The King of Lochlin's Three Daughters and the Three Giants who abducted them

THE KING OF LOCHLIN'S THREE DAUGHTERS.

From Neill Gillies, fisherman, near Inverary.

THERE was a king over Lochlin, once upon a time, who had a leash of
daughters; they went out (on) a day to take a walk; and there came
three giants, and they took with them the daughters of the king, and
there was no knowing where they had gone. Then the king sent word for
the sheanachy, and he asked him if he knew where his lot of daughters
had gone. The sheanachy said to the king that three giants had taken
them with them, and they were in the earth down below by them, and
there was no way to get them but by making a ship that would sail on
sea and land; and so it was that the king set out an order, any one who
would build a ship that would sail on sea and on land, that he should
get the king's big daughter to marry. There was a widow there who had a
leash of sons; and the eldest said to his mother on a day that was
there, "Cook for me a bannock, and roast a cock; I am going away to cut
wood, and to build a ship that will go to seek the daughters of the
king." His mother said to him, "Which is better with thee, the big
bannock with my cursing, or a little bannock with my blessing?" "Give
me a big bannock, it will be small enough before I build a ship." He got a bannock and he went away. He arrived where there was
a great wood and a river, and there he sat at the side of the river to
take the bannock. A great Uruisg came out of the river, and she asked a
part of the bannock. He said that he would not give her a morsel, that
it was little enough for himself. He began cutting the wood, and every
tree he cut would be on foot again; and so he was till the night came.