The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-17
DROLLERIES OF DONEGAL.
THE OLD HAG OF THE FOREST.
by sEUMAs MACMANUs.


witches and entertainments were as plentiful
blackthorn bushes there was King and queen
with three sons and TO every ono OF these
the queen had given a hound, a hawk and a fly
The fly could ovcrtake anything, tho hound
could catch anything It pursued on dry land
and the hawk could come UP with anything in
the air or in the water.
In the course OF time, when these three lads had
grown UP 10 be fine, able Swapping young men,
the oldest said one day that ne would go away TO
push his fortune. Tho king and the queen were
vexed at this, and wrought him high UP and
low down 10 keep him from going but II was all no
use he wouldn't be said by them, and so. asking
their blessing. he mounts the FLY. and, with
the hawk on his shoulder and the hound at his
hocls, sets out. And he told them as no was set
ting out, TO observe from day TO day the water
that settled in the fllys hoof tracks outside the
gate. for" says he, las long that water keeps
clear I'm all right but when you see 1t frothing,
I'm fighting a hard battle; and II ever you see il
turn bloody, I'm dead or under enchantment"
So himself, the hound, the hawk and the filly.
they started, and of with them, and they travelled
away, and away, far further than could tell you
or you could tell me- till at last evening late
he comes in sight OF a great castle. When he got
sight OF the castle he pulls tip the filly. and, look
ing about him. he sees small We house con-
vaynient and he drew this house and going
in, found only one old woman in it and saw that
II was a neat, clean little house entirely.
God save We, young gentleman says the
woman.
God save yersclf kindly and thanky and can
have lodging for the night for myself my hound.
my hawk, and my fly" says he.
We'll for yourself you can" says the old woman
says she, but don't like them other animals,
but sure you can house them outside says she
Very we'll and good, he agreed to this When
the old woman getting his supper for him
she said she supposed he for the big fight the
morrow. He axcd her. what big fight"
And, och, says she lis that ali you know about
it," commencing and telling to him how that the
kings daughter Of the castle beyond was to be
killed by Il great gian, the next day unless there
was man there able to beat the giant and to any
man that would fight him and bent him the king
was TO give his daughter in marriage and the
weight of herself three times over in goold.
"0ch," says he. I'll find something better To do.
I'll not 60 nearii."
So the next morning early he was up bctimes
and pretending he was going away To hunt doesn't
he go instead to the kings castle and there he
saw no end Of a crowd gathered together from the
| four winds Of the world some of them thinking to
! fight the giant and win the kings daughter, and
more of them only come out Of curiosity. just to
| look on But. my gorras sir when the giant
made his appearance, and they saw the sight Of
| him, not man Of all the warriors there covered
oil over as they were in coats Of iron mail from the
crown Of their hcGdS To the solcS Of their feet the
sorra reSaivc the one If them. but went like that
trembling with fear for the like Of such tar rifle
! giant none Of them saw hccrd tell Of before
| So. my brave king S son waited IN Till he saw
| there was none OF them present would venture to
| fight the gant and then out he steps himself
and the giant and him Ia it, and the like Of their
lnrht r,.;,p Ir,I l,T.
| he gave the giant enough To do, and the giant
| gave him enough to do till at last, when it was
| going hard with him. he gave one leap into the
| air, and CO uini, down with his sword Just right
on the giants neck he cut off his head, clean of
| and then when he had that done he disappeared
| in the crowd, ana alter killing some game on the
| hills, came home and gave the old oman the game
| for supper
That night when the old woman was giving
him his supper she told him about the great gentle
! man that had killed the giant that day and then
| disappeared all Of Suddint into the air And
then She said that giants brother was to be there
| the mora 10 fight any one that would fight for
the King daughter and she told him he should
| GO for ii would be we'll worth seeing But "OCh,"
says he, I'll find something better worth doing
I'll not GO ncar H."
So. after his supper. TO bed he went and he was
| up again early betimCs in the morning and max
ing pretend he was going To hunt he went of To
the castle again.
This day the crowd was bigger than ever and
when the giant appeared and if the first giant
was tar rife this one was twice double as tar
rife and he could get no man with the heart TO
venture To fight him. til length my brave kings
son had to step out this day again and encounter
him Well, If the night was hard the first day,
il was this day double as hard, and the giant
gave him his fill Of it, and he gave the giant his
I'LL Of it, till at long aud AT last when II going
hard on him he taxes one spring right up into the
air and landing down with his sword on the giants
neck he cuts the head right of from the body and
then again disappeared in the crowd, and after
a while's hunting on the hills he come home with
plenty Of game: and this night, Just k the nights
before, when the old woman was giving him his
supper she made great wonders Of telling him
Of the tar rife fight that day again between the
strange gentleman and the giant. and how he
killed the giant and then disappeared right up
into the sky before all their eyes And then she
said that on the mora The third and last giant
was To fight and she said this would be n won
dcrfu day entirely, and he shall surely go to see
IT, and To see the wonderful gentleman that killed
! the other two giants But Och" says he, I'm
find something better 10 doIll not go near it,
| TO look at him or it,"
| And the third morning again he went TO the
castle, puttending that it was TO hunt he was
going and the third giant appeared and him
far more tar rife than the first two put together
And TO mako a long story short, my brave kings
son and himself went at II, and the fighting was
! the most odiouS" ever was witnessed before or
since, and the short and the long of il was that
| he sprung up al length into the air and coming
| down on the giants neck cut of his head, and
| then again disappeared in the crowd and went
home; but as he was disappearing, doesn't one Of
| the kings men snap the shoe oil his foot home
| he hadSto go that night wanting one shoe
Next day, and for eight days after, the king
| had all his men out securing the country far and
wide 10 see II they could find the owner Of the
shoe; but though they nockcd 10 the castle in thou
sands not ono Of them would the shoe At And
| every one OF these days the kings son was out
| with his FLY his hawk and his hound on the hills
! hunting At last one day the old woman went
| 10 the castle and told how she had a lodgcr that
| come home the night the last giant was kilt with
one boot wanting And the next day the king
came there himself with carriage and four horses