Part 5 (1/2)

The girl ran in, and out came the sister. When she heard his story and his father's name, she knew that he was her brother, and said: ”Come into the castle, but think nothing of what you'll see or hear. I don't see my husband from morning till night. He goes and comes in a strange form, but he is a man at night.”

About sunset there was a terrible noise, and in rushed the man of the castle in the form of a tremendous salmon. He went flapping upstairs; but he wasn't long there till he came down a fine-looking man.

”Who is that with you?” asked he of the wife. ”I thought you would let no one into the castle while I was gone.”

”Oh! this is my brother, who has come to see me,” said she.

”If he's your brother, he's welcome,” said the man.

They supped, and then slept till morning. When the man of the castle was going out again, in the form of a great salmon, he turned to the boy and said: ”You'd better stay here with us a while.”

”I cannot,” said the boy. ”I made a vow never to sleep three nights in one house till I had seen my three sisters. I must go on now and find my third sister.”

The salmon then took off a piece of his fin and gave it to the boy, saying: ”If any difficulty meets you, or trouble comes on you, call on what salmons are in the sea to come and help you.”

They parted. The boy put on his cloak of darkness, and away he went, more swiftly than any wind. He never stopped till he was hungry and thirsty. Then he sat down, took off his cloak of darkness, spread the cloth of plenty, and ate his fill; when he had eaten, he went on again till near sundown, when he saw the castle where his third sister lived.

All three castles were near the sea. Neither sister knew what place she was in, and neither knew where the other two were living.

The third sister took her brother in just as the first and second had done, telling him not to wonder at anything he saw.

They were not long inside when a roaring noise was heard, and in came the greatest eagle that ever was seen. The eagle hurried upstairs, and soon came down a man.

”Who is that stranger there with you?” asked he of the wife. (He, as well as the ram and salmon, knew the boy; he only wanted to try his wife.)

”This is my brother, who has come to see me.”

They all took supper and slept that night. When the eagle was going away in the morning, he pulled a feather out of his wing, and said to the boy: ”Keep this; it may serve you. If you are ever in straits and want help, call on what eagles are in the world, and they'll come to you.”

There was no hurry now, for the third sister was found; and the boy went upstairs with her to examine the country all around, and to look at the sea. Soon he saw a great white hill, and on the top of the hill a castle.

”In that castle on the white hill beyond,” said the sister, ”lives a giant, who stole from her home the most beautiful young woman in the world. From all parts the greatest heroes and champions and kings' sons are coming to take her away from the giant and marry her. There is not a man of them all who is able to conquer the giant and free the young woman; but the giant conquers them, cuts their heads off, and then eats their flesh. When he has picked the bones clean, he throws them out; and the whole place around the castle is white with the bones of the men that the giant has eaten.”

”I must go,” said the boy, ”to that castle to know can I kill the giant and bring away the young woman.”

So he took leave of his sister, put on the cloak of darkness, took his sword with him, and was soon inside the castle. The giant was fighting with champions outside. When the boy saw the young woman he took off the cloak of darkness and spoke to her.

”Oh!” said she, ”what can you do against the giant? No man has ever come to this castle without losing his life. The giant kills every man; and no one has ever come here so big that the giant did not eat him at one meal.”

”And is there no way to kill him?” asked the boy.

”I think not,” said she.

”Well, if you'll give me something to eat, I'll stay here; and when the giant comes in, I'll do my best to kill him. But don't let on that I am here.”

Then he put on the cloak of darkness, and no one could see him. When the giant came in, he had the bodies of two men on his back. He threw down the bodies and told the young woman to get them ready for his dinner.

Then he snuffed around, and said: ”There's some one here; I smell the blood of an Erineach.”

”I don't think you do,” said the young woman; ”I can't see any one.”

”Neither can I,” said the giant; ”but I smell a man.”