The Young King Of Easaidh Ruadh facts for kids

The Young King Of Easaidh Ruadh is a Scottish fairy tale. It was collected by John Francis Campbell in his book Popular Tales of the West Highlands. He heard the story from James Wilson, a blind musician, on an island called Islay. Another version of the tale, called "The King of the Waterfalls," was also included by Andrew Lang in The Lilac Fairy Book.

The Young King's Adventures

The story begins with the young king of Easaidh Ruadh. He decided to play a game with a magical being called the Gruagach. Before he went, he asked an old wise man, a Seanagal, for advice. The Seanagal told him not to go. But if he did, he should ask for a special prize if he won: a rough-skinned maid who was hidden behind a door.

The king went and played the game, and he won! He insisted on getting his prize. So, they gave him the maid. As soon as he had her, she turned into a beautiful woman. The king was very happy and married her.

The Magical Horse and a Dangerous Game

Later, the king wanted to play the game again. His new wife warned him that the Gruagach was actually her father. She told him that if he won, he should only ask for a specific horse: a shaggy, brown filly with a simple stick saddle. The king listened to his wife, played the game, won, and got the special filly.

For the third time, the king went to play. This time, he lost the game. The Gruagach set a very high price for losing: the king had to get the Glaive of Light. This was a famous, glowing sword belonging to the king of the oak windows. If he failed, he would lose his head!

The king returned home, worried. His wife told him not to be afraid. She said he had the best wife and the second-best horse. She prepared the horse for him. The saddle looked like plain wood, but it sparkled with gold and silver. She told him to listen carefully to what the horse said.

Getting the Glaive of Light

The special horse carried the king to the castle of the king of the oak windows. The horse told him to go into the king's room quietly while the king was eating. The young king made a small sound, and the horse immediately told him they had to run!

They were chased by many brown horses, but the king's horse was faster. Then, a group of black horses appeared, with one white-faced horse and a rider. The king's horse told him that the white-faced horse was its brother, and it was the fastest horse of all. It also said the rider was the king of the oak windows. To escape, the young king had to cut off the rider's head. He did, and his horse then had him ride the fast black horse home.

The young king brought the Glaive of Light back to the Gruagach. Just as his wife had warned him, he used the sword to stab the Gruagach in a small mole, killing him.

The Giant's Capture and the King's Journey

When the king returned home, he found a giant had stolen his wife and both of his amazing horses! The king set out to find them. On his journey, he met a cu seang, which is a wild dog. They greeted each other, and the dog shared some meat with him. The king felt like giving up, thinking he had no way to get his wife and horses back. But the dog encouraged him and promised to help.

Over the next few nights, the king met a falcon and an otter. They also helped him and promised their aid. Finally, he found a cave where his wife and the two horses were being held by the giant. His wife was crying. The king told her how hard he had traveled to find her. The horses quickly told her to hide the king before the giant returned.

Defeating the Giant

The giant came back, and the wife convinced him that no one else was there. The giant then went to feed the horses, but they would not let him get close. The giant grumbled that if his soul were in his body, the horses would have killed him. The wife cleverly asked him where his soul was. He told her it was in the Bonnach stone, near the edge of a cliff.

The next day, when the giant left, the wife carefully pushed the stone so it was steady on the ledge. She told the giant she was worried it might fall. The giant then said his soul was actually in the threshold of the cave's entrance. The wife cleaned the threshold, saying she wanted to keep his soul safe. The giant then revealed that a stone was under the threshold, and a sheep was under that stone. The sheep held a duck, the duck held an egg, and the egg held his soul.

The king and queen worked together. They moved the threshold and the stone. The sheep escaped, and the king called on the wild dog, who caught it. The duck escaped, and the king called on the falcon, who caught it. The egg rolled into the river, and the king called on the otter, who retrieved it. The queen then crushed the egg, which instantly killed the giant.

The king and queen went home, taking the giant's gold and silver with them. On their way, they visited and thanked the otter, the falcon, and the wild dog for their help.