Billy Beg and the Bull
Once upon a time when pigs were swine, there was a king and a
queen, and they had one son, Billy, and the queen gave Billy a bull that he
was very fond of, and it was just as fond of him. After some time the queen
died, and she put it as her last request on the king that he would never part
Billy and the bull, and the king promised that, come what might, come what
may, he would not.
After the queen died the king married again, and the new queen
didn't take to Billy Beg, and no more did she like the bull, seeing himself
and Billy so thick. But she couldn't get the king on no account to part Billy
and the bull, so she consulted with a hen-wife what they could do as
regards separating Billy and the bull.
"What will you give me," says the hen-wife, "and I'll very soon part
them?"
"Whatever you ask," says the queen.
"Well and good then," says the hen-wife, "you are to take to your
bed, making pretend that you are bad with a complaint, and I'll do the rest
of it."
And, well and good, to her bed she took, and none of the doctors
could do anything for her, or make out what was her complaint. So the
queen asked for the hen-wife to be sent for.
And sent for she was, and when she came in and examined the
queen, she said there was one thing, and only one, could cure her. The king
asked what was that, and the hen-wife said it was three mouthfuls of the
blood of Billy Beg's bull.
But the king wouldn't on any account hear of this, and the next day
the queen was worse, and the third day she was worse still, and told the
king she was dying, and he'd have her death on his head.
So, sooner nor this, the king had to consent to Billy Beg's bull being
killed.
When Billy heard this he got very down in the heart entirely, and he
went doitherin' about, and the bull saw him and asked him what was
wrong with him that he was so mournful, so Billy told the bull what was
wrong with him, and the bull told him to never mind, but keep up his heart,
the queen would never taste a drop of his blood.
The next day then the bull was to be killed, and the queen got up and
went out to have the delight of seeing his death.
When the bull was led up to be killed, says he to Billy, "Jump up on
my back till we see what kind of a horseman you are.
Up Billy jumped on his back, and with that the bull leapt nine mile
high, nine mile deep and nine mile broad, and came down with Billy
sticking between his horns. Hundreds were looking on dazed at the sight,
and through them the bull rushed, and over the top of the queen, killing her
dead, and away he galloped where you wouldn't know day by night, or
night by day, over high hills, low hills, sheep-walks, and bullock-traces, the
Cove of Cork, and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn.
When at last they stopped, "now then," says the bull to Billy, "you
and I must undergo great scenery, Billy. Put your hand," says the bull, "in
my left ear, and you'll get a napkin, that, when you spread it out, will be
covered with eating and drinking of all sorts, fit for the King himself."
Billy did this, and then he spread out the napkin, and ate and drank
to his heart's content, and he rolled up the napkin and put it back in the
bull's ear again.
"Then," says the bull, "now put your hand into my right ear and
you'll find a bit of a stick; if you wind it over your head three times, it will
be turned into a sword and give you the strength of a thousand men besides
your own, and when you have no more need of it as a sword, it will change
back into a stick again."
Billy did all this.
Then says the bull, "At twelve o'clock the morrow I'll have to meet
and fight a great bull."
Billy then got up again on the bull's back, and the bull started off and
away where you wouldn't know day by night, or night by day, over high
hills, low hills, sheep-walks and bullock-traces, the Cove of Cork, and old
Tom Fox with his bugle horn. There he met the other bull, and both of them
fought, and the like of their fight was never seen before or since. They
knocked the soft ground into hard, and the hard into soft, the soft into
spring wells, the spring wells into rocks, and the rocks into high hills.
They fought long, and Billy Beg's bull killed the other, and drank his
blood.
Then Billy took the napkin out of his ear again and spread it out and
ate a hearty good dinner.
Then says the bull to Billy, says he, "at twelve o'clock to-morrow, I'm
to meet the bull's brother that I killed the day, and we'll have a hard fight."
Billy got on the bull's back again, and the bull started off and away
where you wouldn't know day by night, or night by day, over high hills,
low hills, sheep-walks and bullock-traces, the Cove of Cork, and old Tom
Fox with his bugle horn. There he met the bull's brother that he killed the
day before, and they set to, and they fought, and the like of the fight was
never seen before or since. They knocked the soft ground into hard, the
hard into soft, the soft into spring wells, the spring wells into rocks, and the
rocks into high hills.
They fought long, and at last Billy's bull killed the other and drank
his blood. And then Billy took out the napkin out of the bull's ear again and
spread it out and ate another hearty dinner. Then says the bull to Billy, says
he—"The morrow at twelve o'clock I'm to fight the brother to the two bulls I
killed—he's a mighty great bull entirely, the strongest of them all; he's
called the Black Bull of the Forest, and he'll be too able for me. When I'm
dead," says the bull, "you, Billy, will take with you the napkin, and you'll
never be hungry; and the stick, and you'll be able to over-come everything
that comes in your way; and take out your knife and cut a strip of the hide
off my back and another strip off my belly and make a belt of them, and as
long as you wear them you cannot be killed."
Billy was very sorry to hear this, but he got up on the bull's back
again, and they started off and away where you wouldn't know day by
night or night by day, over high hills, low hills, sheep-walks and bullock-
traces, the Cove of Cork and old Tom Fox with his bugle horn.
And sure enough at twelve o'clock the next day they met the great
Black Bull of the Forest, and both of the bulls to it, and commenced to fight,
and the like of the fight was never seen before or since; they knocked the
soft ground into hard ground, and the hard ground into soft and the soft
into spring wells, the spring wells into rocks, and the rocks into high hills.
And they fought long, but at length the Black Bull of the Forest killed Billy
Beg's bull, and drank his blood.
Billy Beg was so vexed at this that for two days he sat over the bull
neither eating or drinking, but crying salt tears all the time.
Then he got up, and he spread out the napkin, and ate a hearty
dinner for he was very hungry with his long fast; and after that he cut a
strip of the hide off the bull's back, and another off the belly, and made a
belt for himself, and taking it and the bit of stick, and the napkin, he set out
to push his fortune, and he travelled for three days and three nights, till at
last he come to a great gentleman's place.
Billy asked the gentleman if he could give him employment, and the
gentleman said he wanted just such a boy as him for herding cattle.
Billy asked what cattle would he have to herd, and what wages
would he get.
The gentleman said he had three goats, three cows, three horses and
three asses that he fed in an orchard, but that no boy who went with them
ever came back alive, for there were three giants, brothers, that came to milk
the cows and the goats every day, and killed the boy that was herding; so if
Billy liked to try, they wouldn't fix the wages till they'd see if he would
come back alive.
"Agreed, then," said Billy. So the next morning he got up and drove
out the three goats, the three cows, the three horses, and the three asses to
the orchard and commenced to feed them.
About the middle of the day Billy heard three terrible roars that
shook the apples off the bushes, shook the horns on the cows, and made the
hair stand up on Billy's head, and in comes a frightful big giant with three
heads, and begun to threaten Billy.
"You're too big," says the giant, "for one bite, and too small for two.
What will I do with you?"
"I'll fight you," says Billy, says he stepping out to him and swinging
the bit of stick three times over his head, when it changed into a sword and
gave him the strength of a thousand men besides his own.
The giant laughed at the size of him, and says he, "Well, how will I
kill you? Will it be by a swing by the back, a cut of the sword, or a square
round of boxing?"
"With a swing by the back," says Billy, "if you can."
So they both laid holds, and Billy lifted the giant clean off the
ground, and fetching him down again sunk him in the earth up to his arm-
pits.
"Oh, have mercy," says the giant. But Billy, taking his sword, killed
the giant, and cut out his tongues. It was evening by this time, so Billy
drove home the three goats, three cows, three horses, and three asses, and
all the vessels in the house wasn't able to hold all the milk the cows give
that night.
"Well," says the gentleman, "This beats me, for I never saw anyone
coming back alive out of there before, nor the cows with a drop of milk. Did
you see anything in the orchard?" says he.
"Nothing worse nor myself," says Billy. "What about my wages,
now," says Billy.
"Well," says the gentleman, "you'll hardly come alive out of the
orchard the morrow. So we'll wait till after that."
Next morning his master told Billy that something must have
happened one of the giants, for he used to hear the cries of three every
night, but last night he only heard two crying. "I don't know," says Billy,
"anything about them."
That morning after he got his breakfast Billy drove the three goats,
three cows, three horses, and three asses into the orchard again, and began
to feed them. About twelve o'clock he heard three terrible roars that shook
the apples off the bushes, the horns on the cows, and made the hair stand
up on Billy's head, and in comes a frightful big giant, with six heads, and he
told Billy he had killed his brother yesterday, but he would make him pay
for it the day.
"You're too big," says he, "for one bite, and too small for two, and
what will I do with you?"
"I'll fight you," says Billy, swinging his stick three times over his
head, and turning it into a sword, and giving him the strength of a
thousand men besides his own.
The giant laughed at him, and says he, "How will I kill you—with a
swing by the back, a cut of the sword, or a square round of boxing?" "With a
swing by the back," says Billy, "if you can."
So the both of them laid holds, and Billy lifted the giant clean off the
ground, and fetching him down again, sunk him in it up to the arm-pits.
"Oh, spare my life!" says the giant. But Billy taking up his sword,
killed him and cut out his tongues. It was evening by this time, and Billy
drove home his three goats, three cows, three horses, and three asses, and
what milk the cows gave that night overflowed all the vessels in the house,
and, running out, turned a rusty mill that hadn't been turned before for
thirty years. If the master was surprised seeing Billy coming back the night
before, he was ten times more surprised now.
"Did you see anything in the orchard the day!" says the gentleman.
"Nothing worse nor myself," says Billy. "What about my wages now,"
says Billy.
"Well, never mind about your wages," says the gentleman till the
morrow, for I think you'll hardly come back alive again," says he.
Well and good, Billy went to his bed, and the gentleman went to his
bed, and when the gentleman rose in the morning says he to Billy, "I don't
know what's wrong with two of the giants; I only heard one crying last
night."
"I don't know," says Billy, "they must be sick or something."
Well, when Billy got his breakfast that day again, he set out to the
orchard, driving before him the three goats, three cows, three horses and
three asses and sure enough about the middle of the day he hears three
terrible roars again, and in comes another giant, this one with twelve heads
on him, and if the other two were frightful, surely this one was ten times
more so.
"You villain, you," says he to Billy, "you killed my two brothers, and
I'll have my revenge on you now. Prepare till I kill you," says he; "you're too
big for one bite, and too small for two; what will I do with you?"
"I'll fight you," says Billy, shaping out and winding the bit of stick
three times over his head.
The giant laughed heartily at the size of him, and says he, "What way
do you prefer being killed? Is it with a swing by the back, a cut of the
sword, or a square round of boxing?"
"A swing by the back," says Billy.
So both of them again laid holds, and my brave Billy lifts the giant
clean off the ground, and fetching him down again, sunk him down to his
arm-pits in it.
"Oh, have mercy; spare my life," says the giant.
But Billy took his sword, and, killing him, cut out his tongues. That
evening he drove home his three goats, three cows, three horses, and three
asses, and the milk of the cows had to be turned into a valley where it made
a lough three miles long, three miles broad, and three miles deep, and that
lough has been filled with salmon and white trout ever since.
The gentleman wondered now more than ever to see Billy back the
third day alive.
"Did you see nothing in the orchard the day, Billy?" says he.
"No, nothing worse nor myself," says Billy.
"Well that beats me," says the gentleman. "What about my wages
now?" says Billy.
"Well, you're a good mindful boy, that I couldn't easy do without,"
says the gentleman, "and I'll give you any wages you ask for the future."
The next morning, says the gentleman to Billy, "I heard none of the
giants crying last night, however it comes. I don't know what has happened
to them?"
"I don't know," says Billy, "they must be sick or something."
"Now, Billy," says the gentleman, "you must look after the cattle the
day again, while I go to see the fight."
"What fight?" says Billy.
"Why," says the gentleman, "it's the king's daughter is going to be
devoured by a fiery dragon, if the greatest fighter in the land, that they have
been feeding specially for the last three months, isn't able to kill the dragon
first. And if he's able to kill the dragon the king is to give him the daughter
in marriage."
"That will be fine," says Billy.
Billy drove out his three goats, three cows, three horses, and three
asses to the orchard that day again, and the like of all that passed that day
to see the fight with the man and the fiery dragon, Billy never witnessed
before. They went in coaches and carriages, on horses and jackasses, riding
and walking, crawling and creeping.
"My tight little fellow," says a man that was passing to Billy, "why
don't you come to see the great fight?"
"What would take the likes of me there?" says Billy. But when Billy
found them all gone he saddled and bridled the best black horse his master
had, and put on the best suit of clothes he could get in his master's house,
and rode off to the fight after the rest.
When Billy went there he saw the king's daughter with the whole
court about her on a platform before the castle, and he thought he never
saw anything half as beautiful, and the great warrior that was to fight the
dragon was walking up and down on the lawn before her, with three men
carrying his sword, and every one in the whole country gathered there
looking at him.
But when the fiery dragon came up with twelve heads on him, and
every mouth of him spitting fire, and let twelve roars out of him, the
warrior ran away and hid himself up to the neck in a well of water, and all
they could do they couldn't get him to come and face the dragon.
Then the king's daughter asked if there was no one there to save her
from the dragon, and get her in marriage. But not one stirred.
When Billy saw this, he tied the belt of the bull's hide round him,
swung his stick over his head, and went in, and after a terrible fight
entirely, killed the dragon.
Every one then gathered about to find who the stranger was. Billy
jumped on his horse and darted away sooner than let them know; but just
as he was getting away the king's daughter pulled the shoe off his foot.
When the dragon was killed the warrior that had hid in the well of water
came out, and cutting the heads off the dragon he brought them to the king,
and said that it was he who killed the dragon, in disguise; and he claimed
the king's daughter.
But she tried the shoe on him and found it didn't fit him; so she said
it wasn't him, and that she would marry no one only the man the shoe
fitted.
When Billy got home he changed the clothes again, and had the
horse in the stable, and the cattle all in before his master came.
When the master came, he began telling Billy about the wonderful
day they had entirely, and about the warrior hiding in the well of water,
and about the grand stranger that came down out of the sky in a cloud on a
black horse, and killed the fiery dragon, and then vanished in a cloud again.
"And, now," says he, "Billy, wasn't that wonderful?"
"It was, indeed," says Billy, "very wonderful entirely."
After that it was given out over the country that all the people were
to come to the king's castle on a certain day, till the king's daughter would
try the shoe on them, and whoever it fitted she was to marry them.
When the day arrived Billy was in the orchard with the three goats,
three cows, three horses, and three asses, as usual, and the like of all the
crowds that passed that day going to the king's castle to get the shoe tried
on, he never saw before. They went in coaches and carriages, on horses and
jackasses, riding and walking, and crawling and creeping. They all asked
Billy was not he going to the king's castle, but Billy said, "Arrah, what
would be bringin' the likes of me there?"
At last when all the others had gone there passed an old man with a
very scarecrow suit of rags on him, and Billy stopped him and asked him
what boot would he take and swap clothes with him.
"Just take care of yourself, now," says the old man, "and don't be
playing off your jokes on my clothes, or maybe I'd make you feel the weight
of this stick."
But Billy soon let him see it was in earnest he was, and both of them
swapped suits, Billy giving the old man boot. Then off to the castle started
Billy, with the suit of rags on his back and an old stick in his hand, and
when he come there he found all in great commotion trying on the shoe,
and some of them cutting down their foot, trying to get it to fit.
But it was all of no use, the shoe could be got to fit none of them at
all, and the king's daughter was going to give up in despair when the wee
ragged looking boy, which was Billy, elbowed his way through them, and
says he, "Let me try it on; maybe it would fit me."
But the people when they saw him, all began to laugh at the sight of
him, and "Go along out of that, you example you," says they shoving and
pushing him back.
But the king's daughter saw him, and called on them by all manner
of means to let him come up and try on the shoe.
So Billy went up, and all the people looked on, breaking their hearts
laughing at the conceit of it. But what would you have of it, but to the
dumfounding of them all, the shoe fitted Billy as nice as if it was made on
his foot for a last.
So the king's daughter claimed Billy as her husband. He then
confessed that it was he that killed the fiery dragon; and when the king had
him dressed up in a silk and satin suit, with plenty of gold and silver
ornaments everyone gave in that his like they never saw afore. He was then
married to the king's daughter, and the wedding lasted nine days, nine
hours, nine minutes, nine half minutes and nine quarter minutes, and they
lived happy and well from that day to this. I got brogues of brochan
breeches of glass, a bit of pie for telling a lie, and then I came slithering
home.
Engelsk, gamle legender
8-10. klasse
Skole-forum.dk
GLOSSARY to Billy Beg
request = krav
consult = søge råd
complaint = beklagelse
concent = billige
doither about = luske rundt, strejfe om
mournful = bedrøvet
dazed = ør
sheep-walk = fåresti
bullocktrace = studesti
buglehorn = signalhorn
napkin = serviet
able = stærk
commence = begynde
vexed = irriteret
push the fortune = udfordre skæbnen
employment = beskæftigelse
ass = æsel
orchard = frugthave
vessel = kar
arm pit = armhule
villain = skurk
revenge = hævn
lough = sø (loch)
salmon = laks
trout = ørred
devour = sluge
fiery = flammende
jackass = han æsel
bridle = hovedtøj
dart = fare afsted
disguise = forklædning
vanish = forsvinde
scarecrow = fugleskræmsel
rag = tøjstump
swap (swop) = bytte
comotion = uro
wee = lillebitte
conceit = indbldning
dumfounding (dumbfounding) = forbløffelse
brogues of brochan = vandresko
breeches = ridebukser
Engelsk for 8.-10. klasse
Skole-forum.dk
