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o b'éigin do'n mháistir imeacht agus nuair a fuair Seán imithe é, chomáin sé leis na ba
isteach sa choill arís. Dhein sé dithneas maith go ndeachaidh sé go cúirt na n-athach. Fuair sé
culaidh airm agus eadaigh an tarna hathaigh agus do chuir sé uime iad. Chomáin sé leis go dtí an
stábla agus fuair sé capall an athaigh cheanna agus rug sé ar a cleith ansan. Tháinig sé i n-áirde
ar an gcapall agus rug sé ar a chleith ansan agus bhí imeacht neamh-chotianta fé. Bhí malairt
datha ar an gcapall agus malairt datha ar a chulaith airm agus eadaigh ná raibh inné roimhe sin.
Thug sé aghaidh a chapall ar an gcnoc agus fé dhein an chuain agus ba ró-gheárr an mhoill air
dá shroisint. Bhí na háird go léir, timcheall an chuain, dubh le daoinibh agus bhí an bhean óg
ceangailte san áit ceanna roimis go raibh sí inné. Dhein Seán ceann ar aghaidh isteach ag triall
uirthi agus d'fhiafraigh sé dhi cad é an chúis go raibh sí ansan. D'innis sí dho mar d'innis sí do'n
ghaiscioch inne roimhe sin agus duirt sí gur tháinig gaiscioch inne do shabháil í agus go raibh
súil aici go dtiocfaidh sé inniu agus go sabhalfadh sí arís í.
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47. The master had to go and when Seán found him absent,
he drove the cows into the forest again.
He made good speed until he came to the giant's castle and he got the suit of armour belonging to
the second giant and he put it on. He carried on until he came to the stable and he got the horse
which belonged to that giant, grabbed his club then mounted and set off at a great speed. His horse
was a different colour from the day before as was his armour and he turned his horse's head towards
the hill and the little harbour and it wasn't long before he got there. The whole hillside around the
harbour was packed with people and the young lady was tied in the same place that she had been
the day before. Seán rode straight over to her and asked her why she was tied there like that and
she explained the situation to him, as she had told the hero of the previous day, and then she told
how a brave young man had come to save her and that she had great hopes that he would come
again today.
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48. "Má thigeann an fear inné," ars' an gaiscioch, "leigfaidh mé do féinig agus do'n pheist a
chéile a throid agus mara dtiocfaidh, deanfaidh mé féin mo dhicheall duit." "Dealruigheann tú a
ghaiscigh," ars' ise, " go bhfuileann tú cortha agus tar anuas ded' chapall agus ceangail do'n chrann
san thall í agus leig do cheann im' ucht mar tá uair an chloig fós sar a dtiocfaidh an phiast." Le
linn é teacht anuas d'á chapall anuas, chonnaic sí an chleith agus d'aithin sí gur bh'é an fear
céanna é do shabháil inne í agus bhí ana-athas uirthe. Nuair a bhí an chapall ceangailte aige,
leig sé a cheann 'n-a hucht agus leig sé air titim 'na shámh-chodladh. Do thóg sí an hata d'á
cheann agus chonnaic sí ionad an loca gruaige do bhain sí as inné roimhe sin. Fuair sí deimheas
beag agus bhain sí loca eile dhe agus chuir sí chúiche go daingeann i gcoimeád é. Nuair a bhí an
uair suas, ghlaoch sí ar an ngaiscioch agus duirt sí leis eirigh 'n-a shuí go raibh an aimsir caithte
agus gur cheart do'n phéist bheith anseo anois.
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48. "If the man who came yesterday comes," the hero said, "I'll leave them alone to fight together
but if he doesn't come, I myself will do my best for you." "You must be tired after your journey.
Why don't you get down off your horse and tie it to the post then come and lay your head on my
breast, because there is an hour yet before the monster is due to come." Whilst he was getting down
off his horse, she saw his club and she recognised that he was the same man from yesterday and she
as delighted. When he had tethered his horse, he laid his head on her breast and let on that he had
fallen fast asleep. She lifted his hat and saw the place where she had cut off the lock of hair the
previous day. She got the little scissors and cut another lock off and hid it safely. When the hour
was up, she called him and told him that he should get up to his feet because the time was gone and
the monster should be coming any time now.
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49. D'eirigh sé agus d'imigh sé go dtí bruach na fairrge agus ní fheacaidh sé an phiast ag teacht. I
gcionn suim aimsire thug sé fé ndeara an fhairrge ag corriu acht ní raibh sí leath comh garbh a's
bhí sí inné roimhe sin. I gcionn beagáin aimsire, thug sé fé ndeara an phiast ag teacht agus ná
raibh sí leath comh laidir a's bhí sí inné. Nuair a chonnaic sé comh lag í dhruid sé leath-taoibh
uaithe agus leig sé d'á leath teacht amach as an bport. Le n-a linn sin, do bhuail sé buille d'á
chleith uirthe. Bhí uain aige an tarna buille do bheith buailte aige sar ar shrois léi titim isteach sa
bhfairrge - agus is í bhí go lag ana-bhfáinneach ag imeacht.. D'fhan sé 'n-a sheasamh ansan go
raibh deimhneach ná tiocfadh an phiast a thuilleadh an lá san. Ansan, d'iompaigh sé amach agus
ghearr sé na córdai do bhí ag ceangal na mná óige agus duirt sé léi dul abhaile. D'iompaigh sé
f'ein i dtreo a chapaill agus nuair a chonnaic sí ag imeacht é duirt sí leis gan imeacht uaithe agus
dul i n-einfheacht léi féin agus le n-a hathair abhaile i gcomhair na hoiche le heagla go
gcoimeádfadh aon ní amáireach é gan teacht.
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49. He got up and went to the water's edge but he couldn't see the monster coming. After a while,
he noticed that the sea was disturbed but it wasn't half as rough as it had been the previous day. In a
short while he noticed the monster coming but she wasn't half as strong as it had been the day
before. When he saw how weak the monster was, he half turned away and lifted himself up to his
full height then he hit her with his club. He wanted to hit her a second time before she was able to
come out of the sea and while she was weak and retreating. He stayed standing there until he was
certain that the monster wasn't going to return that day. Then he he turned and cut the cords that
were fastening the young lady and told her to go home. He turned and went to his horse then, and
when she saw him going she pleaded with him not to leave her but to come with her to her father
and to spend the night there, for fear that something might prevent him from coming back the next
day.
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50. "ó ní raghad abhaile i n-aon chor libh," a duirt an gaiscioch, ag eirí de leim ó'n dtalamh agus
ag dul ar dhrom a chapall. Thug sé a aghaidh ar an gncoc arís agus as go brach leis go dtáinig sé
go cúirt na n-athach. Chuir sé a chapall isteach i stabla agus bhain sé dhe féin a chulaidh airm
agus eadaigh. Chuir sé uime na seana-eadaigh a bhíodh i gcomhnui air agus chomáin sé leis
abhaile na ba. Bhí sé ana-dhéanach nuair a tháinig an máistir abhaile an oiche sin. Bhí ochras a
dhóthain ar Sheán tar éis an lae agus é ag feitheamh leis chun a shuipéir a thabhairt do. Chrom
an máistir ar chursaí an lae innsint do Sheán ar an obair a dhein an gascioch agus ar an gcuma gur
throid sé an phiast thar cheann ingine an rí. "éist do bheal," arsa Seán,"Is cuma liom-sa mar
gheall ar do ghaiscioch ná ar t'inion an rí, acht tabhair dhom mo shuipéir - agus táim ag tabhairt
furáilimh duit gan bheith comh déanach aon oiche eile uaim." Fuair Seán a shuipéir agus chuaidh
sé a chodla.
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50. "Oh, I won't go home with you at all," said the hero, jumping staight off the ground and onto his
horse's back. He faced for the hill again and off with him until heme to the Giant's court. He put the
horse in the stable and took off the weapons and armour, then he put on his old clothes that he
always wore and he went off driving the cows home. It was very late when the master came home
that night and Seán was hungry enough after the day waiting for his supper. The master began to
tell of the great work the hero had done and how he had fought the monster because of the king's
daughter. "Shut up," said Se/.an, " I'm just not interested in your hero or your king's daughter, but
give me my supper - and I'm warning you not to be as late for me on any other night." Seán got his
supper and then he went to bed.
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51. Ar maidin amáireach, nuair do bhí na ba crúite, scaoil Seán amach iad agus seo 'n-a dhiadh
an máistir ag iarraidh é bhreith ag feachaint ar chath an lae sin. Má is eadh, beagán toradh thug
Seán air acht a bha a chomáint leis agus nuair a fuair sé an máistir imithe, scaoil sé isteach sa
choill arís iad. D'imigh sé air go dtí cuirt na n-athach. Chuir sé air culaidh airm agus eadaigh na
seana-mhná agus fuair an t-each caol bán a bhí aici. Do bhí an t-each agus an chulaidh airm ar
aon dath amháin agus do bhí an t-each san comh mear agus go mbearfadh sí ar an ngaoith a bhí
roimpe agus ní bhearfadh an ghaoth a bhí 'na diadh uirrthe. Phreab Seán i n-airde ar an each agus
níor bh'é a dhearmhad a chleith a bhreith leis mar ba ghnath. Thug sé a aghaidh ar an gcnoch arís
agus as go brach leis go ndeachaidh sé go dtí an cuan. Nuair a chonnaic na daoine go leir a bhí
bailighthe mór-thimpeall an chuan é, shileadar gur duine ó'n tsaol eile é. D'fhoscluigheadar
casán tríotha isteach chun gur dheachaidh sé go dtí an bhean óg a bhí ceangailte do'n chrann.

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51. Next morning, when the cows had been milked, Seán turned them loose and immediately, out
came the master wanting to take him with him to see the battle that day.
Well, if he did, it's small
profit he got for his pains from Seán. When he got the master gone, he drove the cows down and
into the forest again. He went then to the giants' court and dressed himself with the armour and
weapons of the old woman and got her slim, white horse. Horse and equipment were all of the same
colour and the horse was so swift that it could catch up with the wind that was in front of it and the
wind behind wouldn't be able to catch up with it. Seán sprang up onto the steed and he didn't forget
to bring his club with him as usual. He turned his face towards the hill and set off for the harbour.
When all the people who were gathered all around the harbour saw him, they thought that he must
be from another world. They opened a path through for him so that he could go to the young lady
who was tied to the post.
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52. Comh luath a's do sheas sé 'n-a fianaise, d'fheach sí ar gach aon phioc de agus b'fhada i n-aon
chor gur aithin sí é. Nior aithin go dtí go bhfeacaidh sí an chleith agus nior leig sí pioc uirthe.
D'fhiafraigh sé dhi cad do bhí deanta as an slí aici gur ceangluigheadh ansan í. Thainig sí i
dtosach a scéil agus d'innis sí dho e trid síos agus duirt sí gur tháinig gaiscioc inné agus
gascioch arú inné a dhéin í cosaint ar an bpéist agus go raibh súil aici mara dtiocfadh aoinne aca
san inniu go ndeanfadh sé sin í coisaint. "Deanfaidh mé mo dhicheall duit," ars' an gaiscioc,
"mara dtiocfaidh aoinne eile." "B'fhéidir go bhfuilann tú cortha," ars' ise, "agus tar anuas ded'
chapall agus ceangail do'n chrann san thall é agus leig do cheann im' ucht, mar is fada fós go
dtiocfaidh an phiast." Do tháinig agus dhein sé mar a duirt sí leis. Leig sé a cheann 'n-a h-ucht
agus leig sé air titim 'n-a dhubh-codladh. Nuair a shamhlaigh an bhean og go raibh sé titithe 'na
chodladh, thóg sí suas an hata d'á cheann agus chonnaic sí an dá locha do bhí bainte as a cheann
roimhe sin aice. D'aimsigh sí a deimheas ar'is agus bhain sí an triu loca as agus chuir sí chúiche i
gcoimead é.
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52. As soon as he came into her presence, she looked over every bit of him and it was long before
she recognised him at all. Indeed she didn't recognise him until she saw his club and she didn't let
on at all. He enquired as to what she had done that she was tied there. She began to go through her
story then she told him that a hero had come yesterday and another the day before yesterday to
protect her from the monster and that she hoped that he would come again today to protect her. "I
will do my best for you," said the hero, "unless anyone else comes." "Perhaps you are worn out,
tired," she said, "Come down from your horse and tie it to that post and lay your head on my breast,
because it is a long time yet before the monster is due to come." He got down and did as she said to
him and laid his head on her breast and he let on that he was fast asleep. When the young lady
thought that he had fallen asleep, she lifted the hat from his head and she saw the two places where
she had cut the locks from his head previously. She got the little scissors again and cut a third lock
and hid it secretly.
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