The Boy Who Knew What the Birds SaidColum, Padraic
Science
The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said
Colum, Padraic
Birds -- Fiction; Fairy tales
What could a youth with a holly-stick in his hand do against
a Giant that had a spear and a sword in his hands and was
besides that all covered with iron? Feet-in-the-Ashes turned
and ran. He ran towards the Castle and went round it. And
when he was at the east side the Giant was at the North and
when he was at the south the Giant was at the East. Round and
round the Castle they went and the Giant with his strength
and his quickness was wearing out Feet-in-the-Ashes.
Feet-in-the-Ashes wanted something to fling at him. He took
the stone out of his pocket--the round black stone. He held
it in his hand. He made three circles in the air with it. He
flung the stone. It struck the Giant on the breast and the
iron rang as the stone struck it. Down fell the Giant.
Feet-in-the-Ashes ran off to where his companions lay. Many
times he looked back but he did not see the Giant following
him. The three youths were lying in their wounds and in
their pain. Feet-in-the Ashes took out his pot of balsam and
rubbed them all over. Their wounds healed. First one stood up
and then the second stood up and then the third stood up and
the three were whole and well. "Where is the Giant?" each of
them asked.
"Lying where he fell," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.
"And who threw him down?" said the first of the youths.
"I threw him down with a cast of a stone," said
Feet-in-the-Ashes.
"Let us go and see," said the second of the youths. They went
towards the west side of the Grey Castle like men following a
bear who might turn on them. The Giant was lying still. "He
is dead," said one, "He is dead indeed," said another. "He is
dead forever," said a third. "He is dead by the cast of my
stone," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.
They went up to where the Giant was and looked all over him.
"There is the stone that overthrew him," said one of the
youths, "that round black stone. Where did you get it?"
"On the moor," said Feet-in-the-Ashes.
"On the moor," said the others looking at him.
"Yes," said Feet-in-the-Ashes, "Picked it up this morning on
the moor just as the cock crew."
One of the three youths took the round black stone in his
hand. "I'll bring the stone with me," said he. "We'll go into
the Castle now and see what our finding there will be."
They went into the Castle. The three youths told
Feet-in-the-Ashes they would help him to find what he had
come to seek--the three teeth out of the head of the King of
Ireland. They searched and they searched all over the Castle.
At last one of them opened an iron press and there on a shelf
was a silver cup and in the cup were three teeth.
Feet-in-the-Ashes knew they were what he had come for. He
left the cup beside him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account