Long ago, in a quiet part of Scotland, two poor widows lived on small pieces of land that they rented from a farmer. One woman had two sons, while the other had only one. The three young men grew up together and became close friends, sharing the pleasures and difficulties of their simple lives.
As the boys grew older, the time came for the eldest son of the first widow to leave home and seek his fortune. His mother had little to give him, but she wanted him to have something to eat on his journey. She therefore handed him a can and sent him to the well to fetch water, explaining that the amount he brought back would determine the size of the cake she could prepare for him. Whatever the size, it would be all she could afford.
The young man filled the can at the well and started home. Unfortunately, the vessel had holes in it, and most of the water escaped before he reached the house. His mother could therefore make only a very small cake.
When it was ready, she offered him a choice. He could take half the cake with her blessing, or the whole cake with her curse.
The young man considered how far he might have to travel and how difficult it might be to find food along the way. He decided that having the whole cake would be more useful than receiving only half, even if it meant accepting his mother’s curse. His mother reluctantly gave him the entire cake.
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Before leaving, he called his younger brother aside and entrusted him with a knife. He explained that the knife would serve as a sign of his wellbeing. As long as its blade remained bright and clean, his brother would know that he was safe. But if it became dull and rusty, he should understand that something terrible had happened.
With that, the young man departed.
He travelled for two days, and on the afternoon of the third day, he came across a shepherd tending a flock of sheep. Curious about the animals, he asked the shepherd who owned them.
The shepherd answered with a strange song about the Red Etin of Ireland, a terrible creature who had once lived in Bellygan and stolen the daughter of King Malcolm of Scotland. The song told how the monster imprisoned and mistreated the princess, striking her with a silver wand. It also spoke of a prophecy that one day a man destined to become the giant’s enemy would appear, although that man had not yet been born.
The young traveller continued on his way. Before long, he encountered an old man looking after a herd of pigs. He asked the same question, and the old man gave him the same answer, repeating the song about the Red Etin.
Farther along the road, he met another elderly man tending goats. Once again, the young man asked who owned the animals, and once again he heard the dreadful story of the giant. This time, however, the old man warned him to be careful of the strange creatures he would encounter next.
Soon the traveller came upon a frightening multitude of beasts. Each had two heads, and every head carried four horns. Terrified by their appearance, he ran until he reached a castle standing on a hill. Its door was open, and he hurried inside, hoping to find somewhere safe to rest.
An old woman sat beside the kitchen fire. The young man asked whether he could spend the night there, explaining that he was exhausted from his journey.
The woman agreed, but warned him that the castle belonged to the Red Etin, a monstrous creature with three heads who showed no mercy to anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Frightened by the beasts outside, the young man begged her to hide him until morning. He hoped that if the giant did not discover him during the night, he might escape before daylight.
But his hiding place did not protect him for long.
The Red Etin soon entered the castle. As he moved through the rooms, he sniffed the air and declared that he could smell a human being. Whether the person was alive or dead, he intended to use the person’s heart to season his bread.
The giant searched until he discovered the young man and dragged him out of hiding.
He then offered the unfortunate traveller a chance to save his life. If he could answer three questions, the giant would spare him. The questions were difficult: Which country, Ireland or Scotland, had been inhabited first? Was man made for woman, or woman for man? And were human beings created before animals, or were animals created first?
The young man could answer none of them.
The Red Etin seized his mace and struck him on the head, transforming him into a pillar of stone.
The following morning, his younger brother examined the knife that had been left in his care. To his horror, the blade had become covered in rust. He immediately understood that his brother had suffered some terrible misfortune.
He decided to leave home and discover what had happened. His mother prepared to bake him a travelling cake, but the same misfortune occurred. The can had holes in it, most of the water escaped, and the resulting cake was very small.
Once again, his mother offered him the choice between half a cake with her blessing and the whole cake with her curse.
Like his brother, the young man chose the whole cake, believing that he would need every bit of food he could carry. He departed, and his journey followed exactly the same course as his brother’s. He met the shepherd, the swineherd and the goatherd, heard the song about the Red Etin, encountered the terrifying beasts and eventually reached the giant’s castle.
There, the Red Etin discovered him, asked the same three questions and, when he could not answer, turned him into a pillar of stone.
Meanwhile, the third young man, the son of the other widow, learned what had happened to his two friends from a fairy. Determined to discover whether he could rescue them, he announced that he too would leave home.
His mother prepared a cake for his journey and sent him to the well with a can to fetch water. As he was returning, a raven flying overhead called his attention to the water escaping through the holes in the vessel.
Unlike the other two young men, he stopped to examine the problem. Finding the holes, he gathered some clay and carefully patched them. This time, he brought home enough water for his mother to bake a large cake.
When she offered him the choice between half the cake with her blessing and the whole cake with her curse, he chose the half with her blessing. Even half of this larger cake was more than the entire cakes his two friends had carried away.
He set out on his journey with his mother’s blessing and his provisions.
After travelling a considerable distance, he met an elderly woman who asked whether he would share a little of his bannock with her. He gladly agreed and gave her a piece.
The old woman was a fairy. Pleased by his generosity, she rewarded him with a magical wand, explaining that it could prove useful if he knew how to use it properly. She also revealed what lay ahead and taught him how to deal with the dangers he would encounter. Having given him the knowledge he needed, she suddenly disappeared.
The young man continued until he reached the shepherd tending the sheep. When he asked who owned the animals, the shepherd repeated the familiar song about the Red Etin. But this time, the verses carried a different message. The shepherd declared that the giant’s end was approaching and that the young man before him was destined to inherit the monster’s land.
The young traveller received the same answer from the men tending the pigs and goats.
When he eventually reached the monstrous beasts, he did not run away as his friends had done. Instead, he walked boldly among them. One of the creatures rushed towards him with its mouth open, ready to devour him. The young man struck it with his magical wand, and the beast immediately fell dead.
He continued to the castle and knocked at the door.
The old woman who had helped his two friends recognised him and warned him about the Red Etin. She told him what had happened to the other young men, but he remained determined to face the monster.
Before long, the Red Etin returned. As soon as he entered, he sensed that a human being was present and began searching for his prey.
He quickly discovered the young traveller and ordered him to come forward.
The giant then presented his three questions, expecting another helpless victim. But this young man had received the answers from the fairy and was ready for the challenge.
He answered every question correctly.
For the first time, the Red Etin realised that his power had come to an end. The young man seized an axe and struck off all three of the monster’s heads.
With the giant defeated, he asked the old woman to show him where the king’s daughter was imprisoned. She led him upstairs and opened one door after another. Behind them were beautiful women who had been held captive by the monster. Among these prisoners was the daughter of King Malcolm of Scotland.
The old woman then took him down into a low room, where two stone pillars stood. These were his two friends, who had been transformed by the Red Etin.
The young man touched the pillars with his magical wand, and the spell was broken. His friends returned to life, free at last from the giant’s enchantment.
The prisoners rejoiced at their deliverance and recognised that their freedom had come through the young man’s wisdom and courage.
The following day, the entire company travelled together to the king’s court. King Malcolm was overjoyed to have his daughter restored to him and rewarded the young man who had defeated the monster by giving him her hand in marriage. He also arranged marriages between the other two young men and noblewomen of his court.
Thus, the three friends were reunited, the captives were freed, and the young man who had chosen wisdom and kindness over selfishness received his reward. They all lived happily for the rest of their days.
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Moral
The story teaches that good judgement, generosity and a mother’s blessing are more valuable than selfishly taking everything for oneself. The youngest traveller succeeds because he pays attention, makes sensible choices, shares what he has and uses the knowledge he receives wisely.
Knowledge Check
1. Why did the first two brothers receive small travelling cakes?
Their mother’s can had holes in it, allowing most of the water to escape before they returned from the well.
2. What choice did their mother offer them?
They could take half a cake with her blessing or the whole cake with her curse.
3. How did the third young man prevent the water from escaping?
He noticed the holes in the can and patched them with clay.
4. What did the fairy give him in return for sharing his bannock?
She gave him a magical wand and taught him how to overcome the dangers ahead.
5. What were the Red Etin’s three questions about?
They concerned which country was inhabited first, whether man was made for woman or woman for man, and whether human beings or animals were created first.
6. How did the youngest traveller rescue his two friends?
After defeating the Red Etin, he touched the two stone pillars with his magical wand, restoring his friends to life.
7. What is the significance of the song repeated by the three herdsmen?
It tells of the Red Etin’s cruelty and foretells the arrival of the person destined to defeat him.
Source
The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, published by Longmans, Green, and Co., London and New York, 1889.
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