Folk Tales of Scotland (4 page)

‘I’ll not give you the Yellow Filly, unless you fetch me the daughter of the King of France,’ he said. So Iain went down to the seashore, where he met Gillie Martin.

‘You’re down in the mouth,’ said the Fox, ‘because you’ll not do as I tell you. But I’ll turn myself into a ship and take you to France in no time.’

The Fox changed himself into a ship, and Iain went on board. Soon they came to France, where the ship ran herself aground on a rock. Then Iain climbed down on to the shore and walked up to the
King’s house.

‘Where have you come from, and what are you doing here?’ asked the King of France.

‘A great storm came on, and we lost our captain at sea. Our ship is aground on a rock, and I don’t know if we’ll get her off again,’ said Iain.

The King and Queen and their family went down to the shore to see the ship. As they were looking at it, wonderful music sounded on board, and the King of France’s daughter went with Iain
on board to find out where the music came from. But the music was always in another part of the ship, till at last it came from the upper deck. The Princess and Iain climbed to the upper deck to
find that the ship was, by that time, far out at sea, out of sight of land.

‘That’s a bad trick you played on me,’ said the Princess. ‘Where are you taking me?’

‘To Erin,’ said Iain, ‘to give you to the King of Erin in return for the Yellow Filly, which I’ll give to the Seven Big Women of Jura in return for their Sword of Light,
which I’ll give to the Giant with the Five Heads in return for his Blue Falcon, which I’ll take home to my stepmother so that she’ll free me from her spells. But you’ll be
safe with the King of Erin, who wishes to make you his wife.’

‘I’d rather be your wife,’ said the King of France’s daughter.

When the ship came to the shores of Erin, Gillie Martin changed himself into a woman as beautiful as the King of France’s daughter.

‘Leave the King of France’s daughter here till we come back,’ said the Fox. ‘I’ll go with you to the King of Erin, and give him enough of a wife!’

So the Fox, in the form of a beautiful young woman, took Iain’s arm. The King of Erin came to meet them, and gave Iain the Yellow Filly with a golden saddle on her back, and a silver
bridle. Iain galloped back to the King of France’s daughter who was still waiting by the seashore.

Meanwhile, the King of Erin and his new wife went to bed. But in the night, Gillie Martin changed back from a beautiful young woman and became the Fox again. He tore the flesh from the King,
from his neck to his waist, and left him a cripple. Then the Fox ran down to the shore where Iain and the Princess of France were waiting.

‘Leave the Princess and the Yellow Filly here,’ said the Fox. I’ll go with you to the Seven Big Women of Jura, and give them enough of fillies!’

Then the Fox changed himself into a yellow filly. Iain saddled him with a golden saddle, and bridled him with a silver bridle, and rode on the filly’s back to the Seven Big Women of Jura,
who gave him the White Sword of Light in exchange for the filly. Iain took the golden saddle and the silver bridle off the yellow filly, and carried them, with the White Sword of Light, back to the
shore. Here the Princess of France was waiting with the real Yellow Filly.

Meanwhile the Seven Big Women of Jura, very eager to ride on the back of the Yellow Filly, put a saddle on the Fox’s back. The first Big Woman climbed into the saddle. The second Big Woman
climbed on to the back of the first Big Woman; and the third Big Woman climbed on to the back of the second Big Woman; and the fourth Big Woman climbed on to the back of the third Big Woman; and
the fifth Big Woman climbed on to the back of the fourth Big Woman; and the sixth Big Woman climbed on to the back of the fifth Big Woman; and the seventh Big Woman climbed on to the back of the
sixth Big Woman.

The first Big Woman hit the filly with a stick. The filly ran backward and forward with the Seven Big Women of Jura on her back. Then she ran across moors, and then she ran up a mountain to the
very top. She stopped with her forefeet on the edge of a precipice, kicked up her hind legs, and threw the Seven Big Women of Jura over the cliff. Then the filly changed back into the Fox, and ran
laughing down to the seashore where Iain and the Princess of France, and the real Yellow Filly, and the White Sword of Light, were all waiting for him.

Gillie Martin the Fox became a boat and Iain helped the Princess of France into the boat, with the Yellow Filly, and carried the Sword of Light on board. Then the boat took them across the water
to the mainland, where it changed back into Gillie Martin the Fox.

‘Leave the Princess here,’ said the Fox, ‘and the Yellow Filly, and the Sword of Light. I’ll change into a white sword, which you will give to the
Giant with Five Heads. In return he’ll give you the Blue Falcon. I’ll see that he has enough of swords!’

When the Giant with Five Heads saw Iain coming with the sword, he thought it was the White Sword of Light, and he put the Blue Falcon into a basket and gave it to Iain, who carried the Blue
Falcon back to the seashore where he had left the Princess waiting with the Yellow Filly and the real Sword of Light.

Meanwhile, the Giant with the Five Heads began fencing with the white sword, and swinging it round his head. Suddenly the sword bent itself and, before the Giant realised what was happening, he
cut off his own heads, all five of them. Then the sword changed back into Gillie Martin the Fox, who ran down to the seashore where he had left Iain and the Princess.

‘Now, listen carefully,’ he said to Iain. ‘Put the gold saddle on the Yellow Filly, and the silver bridle. Let the Princess of France, with the Blue Falcon in its basket, sit
behind you on the back of the Yellow Filly. You, Iain, will hold the White Sword of Light with the back of the blade against your nose, and the edge of the sword toward your stepmother, the Queen.
If you make any mistake, your stepmother will change you into a faggot of firewood. But do as I tell you, with the sword held exactly as I have said. When she tries to bewitch you she will fall
down as a bundle of sticks.’

Iain was specially careful this time, and did exactly as Gillie Martin the Fox told him. He held the Sword of Light with the back of its blade against his nose, and the edge of the sword towards
his stepmother, the Queen, and when she fell down as a bundle of firewood, Prince Iain burned her to wood ash.

Now he had the best wife in Scotland; and the Yellow Filly, that could leave one wind behind her and catch the wind in front; and the Blue Falcon
which kept him supplied
with plenty of game; and the White Sword of Light to defend him from his enemies.

‘You’re welcome,’ said Prince Iain to Gillie Martin the Fox, ‘to hunt over my ground, and take any beast you want. I’ll forbid my servants to fire a single arrow at
you, no matter what you do, even if you take a lamb from my flocks.’

‘Keep your herd of sheep!’ said the Fox. ‘There’s plenty of sheep in Scotland without troubling you!’

With that, Gillie Martin the Fox blessed Prince Iain and his Princess, wished them well and went on his way.

The Pot-hook he saw the Louse weeping.

So the Hook wig-wagged, and Louse she wept.

The Chair saw the Hook wig-wagging.

So the Chair he jumped; and the Hook wig-wagged; and the Louse she wept.

The Door he saw the Chair jumping.

So the Door jingle-jangled; the Chair he jumped; the Hook wigwagged; and the Louse she wept.

The Midden he saw the Door jingle-jangling.

So the Midden he swarmed; the Door jingle-jangled; the Chair he jumped; the Hook wig-wagged; and the Louse she wept.

The Burn he saw the Midden swarming.

So the Burn ran wimple-wample; the Midden he swarmed; the Door jingle-jangled; the Chair he jumped; the Hook wig-wagged; and the Louse she wept.

The Loch he saw the Burn running wimple-wample.

So the Loch he swelled and he swelled; the Burn ran wimple-wample; the Midden he swarmed; the Door jingle-jangled; the Chair he jumped; the Hook wig-wagged; and the Louse she wept.

Then down came the flood and swept away the house and the Louse, the Hook and the Chair, the Door and the Midden with the maggots—all down the meadow where the Burn ran wimple-wample.

So ends the story of the Flea and the Louse.

HE
Goodman of Kittlerumpit was a bit of a vagabond. He went to the fair one day and was
never heard of again.

When the Goodman had gone, the Goodwife was left with little to live on. Few belongings she had, and a wee son. Everybody was sorry for her, but nobody helped her. However she had a sow, that
was her consolation, for the sow was soon to farrow, and she hoped for a fine litter of piglets.

But one day, when the Wife went to the sty to fill the sow’s trough, what did she find but the sow lying on her back, grunting and groaning, and ready to die.

This was a blow to the Goodwife, so she sat down on the flat knocking stone, with her bairn on her knee, and wept more sorely than she did for the loss of her Goodman.

Now, the cottage of Kittlerumpit was built on a brae, with a fir-wood behind it. So, as the Goodwife was wiping her eyes, what did she see but a strange little old woman coming up the brae. She
was dressed in green, all but a white apron, a black velvet hood, and a steeple-crowned hat on her head. She had a walking-stick as long as herself in her hand. As the Green Lady drew near, the
Goodwife rose and made a curtsey.

‘Madam,’ said she, ‘I’m the most unlucky woman alive.’

‘I don’t want to hear piper’s news and fiddler’s tales,’ said the Green Lady. ‘I know you’ve lost your Goodman, and your sow is sick. Now, what will you
give me if I cure her?’

‘Any thing you like,’ said the stupid Goodwife, not guessing who she had to deal with.

‘Let’s wet thumbs on that bargain,’ said the Green Lady.