‘Thou hadst best get on top of me, then.’
He did this, and at the first leap John was to earth. ‘Foil! foil!’ says John. ‘What! thou art not bad at the trade thyself. Thou hadst best come back till we try thee again.’
And with nails and teeth he fastened on the bear, till they reached the end of the two hundred miles and a giant’s house.
‘Now, John,’ said the bear, ‘thou shalt go to pass the night in this giant’s house. Thou wilt find him pretty grumpy, but say thou that it was the Brown Bear of the Green Glen that set thee here for a night’s share, and don’t thou be afraid that thou wilt not get share and comfort.’
And he left the bear to go to the giant’s house. [[274]]
‘Son of Erin’s king,’ says the giant, ‘thy coming was in the prophecy; but if I did not get thy father, I have got his son. I don’t know whether I will put thee in the earth with my feet or in the sky with my breath.’
‘Thou wilt do neither of either,’ said John, ‘for it is the Brown Bear of the Green Glen that set me here.’
‘Come in, son of Erin’s king,’ said he, ‘and thou shalt be well taken to this night.’
And as he said, it was true. John got meat and drink without stint. But to make a long tale short, the bear took John day after day to the third giant. ‘Now,’ says the bear, ‘I have not much acquaintance with this giant, but thou wilt not be long in his house when thou must wrestle with him. And if he is too hard on thy back, say then, “If I had the Brown Bear of the Green Glen here, that was thy master.” ’
As soon as John went in, ‘Ai! ai!! or ee! ee!!’ says the giant. ‘If I did not get thy father, I have got his son.’