tory

AND HOW FEET-IN-THE-ASHES, THE SWINEHERD'S SON, CAME TO FIND IT

[Illustration]

"If we went there, if we went there, maybe we'd find it," said the
Cock-grouse to the Hen-grouse as they went together, clucking through
the heather.

"And if we found it, if we found it, what good would the Stone of
Victory do us?" said the Hen-grouse to the Cock-grouse, answering him
back.

"And what good did the Stone of Victory do to the youth who was called
Feet-in-the-Ashes, and who was only the Swineherd's Son?" said the
Cock-grouse to the Hen-grouse.

"Tell me, tell me, and then I shall know," said the Hen-grouse to the
Cock-grouse, answering him back. They went together, clucking through
the heather and the Boy who knew what the Birds said followed them.

He lay upon a rock and the Cock-grouse and the Hen-grouse discoursed
below him, the Cock-grouse always lifting his voice above the hen's.
The Boy heard what they said and he remembered every word of it. And,
by the tongue in my mouth, here is the story he heard:--

"Cluck-ee, Cluck-ee, cluck-ee, cloo, cloo, cloo." The King of
Ireland stood outside the gate of his Castle and his powerful
captains and his strong-armed guards were all around him. And
one of his captains went to the mound before him and he gave
a shout to the East and a shout to the West, and a shout to
the North and a shout to the South. When the King asked him
why he did it the Captain said "I want the four quarters of
the World to know that the King of Ireland stands here with
his powerful Captains and his strong armed guards that no one
dare come from the East or West, the North or the South and
lay the weight of a finger upon him." And when he said this
the other captains flashed their swords and the guards
clashed their shields and the King of Ireland said, "Well and
faithfully am I guarded indeed and luckier am I than any
other King on the earth for no one can come from the East or
the West, the North or the South and lay the weight of their
finger upon me."

But no sooner did he say that than they saw a Giant coming
across the hill and towards the place where they were
standing. And when the Giant came to them he lifted up his
hand and he doubled his hand into a fist and he struck the
King of Ireland full in the mouth and he knocked out three of
his teeth. He picked the King's teeth up, put them in