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 teller1 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 eldest2 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 blessing3?" 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 standing4 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 dwelling5 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 thigh6 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 bellows7. 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 copper8 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 mound9 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 soot10.
"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.
