good Yule morning.’
Sly Fox Lowrie says:
‘Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll let you see a bonny spot on the top of my tail.’
‘Na, na, sly Fox Lowrie, no, no! You worried the wee Lamb, but you’ll not worry me.’
So, wee Robin flew away till he came to a bonny stream. There he saw a wee Lad sitting, and the wee Lad says:
‘Where are you going, wee Robin?’
And wee Robin says:
‘I’m going away to the King to sing him a song this good Yule morning.’
The wee Lad says:
‘Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll give you a few fine crumbs out of my pocket.’
But wee Robin says:
‘Na, na, wee Lad, na, na! You cut up the Goldfinch, but you’ll not cut me up.’
So, wee Robin flew away till he came to the King. There he sat on a window sill, and sang the King a bonny song. And the King says to the Queen:
‘What’ll we give wee Robin for singing us the bonny song?’
The Queen says to the King:
‘I think we’ll give him the wee Wren to be his wife.’
So wee Robin and wee Wren were married. The King and the Queen and all the Court danced at the wedding.
Then wee Robin flew away home to his own river-bank, and sheltered on a briar.
T HE B ATTLE OF THE B IRDS
NCE upon a time all the animals and birds were at war. The King’s son went to see
the battle. He saw one fight between a black raven and a snake, and to help the raven he cut the snake’s head off.
‘For your kindness to me,’ said the raven, ‘I’ll let you see something. Come up between my two wings.’
The King’s son mounted the raven’s back, and was carried over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors.
‘Now,’ said the raven, ‘you see that house there? Go there and tell my sister you saw me at the battle of the birds. But be sure to meet me here tomorrow morning.’
‘I’ll do that,’ said the King’s son.
He was well treated that night, with the best meat and drink, and warm water for his feet, and a soft bed to lie on.
Next day the raven took him over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors. They came to a house belonging to the raven’s second sister, and there the Prince was well treated, with
plenty of meat and drink, warm water for his feet, and a soft bed to lie on.
Next morning he was again met by the raven, and taken over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors. He was well treated by the raven’s third sister, but next morning, instead of
the raven, there was a young man with a bundle in his hand waiting for him.
‘Have you seen a raven, young man?’ said the Prince.
‘I am that raven,’ said the young man. ‘You loosed me from a spell, and for that I give you this bundle. Retrace your steps, stay a night at each house as before, but do not
open this bundle till you are at the place you would most like to live.’
The Prince retraced his steps. He stayed with the raven’s sisters as before. But as he was going through a deep wood the bundle grew heavy, and he looked to see what was in it.
In an instant, a great castle sprang up, with orchards filled with every kind of fruit, and gardens with every kind of herb and flower. The castle was in the wrong place, but the King’s
son could not put it back into the bundle.
Looking round, he saw a giant coming towards him.
‘You’ve built your castle in a stupid place, Prince,’ said the giant.
‘I don’t want it here,’ said the Prince. ‘It came here by accident.’
‘What reward will you give me for putting it back in the bundle?’ asked the giant.
‘What reward do you want?’
‘Give me your first son, when he is seven years old,’ replied the giant.
‘Yes, I’ll do that, if I have a son,’ said the Prince, who couldn’t imagine himself having a son.
In an instant, the giant put the castle, orchards and gardens back into the bundle as before.
‘Now go your way,’ said the giant, ‘and I’ll go mine. But remember your promise. If you forget, I’ll remember.’
The Prince set off, and after
Sly Fox Lowrie says:
‘Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll let you see a bonny spot on the top of my tail.’
‘Na, na, sly Fox Lowrie, no, no! You worried the wee Lamb, but you’ll not worry me.’
So, wee Robin flew away till he came to a bonny stream. There he saw a wee Lad sitting, and the wee Lad says:
‘Where are you going, wee Robin?’
And wee Robin says:
‘I’m going away to the King to sing him a song this good Yule morning.’
The wee Lad says:
‘Come here, wee Robin, and I’ll give you a few fine crumbs out of my pocket.’
But wee Robin says:
‘Na, na, wee Lad, na, na! You cut up the Goldfinch, but you’ll not cut me up.’
So, wee Robin flew away till he came to the King. There he sat on a window sill, and sang the King a bonny song. And the King says to the Queen:
‘What’ll we give wee Robin for singing us the bonny song?’
The Queen says to the King:
‘I think we’ll give him the wee Wren to be his wife.’
So wee Robin and wee Wren were married. The King and the Queen and all the Court danced at the wedding.
Then wee Robin flew away home to his own river-bank, and sheltered on a briar.
T HE B ATTLE OF THE B IRDS
NCE upon a time all the animals and birds were at war. The King’s son went to see
the battle. He saw one fight between a black raven and a snake, and to help the raven he cut the snake’s head off.
‘For your kindness to me,’ said the raven, ‘I’ll let you see something. Come up between my two wings.’
The King’s son mounted the raven’s back, and was carried over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors.
‘Now,’ said the raven, ‘you see that house there? Go there and tell my sister you saw me at the battle of the birds. But be sure to meet me here tomorrow morning.’
‘I’ll do that,’ said the King’s son.
He was well treated that night, with the best meat and drink, and warm water for his feet, and a soft bed to lie on.
Next day the raven took him over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors. They came to a house belonging to the raven’s second sister, and there the Prince was well treated, with
plenty of meat and drink, warm water for his feet, and a soft bed to lie on.
Next morning he was again met by the raven, and taken over seven bens, seven glens and seven mountain moors. He was well treated by the raven’s third sister, but next morning, instead of
the raven, there was a young man with a bundle in his hand waiting for him.
‘Have you seen a raven, young man?’ said the Prince.
‘I am that raven,’ said the young man. ‘You loosed me from a spell, and for that I give you this bundle. Retrace your steps, stay a night at each house as before, but do not
open this bundle till you are at the place you would most like to live.’
The Prince retraced his steps. He stayed with the raven’s sisters as before. But as he was going through a deep wood the bundle grew heavy, and he looked to see what was in it.
In an instant, a great castle sprang up, with orchards filled with every kind of fruit, and gardens with every kind of herb and flower. The castle was in the wrong place, but the King’s
son could not put it back into the bundle.
Looking round, he saw a giant coming towards him.
‘You’ve built your castle in a stupid place, Prince,’ said the giant.
‘I don’t want it here,’ said the Prince. ‘It came here by accident.’
‘What reward will you give me for putting it back in the bundle?’ asked the giant.
‘What reward do you want?’
‘Give me your first son, when he is seven years old,’ replied the giant.
‘Yes, I’ll do that, if I have a son,’ said the Prince, who couldn’t imagine himself having a son.
In an instant, the giant put the castle, orchards and gardens back into the bundle as before.
‘Now go your way,’ said the giant, ‘and I’ll go mine. But remember your promise. If you forget, I’ll remember.’
The Prince set off, and after
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