Part 21 (2/2)

”Why,” said she, ”that's Fin's bread--the only bread he ever eats when at home; but, indeed, I forgot to tell you that n.o.body can eat it but himself, and that child in the cradle there. I thought, however, that as you were reported to be rather a stout little fellow of your size, you might be able to manage it, and I did not wish to affront a man that thinks himself able to fight Fin. Here's another cake--maybe it's not so hard as that.”

Cuhullin at the moment was not only hungry, but ravenous, so he accordingly made a fresh set at the second cake, and immediately another yell was heard twice as loud as the first. ”Thunder and gibbets!” he roared, ”take your bread out of this, or I will not have a tooth in my head; there's another pair of them gone!”

”Well, honest man,” replied Oonagh, ”if you're not able to eat the bread, say so quietly, and don't be wakening the child in the cradle there. There now, he's awake upon me.”

Fin now gave a skirl that startled the giant, as coming from such a youngster as he was supposed to be. ”Mother,” said he, ”I'm hungry--get me something to eat.” Oonagh went over, and putting into his hand a cake that had no griddle in it, Fin, whose appet.i.te in the meantime had been sharpened by seeing eating going forward, soon swallowed it. Cuhullin was thunderstruck, and secretly thanked his stars that he had the good fortune to miss meeting Fin, for, as he said to himself, ”I'd have no chance with a man who could eat such bread as that, which even his son that's but in his cradle can munch before my eyes.”

”I'd like to take a glimpse at the lad in the cradle,” said he to Oonagh; ”for I can tell you that the infant who can manage that nutriment is no joke to look at, or to feed of a scarce summer.”

[Ill.u.s.tration:]

”With all the veins of my heart,” replied Oonagh; ”get up, acushla, and show this decent little man something that won't be unworthy of your father, Fin M'Coul.”

Fin, who was dressed for the occasion as much like a boy as possible, got up, and bringing Cuhullin out, ”Are you strong?” said he.

”Thunder an' ounds!” exclaimed the other, ”what a voice in so small a chap!”

”Are you strong?” said Fin again; ”are you able to squeeze water out of that white stone?” he asked putting one into Cuhullin's hand. The latter squeezed and squeezed the stone, but in vain.

”Ah! you're a poor creature!” said Fin. ”You a giant! Give me the stone here, and when I'll show what Fin's little son can do, you may then judge of what my daddy himself is.”

Fin then took the stone, and exchanging it for the curds, he squeezed the latter until the whey, as clear as water, oozed out in a little shower from his hand.

”I'll now go in,” said he ”to my cradle; for I scorn to lose my time with any one that's not able to eat my daddy's bread, or squeeze water out of a stone. Bedad, you had better be off out of this before he comes back; for if he catches you, it's in flummery he'd have you in two minutes.”

Cuhullin, seeing what he had seen, was of the same opinion himself; his knees knocked together with the terror of Fin's return, and he accordingly hastened to bid Oonagh farewell, and to a.s.sure her, that from that day out, he never wished to hear of, much less to see, her husband. ”I admit fairly that I'm not a match for him,” said he, ”strong as I am; tell him I will avoid him as I would the plague, and that I will make myself scarce in this part of the country while I live.”

Fin, in the meantime, had gone into the cradle, where he lay very quietly, his heart at his mouth with delight that Cuhullin was about to take his departure, without discovering the tricks that had been played off on him.

”It's well for you,” said Oonagh, ”that he doesn't happen to be here, for it's nothing but hawk's meat he'd make of you.”

”I know that,” said Cuhullin; ”divil a thing else he'd make of me; but before I go, will you let me feel what kind of teeth Fin's lad has got that can eat griddle-bread like that?”

”With all pleasure in life,” said she; ”only as they're far back in his head, you must put your finger a good way in.”

Cuhullin was surprised to find such a powerful set of grinders in one so young; but he was still much more so on finding, when he took his hand from Fin's mouth, that he had left the very finger upon which his whole strength depended, behind him. He gave one loud groan, and fell down at once with terror and weakness. This was all Fin wanted, who now knew that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was at his mercy.

He started out of the cradle, and in a few minutes the great Cuhullin, that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all his followers, lay a corpse before him. Thus did Fin, through the wit and invention of Oonagh, his wife, succeed in overcoming his enemy by cunning, which he never could have done by force.

Fair, Brown, and Trembling

King Hugh Curucha lived in Tir Conal, and he had three daughters, whose names were Fair, Brown, and Trembling.

Fair and Brown had new dresses, and went to church every Sunday.

Trembling was kept at home to do the cooking and work. They would not let her go out of the house at all; for she was more beautiful than the other two, and they were in dread she might marry before themselves.

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