and out he went in the sea. And I was as pleased then when I saw him
drowning, as though you should grant my own life and the life of my
two sons with me, and not lay any more trouble on me.

"When the giant was drowned I went in, and I took with me all he had
of gold and silver, and I went home, and surely great joy was on my
people when I arrived. And as a sign now look, the finger is off
me."

"Yes, indeed, Conall, you are wordy and wise," said the king. "I see
the finger is off you. You have freed your two sons, but tell me a
case in which you ever were that is harder than to be looking on
your son being hanged tomorrow, and you shall get the soul of your
eldest son."

"Then went my father," said Conall, "and he got me a wife, and I was
married. I went to hunt. I was going beside the sea, and I saw an
island over in the midst of the loch, and I came there where a boat
was with a rope before her, and a rope behind her, and many precious
things within her. I looked myself on the boat to see how I might
get part of them. I put in the one foot, and the other foot was on
the ground, and when I raised my head what was it but the boat over
in the middle of the loch, and she never stopped till she reached
the island. When I went out of the boat the boat returned where she
was before. I did not know now what I should do. The place was
without meat or clothing, without the appearance of a house on it. I
came out on the top of a hill. Then I came to a glen; I saw in it,
at the bottom of a hollow, a woman with a child, and the child was
naked on her knee, and she had a knife in her hand. She tried to put
the knife to the throat of the babe, and the babe began to laugh in