The Giant’s Stairs (An Irish Legend)

4.8

Once upon a time there lived a noble lord and his lady. They had a little son. He was seven years old and his name was Philip. He had no brothers or sisters and so felt very lonely. He often ran after butterflies in the beautiful gardens. The butterflies and the flowers were his only friends.

One afternoon, however, Philip was missing, and nobody could think where he was. Servants were sent along all the roads, but they came home without hearing anything of the little boy.

“I’ll give a lot of money to any man who will bring my son back,” said his father.

But nobody could find Philip.

Now, at this time there lived in the village a blacksmith whose name was Robin Kelly — a merry fellow who could shoe a horse better than any man in Ireland. One night Robin had a strange dream. He dreamed that Philip came to him in the middle of the night and spoke to him. The boy was very sad, and his eyes were full of tears.

“The giant Mahon made me his slave,” Philip said to Robin. “All the little stolen boys are kept for seven years in his palace among the rocks near the village. After that they are sent far away to another of the giant’s palaces. My seven years of service end tonight and, if you can find me before morning, I shall be saved.”

In the morning, when Robin woke up, he decided to try to find Philip. He knew many strange stories about the giant Mahon. The people in the village often talked about the Giant’s Stairs. This was the name which they gave to great rocks which rose from the sea like stairs. But nobody knew where the stairs led.

Soon the blacksmith was ready to go. At the last moment he decided to take his big hammer with him.

“The giant may give me Philip more readily if he sees this,” he said to himself.

It was already night when Robin reached the Giant’s Stairs. He began to look for a door, but it was so dark that he could not find it.

“I am too late,” he said to himself. But at that moment he saw a small light on the rock. It grew larger and larger, and a door slowly opened. Robin ran up to the door and boldly came in with the hammer in his hand.

Suddenly he heard a great noise and felt as if the rocks were going to swallow him up for ever. But nothing happened.

“Robin, Robin,” he said to himself, “why didn’t you stay at home and forget all about giants and lost children?”

Just then he saw a small light in the darkness. He went towards it, until he came at last to a great hall. Through the open door Robin could see several giants sitting round a great stone table. At the head of the table sat the great Mahon himself. There was dust everywhere, and some of it got into Robin’s nose, for he suddenly sneezed loudly.

Mahon looked up and saw Robin.

“What are you doing here?” he roared.

“I have come,” answered Robin, “to take young Philip, whose time of service ends tonight. Are you going to keep him longer?”

“Ho-ho! You speak very boldly,” said the giant with a laugh which made everything around shake. “If you came for him, then you must find him among my pages; but if you point to the wrong boy, you will die. Follow me.”

He led Robin into another great hall. Robin saw many children there, all about seven years old. Each of them was dressed in green, and they all looked very much alike.

“It will not be easy to find Philip among them,” thought Robin.

He walked slowly along the hall together with the giant. Suddenly Robin decided to try to make friends with Mahon.

“If I speak to him nicely,” he thought, “he will help me to find Philip.”

“Well, the children all look nice and healthy,” he said to the giant. “I see you take good care of them.”

“You speak the truth,” said the giant with a terrible smile on his face. “Give me your hand for you are a very honest fellow.”

But Robin did not give him his hand, he gave him his hammer instead. The giant took it and immediately broke it. When the children saw this, they burst into laughter.

As they laughed. Robin heard that some boy called his name. He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder and said, “Let me live or die for it, but this is our Philip.”

“It is Philip, happy Philip,” cried the other children; and in a moment the hall became dark. But Robin took Philip in his arms and rushed out of the hall and down the passage.