e one loud groan and fell down at
once with terror and weakness. This was all Finn wanted, who now knew
that his most powerful and bitterest enemy was completely at his mercy.
He instantly started out of the cradle, and in a few minutes the great
Far Rua, that was for such a length of time the terror of him and all
his followers, was no more.

WILLIAM CARLETON.

The Ninepenny Fidil

My father and mother were Irish
And I am Irish too;
I bought a wee fidil for ninepence
And that is Irish too;
I'm up in the morning early
To meet the break of day,
And to the lintwhite's piping
The many's the tunes I play!

One pleasant eve in June-time
I met a lochrie man,
His face and hands were weazen,
His height was not a span.
He boor'd me for my fidil--
"You know," says he, "like you,
"My father and mother were Irish,
"And I am Irish too!"

He took my wee red fidil,
And such a tune he turned,
The Glaise in it whispered
The Lionan in it m'urned;
Says he, "My lad, you're lucky,
"I wisht I was like you,
"You're lucky in your birth-star,
"And in your fidil too!"

He gave me back my fidil,
My fidil-stick also,
And stepping like a May-boy,
He jumped the Lear-gaidh-knowe.
I never saw him after,
Nor met his gentle kind,
But whiles I think I hear him,
A-wheening in the wind!

JOSEPH CAMPBELL.

The Festivities at the House of Conan of Ceann Sleibhe

"Win victory and blessings, O Fionn," said Conan, "and tell me who was
the man that, having only one leg, one arm, and one eye, escaped from
you in consequence of his swiftness, and outstripped the Fenians of
Eire, and why is this proverb used, 'As Roc came to the house of
Fionn'?"

"I will tell you that," said Fionn. "One day the chief of the Fenians
and I went to Teamhair Luachra, and we took nothing in the chase that
same day but one fawn. When it had been cooked it was fetched to me for
the purpose of dividing it. I gave a portion of it to each of the Fenian
chiefs, and there remained none for my own share but a haunch bone.
Gobha Gaoithe, son of Ronan, presented himself, and requested me to
give him the haunch. I accordingly gave it to him. He then declared that
I gave him that portion on account of his swiftness of foot: and he went
out on the plain, but he had only gone a short distance when Caoilte,
son of Ronan, his own brother, overtook him, and brough