Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 4, 1893.djvu/196

 188 she had killed. So he married the farmer's daughter, and

says Whittlegaire.

The above ending is tacked on to all tales in this district.

The people were unable to explain the name of the hero "Whittlegaire". Whittle was said to be a corruption of "Whistle". Gaire was declared by one to mean "laughter", while another said it should be géur (sharp).

Long ago there was a king, and anyone that would get him to say "You are a liar", he would get his daughter married to him. So there went hundreds of young men, and none of them could get him to say "You are a liar".

There was a servant-boy, and he asked his master to buy him a suit of clothes; so the master did, and he went to the king's house. He said to the servant, "I want to see the king."

The king came out and asked what was the matter with him. He said he came to see if he could get him to say "You are a liar".

Then said the king, "Come here until I show you a great tree which grows here below." So they went down.

Said the king, "Did you ever see such a tree in your life?" Replied Jack, "The smallest tree in our wood is bigger than that."

Then said the king, "Come down farther until you see the meadow that is here below." So they went down.

Said the king, "Did you ever see such grass as that in