The King of Lochlin's Three Daughters
There was a King of Lochlin, who had three daughters. One day when they
were out for a walk they were carried off by three giants and no one knew where they had
gone. The King consulted a story teller and this wise man told him that the giants had
taken them under the earth.
"The only way to reach them," said he, "is to build a ship that will
sail on land and sea." So the King sent out a proclamation that any man who could
make such a ship could marry his eldest daughter. Now there was a widow who had three
sons. The eldest went to his mother and said: "Bake me a oatcake and roast me a cock.
I am going to cut wood and build a ship to sail on land and sea." "A large
oatcake with a curse, or a small oatcake with a blessing?" asked his mother. "A
large oatcake will be small enough before I've built the ship!" Away he went with his
oatcake and roasted cock, to a wood by the river. He sat down to eat, when a great water
goblin came up out of the water. "Give me a share of your oatcake," said the
goblin. "I'll not do that," said he. "There's little enough for
myself."
After he had eaten, he began to chop down a tree, but as soon as he felled a tree it
was standing again. At night he gave up and went home. The next day the second son asked
his mother to bake him a oatcake and roast him a cock. "A large oatcake with a curse,
or a small oatcake with a blessing?" she asked. "A large one will be little
enough," said he. And away he went with the bannock and roasted cock, to the wood by
the river. He sat down to eat, when a great goblin came up out of the water. "Give me
a share of your oatcake," said she. "There's less than enough for myself,"
he replied. The same thing happened to him as to his eldest brother. As fast as he cut
down a tree, it was standing again. So he gave up and went home. Next day the youngest son
asked his mother to bake him a oatcake and roast him a cock. But he chose the wee oatcake
with a blessing.
Away he went to the wood by the river. There he sat down to eat, when a great goblin
came up out of the water, and said: "Give me a share of your oatcake." "You
shall have that," said the lad, "and some of the cock too, if you like."
After the goblin had eaten, she said: "Meet me here at the end of a year and a day,
and I shall have a ship ready to sail on land and sea." At the end of a year and a
day, the youngest son found that the goblin had the ship ready. He went aboard, and sailed
away. He had not sailed far when he saw a man drinking up a river. "Come with
me," said the lad. "I'll give you meat and wages, and better work than
that." "Agreed!" said the man. They had not sailed far when they saw a man
eating all the oxen in a field. "Come with me," said the lad. "I'll give
you meat and wages, and better work than that." "Agreed!" said the man.
They had not sailed much farther when they saw a man with his ear to the ground.
"What are you doing?" asked the lad. "I'm listening to the grass coming up
through the earth," said the man. "Come with me," said the lad. "I'll
give you meat and wages, and better work than that." So he went with the lad and the
other two men, and they sailed on till the Listener said: "I hear the giants and the
King's three daughters under the earth."
So they let a basket down the hole, with four of them in it, to the dwelling of the
first giant and the King's eldest daughter. "You've come for the King's
daughter," said the giant, "but you'll not get her unless you have a man that
can drink as much water as I." The lad set the Drinker to compete with the giant.
Before the Drinker was half full, the giant burst. They freed the eldest daughter, and
went to the house of the second giant. "You've come for the King's daughter,"
said he, "but you'll not get her till you find a man who can eat as much as I."
So the lad set the Eater to compete with the giant. Before he was half full, the giant
burst. They freed the second daughter, and went to the house of the third giant.
"You've come for the King's daughter," said the giant, "but you'll not get
her unless you are my slave for a year and a day." "Agreed!" said the lad.
Then he sent the Listener, the Drinker and the Eater up in the basket, and after them
the three Princesses. The three men left the lad at the bottom of the hole and led the
Princesses back to their father, the King of Lochlin. They told the King of all the brave
deeds they had done to rescue his daughters. Now, at the end of a year and a day, the lad
told the giant he was leaving, and the giant said: "I've an eagle that will carry you
to the top of the hole." The lad mounted the eagle's back, taking fifteen oxen to
feed the eagle, but the eagle had eaten them before she had flown half way. So the lad had
to return. "You'll be my slave for another year and a day," said the giant. At
the end of that time the lad mounted the eagle's back, taking thirty oxen to feed the
eagle, but the eagle ate them all before she had flown three quarters of the way. So they
returned. "You must be my slave for another year and a day," said the giant. At
the end of that time, the lad mounted the eagle's back, taking sixty oxen to feed the
eagle on the way, and they had almost reached the top when the meat was finished. Quickly
the lad cut a piece from his own thigh and gave it to the eagle. With one breath they were
in the open air. Before leaving him, the eagle gave the lad a whistle. "If you are in
difficulty," said she, "whistle, and I'll help you."
When the lad reached the King of Lochlin's castle, he went to the smith and asked him
if he needed a lad to blow the bellows. The smith agreed to take him. Shortly after, the
King's eldest daughter ordered the smith to make her a golden crown, like the one she had
worn under the earth. "Bring me the gold, and I'll make the crown," said the new
lad to the smith. The smith brought the gold. Then the lad whistled, and the eagle came at
once. "Fetch the gold crown that hangs behind the first giant's door." The eagle
returned with the crown, which the smith took to the King's eldest daughter. "This
looks like the crown I had before," said she. Then the second daughter ordered the
smith to make her a silver crown like the one she had worn under the earth. "Bring me
the silver, and I'll make the crown," said the lad. The smith brought the silver.
Then the lad whistled, and the eagle came. "Fetch the silver crown that hangs behind
the second giant's door," said the lad. The eagle returned with the crown, which the
smith took to the King's second daughter. "This looks like the crown I had
before," said she. Then the King's youngest daughter ordered the smith to make her a
copper crown like the one she had worn under the earth. "Bring me the copper, and
I'll make the crown," said the lad.
The smith brought the copper. Then the lad whistled, and the eagle came at once.
"Fetch the copper crown that hangs behind the third giant's door," said the lad.
The eagle returned with the crown, which the smith took to the King's youngest daughter.
"This looks like the crown I had before," said she. "Where did you learn to
make such fine crowns?" the King asked the smith. "It was my lad who made
them," said he. "I must see him," said the King. "I must ask him to
make me a crown." The King sent a coach and four to fetch the lad from the smithy,
but when the coachmen saw how dirty he looked they threw him into the coach like a dog. So
he whistled for the eagle, who came at once. "Get me out of this," said the lad,
"and fill the coach with stones." The King came to meet the coach, but when the
door was opened for the lad, a great heap of stones tumbled out instead. Other servants
were sent to fetch the lad, but they treated him just as badly, so he whistled for the
eagle. "Get me out of this," said he, "and fill the coach with rubbish from
the midden." Again the King came to meet the coach, but when the door was opened for
the lad, a great mound of rubbish fell out on to the King. The King then sent his trusted
old servant to fetch the lad. He went straight to the smithy, and found the lad blowing
the bellows, his face black with soot. "The King wishes to see you," said the
King's servant, "but first, clean a little of the soot off your face."
The lad washed himself and went with the servant to the King. On the way he whistled
for the eagle. "Fetch me the gold and silver clothes belonging to the giants,"
said he. The eagle returned with the clothes, and when the lad put them on he looked like
a prince. The King came to meet him, and took him to the castle, where he told the King
the whole story from beginning to end. The Drinker, the Eater and the Listener were
punished. The King gave his eldest daughter to the lad, so they were married, and the
wedding lasted twenty days and twenty nights.
The Well at the World's End: Folk Tales of Scotland. (AT 513B,
Schottland)
