When the giant reached the shore of the lake, a wild blast of wind shrieked through the hills. His mind raging to devour the world, on and on he went up the path until he reached the mountain lake of Baylock.īy now the wind was rising and black clouds were gathering on the hills. All the time the lad was growing, and by this time he looked like some terrible monster. The old man and the woman of the house followed. This happened three times before he turned to the steep path up the mountainside. When he tried to get back into the house, the power of the charms and spells turned him back. These had the power, as the queer lad soon found, to turn him from the door. The old man began to say spells and to make charms, which he fastened in the house. Unless the right spell is put on the little fella, he will do much damage before the day is out.” If he can eat two bullocks at five days old, to swallow the country should be no trouble when he is grown. “That must be the giant,” said the old man, “who will gulp and swallow the whole of Ireland on the day before the final perdition. Next minute the child ran out of the house and killed and swallowed two whole bullocks before their eyes. “Will you look at me babe, growing out the cradle and eating the loaf?” When he heard the yell, he came to door and asked the woman was there anything astray. Frightened, she let out a shriek.Īt most times there would have been no one to hear, but it happened that, this day, there was an old man passing, who liked to wander by himself in the mountains, talking to himself and looking into the future. The way he was carrying on, the woman knew he was not right. He said not a word as he looked around for more to eat. He took a cake that was lying on the hearth and swallowed it in one gulp. Before long he was too big to stay in the box and got out on the floor. She went over to the box, and sure enough, could see him growing. When she returned she thought to herself that the baby looked queer. A few days after, while the man was away in the woods, the woman of the house left the baby snug in a box, that served as a cradle, and went to mile the cow. For many years they had no child and worked by themselves the nearest neighbour was a mile away and few happened by unless hunting or finding fuel for their fires.Īt last the woman had a son and the two of them were beside themselves with happiness on the day he was born. It happened that there lived a man and his wife in a small rough cabin, high up on the side of the mountain. Only a few lived on the sides of the mountains and in the hills, fighting for their living against the wild beasts and wild bushes that forever tried to destroy their fields. The people in times past lived in the valleys and plains. The giant that is to devour Ireland has been born, and is in hiding, waiting for that final day, when he can swallow the whole country that is hiding him since ancient times. It is known to them that Ireland will never wait for fire and brimstone on the Last Day, but will be devoured by a giant born of her own people. In Ireland it is known that only the seers who have vision and foresight and knowledge know the things that must be, but even so there are few who believe their words.
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