Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/58

 cleaned it,” says the giant. “Thou didst not clean it, at all events,” said the king’s son. “Yes, yes,” says the giant, “since thou wert so active to-day, thou wilt get to this time to-morrow to thatch this byre with birds’ down—birds with no two feathers of one colour.” The king’s son was on foot before the sun; he caught up his bow and his quiver of arrows to kill the birds. He took to the moors, but if he did, the birds were not so easy to take. He was running after them till the sweat was blinding him. About mid-day who should come but the giant’s daughter. “Thou art exhausting thyself, king’s son,” says she. “I am,” said he. “There fell but these two blackbirds, and both of one colour.” “Come over and lay down thy weariness on this pretty hillock,” says the giant’s daughter. “It’s I am willing,” says he. He thought she would aid him this time too, and he sat down near her, and he was not long there till he fell asleep.

When he awoke, the giant’s daughter was gone. He thought he would go back to the house, and he sees the byre thatched with the feathers. When the giant came home he said: “Thou hast thatched the byre, king’s son?” “I thatched it,” says he. “Somebody thatched it,” says the giant. “Thou didst not thatch it,” says the king’s son. “Yes, yes!” says the giant. “Now,” says the giant, “there is a fir-tree beside that loch down there, and there is a magpie’s nest in its top. The eggs thou wilt find in the nest. I must have them for my first meal. Not one must be burst or broken, and there are five in the nest.” Early in the morning the king’s son went where the tree was, and that tree was not hard to hit upon. Its match was not in the whole wood. From the foot to the first branch was five hundred feet. The king’s son was going all round the tree. She came who was always bringing help to him. “Thou art losing the skin of thy hands and feet.” “Ach! I am,” says he. “I am no sooner up than down.” “This