Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/89

 Rh The ragged green man caught him and threw him. The two champions went to tie him, and he failed them. He sat down.

“Oh, musha, the death-bands on you both! Am I not sorry that ever I left harbour or haven with you? If you two tied him, I would keep a knee on him, and Bioultach would be alive to me at the end of an hour.”

“Oh, I think that I could tie him by myself.”

The ragged green man threw him, and the two champions went and tied him tightly.

“Oh! ease the knot on me a little.”

“You thief! we will not ease.”

“Oh, it is the good champions you are,” said the ragged green man; “I did not think it was possible to tie him; but you shall see yourselves that I shall have Bioultach now.”

He turned to the giant and cut fine pieces of his flesh, till he had the full of his hands, and he ran and squeezed the flesh down on the stone, and Bioultach arose alive again. They smothered him with kisses and drowned him with tears, and dried him with fine cloths silken, and with the hair of their heads; and when Bioultach stooped under the door, the tree that was growing on him fell.

“Oh, Bioultach,” said the giant, “tightly, tightly it is they have tied me; but do you ease the tie a little.”