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| Illustration by Patten Wilson in Best Stories to Tell to Children by Sara Cone Bryant |
The story of Billy Beg continues after his bull was killed.
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After three days he came to a farm that belonged to an old gentleman.
Billy asked the old gentleman for work. The old gentleman said he wanted such a boy to herd the cattle. Billy asked what cattle he would have to herd and what wages he would get.
"Three goats, three cows, three horses, and three donkeys,” said the old gentleman, "but no boy that goes to herd them ever comes home alive. There are three giants, brothers, that come to milk the goats and cows, and always kill the herd boy, so we will not say what wages till we see if you come back alive.”
"All right,” said Billy.
So next morning he got up early, drove out the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys to the pasture field.
At noon Billy heard three terrible roars that shook the nuts off the trees, and up came a giant with three heads.
"You are too big for one bite, and too small for two," said the giant, "What shall I do with you?’’
"I'll fight you,’’ said Billy.
Billy soon made a sword of his stick by swinging it three times round his head.
"How shall I kill you'? Shall it be by a swing from the back, a cut of the sword, or by a blow from my fist?”
"By a swing from the back if you can,” said Billy.
So they both laid hold, and Billy lifted the giant off his feet and brought him down so hard that he sank into the ground up to his arms.
"Oh, have mercy,” said the giant.
But Billy cut off his heads with his sword.
It was evening when the fight was over. So Billy drove home the three goats, three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys. All the pails and kettles and bowls in the house wouldn’t hold the milk the cows gave that night.
''Well,” said the old gentleman, "you are the first herd boy that ever came back alive, and this is the first time the cows ever gave any milk. Didn’t you see anything in the pasture?’
"Nothing worse than myself,’’ said Billy. "What about my wages now?”
"Well,” said the old gentleman, "I think you won’t come back alive to-morrow, so we will wait and see.”
Next morning the old gentleman told Billy something must have happened to one of the giants, for he had only heard two of them roaring.
After breakfast Billy set off with the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys. About twelve he heard six terrible roars that shook the nuts off the trees and made his hair stand on end, and along came a frightful giant with six heads.
"You killed my brother yesterday,” roared the giant with his six mouths, but I will pay you to-day. You are too big for one bite and too small for two. What shall I do with you?”
"I’ll fight you,” said Billy, swinging his stick three times round his head to make it turn into a sword and give him the strength of a thousand men.
The giant laughed at his size and said, "How shall I kill you? With a swing from the back, a cut of the sword, or a blow from my fist?”
"With a swing from the back, if you can,” said Billy.
So they both laid hold and Billy lifted him off his feet and sunk him into the ground up to his arms.
‘‘Oh, mercy, cried the giant, but Billy cut off his six heads.
It was evening by that time and Billy drove the three goats, the three cows, the three horses and the three donkeys to the barn. The milk the cows gave that night overflowed all the pails and kettles and bowls in the house. Running out it made a brook and turned an old mill that hadn’t been turned in thirty years.
The old gentleman was ten times as much surprised to see Billy alive as he had been the day before.
“Didn’t you see anything in the pasture to-day?” said he.
“Nothing worse than myself,” said Billy. “What about my wages now?”
“Never mind about your wages till to-morrow,” said the old gentleman. “If you come back alive, we’ll see then.”
In the morning the old gentleman said, “I only heard one giant roaring last night. The other two must be ill.”
“Perhaps they are dead,” said Billy, as he drove out the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three donkeys.
At noon Billy heard so many roars, he couldn’t count them. He looked about and saw a giant as big as the other two together, with twelve heads.
“You villain,” roared the giant. “You killed my two brothers, but I’ll be even with you. You are too big for one bite and too small for two. How would you rather be killed — by a swing from the back, or a cut from the sword, or by a blow from the fist?”
"By a swing from the back,” said Billy, waving his stick three times around his head.
The giant laughed at Billy’s size and they both laid hold. Billy swung the giant in the air and sunk him into the ground, just as he had the other two. Then he cut off his twelve heads and drove home the three goats, the three horses, and the three donkeys.
The milk that the cows gave that night ran down into a valley, where it made a lake three miles long, and three miles wide, and three miles deep.
"Did you see nothing in the pasture to-day?” said the old gentleman.
"Nothing worse than myself,” said Billy. "What about my wages now?”
"You are a good herd boy,” said the old gentleman, "and I can’t get along well without you, so I will give you whatever you ask.”
Next morning the old gentleman said to Billy, "I heard none of the giants roaring last night. I wonder what has happened to them?”
"Perhaps they are all dead,” said Billy.
"Well, good luck to the lad that killed them then,” said the old gentleman. "Now you must mind the cattle again to-day, Billy, while I go to see the fight.’’
Billy drove the three goats, the three cows, and the three horses, and the three donkeys to pasture. While they were feeding he watched the people go by. Never had he seen the like of it. They went in coaches and carriages, on horses and donkeys and oxen, and riding and running and walking.
“Why don’t you come to see the fight, my boy?” said a man who passed by.
“Would they let me in?” said Billy.
“Of course they would,” said the man. “Everybody is to have a seat.”
When they were all gone, Billy put on the old gentleman’s best suit and rode off to see the fight on the best horse in the stable.
At the king’s palace, Billy saw the king’s daughter with the whole court sitting around her on a high platform. Down below the great warrior, who was to fight the dragon, was walking up and down with three men to carry his sword. But when the fiery dragon came up roaring and spitting fire from every one of his twelve heads, the great warrior ran away and hid himself in a well, up to his mouth in water.
Then the princess began to weep and say, "Will nobody fight the dragon and save my life?"
Nobody stirred until Billy put his hide belt around his waist, waved his stick three times around his head, and after a terrible fight, killed the dragon.
Everybody ran to look at the dead dragon. While they were looking, Billy jumped upon his horse and was running away. Nobody noticed him but the princess. She caught his foot and tried to hold him, but he slipped away from her leaving his shoe in her hand.
Billy had changed his clothes and brought in all the cattle by the time the old gentleman got home. The old gentleman began at once to tell him about the great fight, how the warrior had hidden in the well, and how a handsome young man had come down out of the clouds on a black horse, killed the dragon, and flown up into the sky again. "Wasn't it wonderful?’’ said the old gentleman.
After that it was given out that all the young men in the kingdom should come to the king’s palace to try on the shoe. When the day came Billy was in the pasture as usual with the three cows, the three horses, the three goats, and the three donkeys.
Everybody called to him, "Aren't you going to try on the shoe?’
When the people had all passed by, there came a ragged man like a scarecrow, his clothes were so old. Billy stopped him and said, "How much boot will you take and trade clothes with me?”
But Billy let him know that he was in earnest. So they traded clothes and Billy gave the ragged man boot.
Billy started off to the palace with the ragged clothes on his back and a stick in his hand. When he got there everybody was crowding and pushing to get a chance to try the shoe on. But it fitted nobody.
Then Billy said, "Let me try it.” All the people laughed and shoved him back, because he was so ragged. But the princess told them to let him try on the shoe. Very soon they all quit laughing, for the shoe fitted Billy exactly.
So Billy married the princess and the wedding lasted nine days, and nine hours, and nine minutes, and nine seconds, and they lived happy for ever after.
Adapted from Seumas McManus
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This is part of a series of postings of stories under the category, “Keeping the Public in Public Domain.” The idea behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the authors and their immediate heirs were compensated. I feel strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the 20th century. My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them. I hope you enjoy discovering them.
At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience. Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week. This is a return to my regular posting of a research project here. (Don't worry, this isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future storytelling to an audience.) Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other postings as often as I can manage it.
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