day would never come that I could get up there. It was terrible for
me to be there till I should die. I heard a great clattering coming,
and what was there but a great giant and two dozen of goats with
him, and a buck at their head. And when the giant had tied the
goats, he came up and he said to me, 'Hao O! Conall, it's long since
my knife has been rusting in my pouch waiting for thy tender flesh.'
'Och!' said I, 'it's not much you will be bettered by me, though you
should tear me asunder; I will make but one meal for you. But I see
that you are one-eyed. I am a good leech, and I will give you the
sight of the other eye.' The giant went and he drew the great
caldron on the site of the fire. I myself was telling him how he
should heat the water, so that I should give its sight to the other
eye. I got heather and I made a rubber of it, and I set him upright
in the caldron. I began at the eye that was well, pretending to him
that I would give its sight to the other one, till I left them as
bad as each other; and surely it was easier to spoil the one that
was well than to give sight to the other.

"When he saw that he could not see a glimpse, and when I myself said
to him that I would get out in spite of him, he gave a spring out of
the water, and he stood in the mouth of the cave, and he said that
he would have revenge for the sight of his eye. I had but to stay
there crouched the length of the night, holding in my breath in such
a way that he might not find out where I was.

"When he felt the birds calling in the morning, and knew that the
day was, he said--'Art thou sleeping? Awake and let out my lot of
goats.' I killed the buck. He cried, 'I do believe that thou art
killing my buck.'