"It is easy to believe that this Causeway was built by a giant," said
Columba, who had been climbing over the rocks, and came back now to sit
down beside his father.
"Was it really?" asked Kathleen.
"Of course it was," replied her cousin. "Tell her about it, Father. She
likes stories of giants."
"I'll tell her the truth first," said his father, "and that is that the
Causeway and all these black cliffs were made by a volcano which poured
out hot lava over this part of the coast thousands of years ago. The
lava cooled and cracked into these wonderful shapes,—the Giant's
Causeway, the Giant's Spectacles, the Giant's Organ—and now it is one
of the great sights of Ireland, which hundreds of tourists come every
year to see.
"But the people of old Ireland liked to tell strange tales of the rocks
and mountains and so they made up the story of Finn MacCool.
"Finn MacCool was a giant who lived up here in the north of Ireland,
and as strong and powerful a giant as you'd wish to see. He'd take a
thunder-bolt and flatten it out like a pancake, or pull up a pine tree
and lop off the roots and branches to make himself a walking-stick; and
he was so strong that he had whipped every other giant in the country
who was willing to fight with him.
"Over there where you see the blue hills of Scotland lived a Scotch
giant, and one day he shouted out to Finn that he'd come over and whip
him with one hand if he could only cross the ocean without wetting his
feet.
"That very night Finn MacCool set to work to build this causeway of
rock straight across the sea to the coast of Scotland; and when it was
finished the Scotch giant came over the sea dry-shod, while Finn played
a tune on his organ for him to cross to the sound of music.
"Then there was the greatest wrestling match the world ever saw: but
Finn had the best of it from the start, and sent the Scotchman home to
a different tune.
"Some say that Finn pushed part of the Causeway under the waves so that
the giant had to swim home; and you can see for yourself that it seems
to sink under the water out there.
"There is a bit of it left on the coast of Scotland, too," he added
with a laugh.
"It is a good story, even if it isn't true," said Columba.
"It sounds true," said Kathleen. "Do you know any more stories about
Finn MacCool, Uncle Tom?"
"One or two," replied her uncle, "but I can't tell them to you now. Run
and find your Aunt Hannah and the children, and we'll all go and take a
look at the Giant's Organ."
Kathleen started off at once to find her Aunt Hannah, and as she
climbed over the rocks she saw so many bright-eyed pinks that she
stopped to gather a handful.
"What's that you are doing, Kathleen?" asked a familiar voice, and she
looked up quickly to find her father standing beside her.
"Oh, Father!" she cried, throwing her arms around him, "I was hoping
that I would find you down here. I have such good news to tell you!"
[Illustration:
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood, New York
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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