Scottish Folk Tales for Children

by Paterson, Judy;

  So they set to and ground out salt all day and into the night.

  ‘May we rest now?’ the girls asked him.

  ‘Not until the holds of my ship are filled with fine white salt,’ he replied.

  So they set to and ground out salt all night until dawn and then all day until sunset and the ship grew heavier and heavier until it was so full of salt it just sank.

  Fenia and Menia are still grinding salt at the bottom of the ocean and that is why the sea is salty.

  The water between Orkney and the mainland of Scotland is known as the Pentland Firth where there is the whirlpool called the Swelkie. That whirlpool is caused by the giant mill Grotti, turning, turning, turning.

  The History of Kitty Ill Pretts

  FIFE

  Once there was a poor woman who had three daughters. No one remembers the names of the two eldest daughters but everyone remembers the name of the youngest, for she was called Kitty – Kitty Ill Pretts, since she loved to play pranks and was very, very clever.

  The poor woman fell ill and since she knew she was dying she called her daughters to her bedside.

  ‘When I am dead and gone I want you to go to the king’s palace to find work for yourselves. Who knows but you may find your fortunes,’ she said. ‘To you my eldest daughter I leave my pot and to you my second daughter I leave my pan. But Kitty, all I can leave you is half a bannock and my blessing.’

  So after the poor woman was dead and buried the three girls set off to the king’s palace, but the two eldest sisters were jealous of clever Kitty and they did not want her to come with them. They even threw stones at her to send her home but Kitty would not turn back. Instead she took a different path through the forest and when the elder sisters arrived at the palace Kitty was already there waiting for them.

  When the king heard there were three young girls looking for work he sent for them and asked the eldest sister, ‘What can you do?’

  She said, ‘I can shape and I can shew, many a braw thing I can do.’

  ‘Well, if you can cut and sew I shall send you to the seamstresses and you can make clothes,’ said the king.

  Then he asked the second sister, ‘What can you do?’

  She replied, ‘I can bake and I can brew, many a braw thing I can do.’

  ‘I like bread and beer so I shall send you to work in the kitchens,’ said the king.

  Last of all he asked Kitty, ‘What can you do?’

  And she answered, ‘Oh, I can do all of those things and many more besides. I can turn the moon into cream cheese and take the stars from out of the skies.’

  ‘Well I will have to think about a task for you Kitty,’ said the king, ‘but you can help your sisters in the meantime.’

  So the king set them to work in the palace and very soon he realised that Kitty was indeed very clever. One day the king called for her.

  ‘Kitty,’ he said, ‘there is a giant who lives across the Brig o’ ae Hair, the Bridge of One Hair, and he has a most wonderful sword, a magic Sword of Light. Oh Kitty, how dearly I would love to have that sword and if you were to fetch it for me, why, I would marry my eldest son to your eldest sister.’

  Now Kitty loved her sisters and she had long ago forgiven them and she wanted to make the king happy. She thought it would be a fine thing for her eldest sister to marry the prince and so she agreed. But before she left the palace, into the pockets of her apron she put some salt.

  She set off and crossed the Brig o’ ae Hair and she arrived at the giant’s house. It was dark and through the window she could see the giant stirring a great pot of porridge over the fire. Every so often he tasted the porridge to see if it was just the way he liked it.

  When Kitty saw this she climbed up on the roof and threw a handful of salt down the chimney into the giant’s porridge.

  The giant tasted his porridge again and said, ‘It’s too salty, it’s too salty!’

  Kitty threw more salt down the chimney and the giant stirred the porridge and tasted it once more, ‘Arrrgh! This porridge is far too salty!’ He called to the servant, ‘Take the Sword of Light and go to the well to fetch me some water.’

  The servant did as he was told and Kitty climbed down from the roof and crept behind him. When the servant stooped over the well to get the water, Kitty gave him a great push. He fell into the well but Kitty had grabbed the Sword of Light and she ran off as fast as she could.

  The giant wondered why the servant was taking so long and he went to the door just in time to see Kitty running away. Off went the giant after Kitty, and he ran and she ran and soon Kitty was across the Brig o’ ae Hair, BUT … as we all know a giant cannot cross a bridge of one hair. And this giant could not swim!

  So Kitty got back to the palace and the king was happy and he married his eldest son to her eldest sister.

  After a while, however, the king went to Kitty and said, ‘Kitty, I wish you would help me again. That giant has a most beautiful horse with a saddle all hung with silver bells and I really would love to have that horse. If you will get it for me I will marry my second son to your second sister.’

  Kitty thought it would be nice for her second sister to be married to the prince so she agreed to fetch the horse. But before she left, into the pockets of her apron she stuffed some straw.

  She crossed the Brig o’ ae Hair and arrived at the giant’s stable. There she found the magnificent horse with its beautiful saddle and round and round she went stuffing each and every silver bell with straw to keep them from tinkling. When she was done she mounted the horse and rode as fast as she could but the straw fell out of one of the bells and it began to tinkle. The giant heard it and came out of the house and ran as fast as he could but not fast enough to catch Kitty. She was across the Brig o’ ae Hair before him and of course, as we all know, a giant cannot cross a bridge of one hair.

  So Kitty got back to the palace and the king was very happy indeed and he married his second son to her second sister.

  For a long time the king seemed content but one day he went to Kitty and said, ‘Kitty I won’t be happy until I have one last thing from the giant. He has a beautiful bedspread, stitched with silver and gold and covered with precious stones and if you are clever enough to get this for me I shall marry you myself.’

  Now Kitty thought it might be nice to marry the king for then she would be … a queen! So she agreed. But, before she left, she slipped something into the pocket of her apron – I won’t tell you what it was because I know you will guess for yourself later on.

  She waited until it was dark and then crossed the Brig o’ ae Hair and arrived at the giant’s house. This time she went right into the house and hid under the bed with its beautiful cover. By and by the giant and his wife went to bed and fell asleep. Kitty reached out and gave the bedcover a pull.

  ‘Be still,’ said the angry giant and he gave his wife a great shove.

  ‘It’s not me, it’s not me,’ replied his wife meekly.

  Kitty waited until they had gone back to sleep and she gave the bedcover another pull and again the giant roared at his wife to be still.

  ‘It’s not me, it’s not me,’ replied his wife, almost crying.

  Again Kitty waited until they were asleep but this time she gave the bedcover such a great pull that it came off altogether and the giant woke up with a roar and jumped out of bed to see what was causing all the trouble.

  Of course he soon found Kitty under the bed and he dragged her out by the hair on her head and he was so stupid he actually asked Kitty what he should do with her.

  ‘Now Kitty if you were me and I was you, what would you do with me?’

  ‘Oh if I was you I would make me a big bowl of porridge and make me eat it until it came out of my eyes and my nose and my ears. Then I would tie me up in a sack and I would go into the forest and cut down a tree and bring it back and then I’d beat the sack with it until I was dead,’ Kitty said.

  ‘Well,’ said the giant, ‘that is what I shall do to you.’


  So he made a great bowl of porridge and gave Kitty a spoon and he waited to see how long it would be before it came out of her eyes and her nose and her ears.

  But clever Kitty said, ‘I like honey on my porridge,’ and as soon as the giant turned away, Kitty threw some of the porridge over her face and when the foolish giant looked back he really did think she’d eaten so much porridge it was coming from out of her eyes and her nose and her ears.

  ‘Aha, Kitty Ill Pretts,’ he laughed, ‘I know what to do now!’ and he put Kitty into a sack tied it up and went into the forest to chop down a tree.

  As soon as he was gone, from out of her pocket Kitty took … a pair of scissors! She cut a hole in the sack and crept out. She caught the giant’s wife, his cow, his pig, his ducks and hens, his dog and his cat and put them all into the sack and tied it up again. She bundled up the beautiful bedspread and ran off with it.

  The giant returned to his house with a tree and he began to beat the sack. There was such a dreadful noise: the wife screamed, the cow moo’d, the pig squealed, the ducks quacked, the hens clucked, the dog barked and the cat mewed and they all cried out, ‘It’s me, it’s me!’

  ‘What a great noise you make Kitty! I know it’s you,’ said the silly giant and he just carried on beating that sack until at last his wife roared out.

  ‘It’s your wife in here you stupid great oaf! Kitty Ill Pretts tricked you!’

  Now the giant was in such a rage he put on his seven league boots and ran after Kitty but he arrived too late for Kitty was already on the other side of the Brig o’ae Hair, quite safe, and as we all know a giant cannot cross a bridge of one hair.

  ‘Oh Kitty,’ said the stupid giant, ‘tell me how I can get over the river for I cannot cross the bridge and I cannot swim.’

  ‘Get a rope and tie a stone to one end of it and tie a bag of gold in the middle of it and you hold the other end. Then throw the end with the stone to me and I shall pull you across the river,’ answered Kitty.

  So the giant ran home and was back in no time with the sack of gold and the rope. He did just what Kitty had told him and tied a stone on one end of the rope, the sack of gold in the middle of the rope and he grabbed the other end of it.

  ‘Throw me the end with the stone,’ called Kitty, ‘get into the river and I will pull you across!’

  The giant did as he was told and Kitty pulled and pulled on the rope. She pulled and pulled until she reached the sack of gold. She untied it then she let the rope go and the giant fell over into the water and that was the end of him!

  Kitty ran back to the palace with the gold and the beautiful bedspread all covered with jewels. The king was mighty pleased to have the magnificent bedspread and the sack of gold but he was even happier to have his clever Kitty home safe and sound.

  So Kitty married the king and they lived happy and never drank from a dry cappy.

  The King’s Gift

  LOWLANDS

  One day King Malcolm was resting in his great hall at the end of a day’s hunting when there was a knock at the door and his steward came in.

  ‘Excuse me Sire, there is a man outside bringing you a gift,’ he said.

  King Malcolm liked nothing better than a gift and told the steward to show the man in. He was surprised to see such a poor looking man and even more surprised to be given such a lovely gift, a box carved with hunting scenes. There were huntsmen on horses with dogs running ahead chasing a stag, all beautifully carved round the edges of the box. As the king turned the box he heard something rattling inside. He lifted the lid and there was a silver bowl, beautifully decorated and inside the bowl he saw the words: ‘Give this to the one you love.’

  It was a most unusual gift and he thanked the man and asked the steward to ensure he was given wine and a good meal.

  During the evening the king looked at the gift again and again, admiring the fine carving on the box and thinking about those words inside the silver bowl. How he would love to keep it! But finally he knew what he had to do.

  He loved the queen and so, in the morning, he asked his steward to take the gift to Queen Margaret, who was delighted to receive a gift from her husband. She looked at the box carved so beautifully with hunting scenes. She smiled for she knew how much the king loved hunting. Then she heard something rattle inside the box and when she opened it there she found the silver bowl. It was charming and when she looked inside she saw the words: ‘Give this to the one you love.’

  The queen was puzzled for this was a gift she could not keep! All morning she wondered about those words until she knew what she had to do. She would give it to the Captain of the Guard for he served her faithfully and protected them all. She called for the steward who took the box to the Captain of the Guard.

  The Captain of the Guard was very surprised to receive such a fine gift from the queen. He admired the finely carved box and when he opened it he found the silver bowl. Then he saw the words: ‘Give this to the one you love.’

  He would really have liked to keep the queen’s gift and all afternoon he wondered what to do until at last he knew. There was a pretty maid who worked in the kitchens and she always smiled so sweetly at him. So he took the box down to the kitchens and gave it to the maid who blushed with joy and bobbed him a curtsy, but the cook came by and sent him away.

  The maid looked at the wonderful box. She had never received a gift before and this gift was special indeed. She looked at the carvings and opened the box and found the silver bowl. It was perfect but when she looked inside she saw scratching.

  The cook looked over her shoulder and said, ‘That is writing! There are words inside the bowl. Take it to the monk at the Abbey and he will read it to you.’

  So the maid took it to the monk, who admired the extraordinary box and silver bowl and then he read the words: ‘Give this to the one you love.’

  The maid returned to the castle and wondered what to do. She would like to keep this gift but she could not. She thought and thought until at last she knew just what to do.

  The king was in the great hall seated by the fire when there was a knock at the door and his steward came in.

  ‘Excuse me Sire, there is a maid outside bringing you a gift,’ he said.

  King Malcolm was surprised but he asked the steward to show the maid in and after she bobbed him a curtsey he asked her, ‘Why would you bring me a gift?’

  The maid replied, ‘You have given me work, food and shelter and I am very happy here at the castle and I love my king.’

  She gave the king the carved box and slipped out of the hall while he turned that box round and round admiring the fabulous hunting scenes. The king smiled as he opened the box and took out the silver bowl, glancing at the words inscribed inside. He walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of wine and he filled the silver bowl with water.

  Then he gave it to his favourite hunting hound.

  The Green Man of Knowledge

  ABERDEENSHIRE

  Jack lived with his mother, a widow who kept pigs, and while she worked hard, he did not. In fact Jack spent his days sitting beside the fire playing cards with his dog, a big old Highland Collie. No one could tell if the dog really played cards and of course people thought Jack was a nitwit, a fool with no sense at all.

  On the day that Jack turned twenty-one he got up from the fireside and stretched. He was a tall young man and the clothes he had worn for years no longer fitted him, so he looked quite odd with his trousers up round his knees and his shirt sleeves at his elbows.

  ‘Mother,’ Jack said, ‘away you go to feed your pigs. I’m away to seek my fortune.’

  ‘Oh Jack, you daft laddie! You’ve never been past the gate and you’ll get lost. Away and play with your doggie.’

  Well they argued for a bit but when his mother had turned her back Jack was out of the house, across the farmyard and out of the gate. He was in an unknown world and he didn’t know where he was or where to go, so he kept walking down the road until he reached a crossr
oads with a signpost. One of the signs read: To the Land of Enchantment. And that’s the road Jack took.

  Jack had been walking for some time and he was feeling very hungry, wishing now he had asked his mother for a bannock or something to eat along the way. Just ahead he saw a horse trough all covered with moss and when he reached it he was pleased to see it was filled with water. There was a wee robin sitting on the edge. Jack bent down to take a drink.

  ‘Hello Jack,’ said the robin.

  ‘Goodness me, a bird speaking! I’ve never heard a bird speak before. Why are you speaking?’ asked Jack.

  ‘Jack, you are in the Land of Enchantment where everyone can speak and understand each other – birds, animals and people,’ said the robin.

  ‘Well if I hadn’t heard it with my own ears I never would have believed a bird could speak,’ said Jack. ‘But how do you know my name?’

  ‘Oh Jack, we knew you were coming. We’ve been waiting twenty-one years for you,’ said the robin.

  ‘Well that was a long wait,’ said Jack. ‘You know what I’d like birdie,’ he said, ‘I could do with something to eat.’

  ‘Follow me, Jack,’ said the wee robin as it flitted off down the road.

  They came to a lovely black-thatched cottage where an old woman sat rocking to and fro in a rocking chair. Jack thought she must be at least a hundred years old.

  ‘Go on in and get your supper, Jack,’ said the old woman.

  So he went inside and what a sight met his eyes! There was a table laden with a bowl of hot, steaming porridge, the best he’d ever tasted, plates of scones and oatcakes and a great jug of ale, all served by the old woman’s lovely granddaughter. When he could eat no more she asked if he would like to go to sleep, and of course he was very tired after his long walk, so she took him to a room with a great feather bed.

  As soon as he lay down he was fast asleep, but he woke during the night and found he was lying on three peats covered with a sheepskin. Jack thought it was strange but it was still better than lying in the ashes beside the fire at his mother’s house. However, in the morning he woke up in the fine feather bed.