East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-08-23
LEGEND OF OSSIAN.
BY ALEX. SMITH.


days by the chieftain Cuchullin, and so
called in honour of his wife. The pile
crumbled over the sea on rocky head
land bearded by green lichens. The
place is quite desolate, and seldom visited
and the only sounds heard there are the
sharp whistle of the salt breeze, the bleat
of strayed sheep, the cry of wheeling
sea birds.
McIan and myself sat one summer day
on the ruined stair. The sea lay calm
and bright beneath, its expanse broken
only by creeping sail. Across the loch
rose the great red hill, in the shadow of
which Boswell got drunk; on the top Of
whichisperchcd the Scandinavian woman's
cairn And out of the bare blue heaven,
down on the ragged fringe of the Coolin
hills, flowed great white vapor gather
ing in the sunlight in mighty fleece on
fleece. The old gentleman was the mar
rator, and the legend goes as follows:
The castle was built by Cuchullin and
his Fingalians in single night. The
chieftain had many retainers, was great
hunter and terrible in war. Every night
at feast the minstrel Ossian sang his ex
ploits. Ossian, on one occasion, in wan
dering among the hills, was struck by
sweet strains Of music that seemed to
issue from green knoll on which the
sun shown temptingly. He sat down to
listen, and was lulled asleep by the mel
ody. He no sooner fell asleep than the
knoll opened, and he beheld the under
world Of the fairies.
The afternoon and the succeeding night
he spent in revelry, and in the morning
he was allowed to return. Again the
music sounded again the senses of the
minstrel were stepped in forgetfuness.-
And on the sunny knoll he awoke grey
haired man; for in one short afternoon
and evening, had been crowded hun
dred of our human years. In his absence
the world had entirely changed, the Fin
ealians were extinct, and the dwars whom
we call men, were possessors of the coun
try.
Logging for companionship, Ossian mar
ried the daughter of shepherd, and in
process of time a little girl was born to
him. Years passed on, his wife died, and
his daughter, woman grown now, married
pious man-for the people were Chris
tianized by this time-caled, from his
love of psalmody, Peter Of the Psalms.
Ossian, blind with age, went to reside
with his daughter and her husband. Pc
ter was engaged all day in hunting and
when he came home at evening, and when
the lamp was lighted, Ossian, sitting in
warm corner, was wont to recite the
wonderful songs Of his youth, and to cele-
bratc the mighty battles and hunting
feats of the big-boned Fingalians
To these songs Peter of the Psalms
gave attentive ear, and being something
of penman, carefully inscribed them in
a book. One day Peter had been mole
than usually successful in the chase and
brought home on his shoulders the car.
cass of huge stag. OF this stag leg
was dressed for supper, and when it was
picked bare, Peter tliumphantly inquired
of Ossian.
In the Fingalian days you speak about,
killed you ever a stag SO large as this
one p
Ossian balanched the bone in his hand;
then shifting intense disdain, replied,
eThis bone, big as you think it, could
be dropped into the hollow of Fingalan
blackbirds's leg
Peter of the Psalms, cnraged at what
he considered 'crammer,' started up,
swearing that he would not ruin his soul
by preserving any more Of his lying
songs, and flung the volume in the fire;
but his wife dartcd forward and snatched
it up half-scarred, from the embers.
At this conduct on the part of Peter,
Ossian groancd in spirit and wished to
die, that he might be saved from the
envy and stupidities of the little people,
whose minds were as stunted as their
bodies. When he went to bed he i'm.
plored his ancient gods-for he was a
sad heathen--to resuscitatc, if but for
one hour, the hounds, the stags, and the
blackbirds of his youth that he might as
tonsh and confound the unbelieving
Peter.
His prayers done, he fell on slumber,
and Just before dawn weight upon his
chest awoke him. To his great JOY, he
found that his prayers were answered,
for upon his breast was couched his ia
vorite hound. He spoke to it, and the
faithful creature whimpcred and licked
his face.
Swiftly he called his grandson, and
they went out with the hound. When
they came to the top Of an eminence,
Ossan said; Put your fingers in your
ears, little, one, else / will make you deaf
for life
The boy put his fingers in his ears, and
then Ossian whistled so loud that the
whole world rang. He then asked the
child if he saw anything.
20, such large deer said the child.
But a small herd, by the sound of it.,
said Ossian; we will let that herd pass.
| Presently the child called out, 20, sael
large deer.
Ossiau bent his ear to the ground &c
catch the sound of their coming, and ther
as if satisfied, let slip the hound, who
speedily tore down seven of the fattest
When the animals were skinned ant
laid in order, Ossian went towards {
large lake, in the centre Of which grew ,
remarkable bunch Of rushes. He wadec
into the lake, tore up tho rushes anc
. brouoht IN Eoht the oreat Finpaliaf