. Fin came in close to land with his coracle,and asked what he wanted. " I am." said the young man, "a goodservant wanting a master." " What svork can you do ?" said Fin." I am," said he, " the best soothsaj'er that there is." " Jumpinto the boat then." The soothsayer jumped in, and they wentforward.They did not go far when another youth came running. " Iam," he said, " a good servant wanting a master. '" What workcan you do ?" said Fin. "I am as good a thief as there is."" Jump into the boat then;" and Fin took with him this one also.