Page:Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland (Curtin).djvu/348

 "The glen is full of living things."

"What is the dog doing?"

"He is looking ahead and his hair is on end."

"Do you see anything else?"

"I see a great bird all black settling down on the north side of the glen."

"That 's what I want," said Oisin; "what is the dog doing now?"

"Oh, the eyes are coming out of his head, and there is n't a rib of hair on his body that is n't standing up."

"Let him go now," said Oisin. The boy let slip the chain and the dog rushed through the glen killing everything before him. When all the others were dead he turned to the great blackbird and killed that. Then he faced Oisin and the boy and came bounding toward them with venom and fierceness. Oisin drew out of his bosom a brass ball and said: "If you don't throw this into the dog's mouth he 'll destroy us both; knock the dog with the ball or he 'll tear us to pieces."

"Oh," said the boy, "I 'll never be able to throw the ball, I 'm so in dread of the dog."

"Come here at my back, then," said Oisin, "and straighten my hand towards the dog." The boy directed the hand and Oisin threw the ball into the dog's mouth and killed him on the spot.

"What have we done?" asked Oisin.