THE RED ETIN
389
But now I fear his end is near.
And destiny at hand;
And you’re to be, I plainly see,
The heir of all his land.’
And destiny at hand;
And you’re to be, I plainly see,
The heir of all his land.’
[Repeat the same inquiries to the man attending the swine and the man attending the goats, with the same answer in each case.]
When he came to the place where the monstrous beasts were standing, he did not stop nor run away, but went boldly through amongst them. One came up roaring with open mouth to devour him, when he struck it with his wand, and laid it in an instant dead at his feet. He soon came to the Etin’s castle, where he knocked, and was admitted. The auld woman that sat by the fire warned him of the terrible Etin, and what had been the fate of the twa brithers; but he was not to be daunted. The monster soon came in, saying:
