World Tale: Gifts (Ireland)

A long time ago there lived a young man named Hugh. Like everyone in his village, he heard about a king’s daughter who’d been kidnapped and imprisoned in a giant’s castle. He yearned to free her but didn’t know how. While sitting outside his little house, thinking about a possible rescue, he saw a dog limping and brought the dog into his house. When he saw a large thorn in the dog’s paw, he carefully removed the thorn, bathed the paw, and took him back outside. The dog seemed to show he wished Hugh to follow him. Some distance from his house, a woman known as a bean feasa (a woman of knowledge) gratefully hugged her dog and thanked Hugh for helping him.

Hugh told her of his desire to rescue the king’s daughter. The woman told him. “It will be very hard, with many obstacles and dangers, but if you follow my directions, you will succeed.” She gave him a large shell. Stretched across it were silver cords. When the woman touched the cords, Hugh heard the sweetest music he’d ever heard. “Take this shell. You will come to the Valley of Weasels but if you touch the strings, they will not harm you. You will come to a dark. dense wood. Touch the strings and you will pass. Next you must pass a deep quarry. Touch the strings and your way will be clear.” With this, she gave him a large oat cake to eat on his way.

Just as the woman said, the weasels let him pass, the trees gave way to a path, the quarry rose up and he walked to safety on the stones. As he was resting, eating a bit of the oat cake, a tiny bird fell out of its nest. Hugh gently put it back. Suddenly a little man appeared and handed Hugh a feather. “When you see a seagull, take this feather and touch the bird.” The man vanished.

After walking for quite a time, Hugh sat down under an old oak tree to eat a bit more oat cake. He looked up and saw a bat entangled in ivy, unable to move. Hugh climbed the tree, released the bat, and put it safely on a large branch. As he climbed down, the little man suddenly reappeared, handing Hug a bat’s wing. “If you turn this around three times in your right hand darkness will fall about you for a short time.” Just as quickly the little man disappeared.

Passing by a hedge, Hugh heard the sound of a creature in pain. Following the sound, he saw a cat down in a deep well, unable to climb out. Hugh took off his coat and lowered it into the well. The cat snagged it with her paws and Hugh lifted her to safety. Hugh was putting on his coat when the little man reappeared. He handed Hugh a cat’s eye and said, “Take this. If you hold it in front of you the darkest way will become light and clear.” Once again he disappeared.

Hugh had not walked far when he came to a massive stone castle. When he saw the sad face of a young woman he knew he had found the princess. The giant saw Hugh and waved his club. His wife raised her wand. Suddenly there were whirlpools of water all around the castle.

Discouraged, Hugh looked around and saw a seagull perched on the bank. Remembering the little man’s advice, he touched the seagull with the feather. The bird suddenly grew so large he carried Hugh across the water onto steps then flew away.

The giant and his wife rushed down to catch Hugh but he waved the bat’s wing and they fell down into the water and disappeared.
By the light of the cat’s eye, Hugh climbed the stairs and found Maca, the daughter of the King of Ulster. Shocked to see Hugh, she told him, “One spring morning the giant found me gathering violets and carried me off. My home is far away, near the western coast. I” . . .  She could not say more.

 “Do not worry,” Hugh told her, “I will help you return to your home. Come with me.”

Hugh and Maca descended the steps where the seagull sat. Hugh touched it with the feather and it grew large enough for them to ride on its back, flying them over lakes and mountains and valleys until they reached the blue hills of Donegal. They dismounted. The bird flew away.

The king and queen joyfully greeted their daughter, listening attentively as Maca told them how Hugh helped her escape, about his courage and kindness. “You are a brave man,” said the king. I should like to make you one of the chieftains of the Kingdom.”

“I am honored,” said Hugh, looking at Maca.

She smiled and said to her father, looking at Hugh, “I have already given him my heart, please allow him to take my hand.” 

And so it was.