THE BOY WHO KNEW WHAT THE BIRDS SAID
with him and he started off on his journey with the cake, the crutch and the cure. He followed the Giant's tracks until they came down to the sea. Into the sea he flung his grandmother's crutch. It became a boat with masts and sails. He jumped into the boat, and the things that had to be done in a boat were done by him—
He hoisted the sails—the red sail, the black sail and the speckled sail,
He gave her prow to the sea and her stern to the land,
The blue sea was flashing,
The green sea was lashing,
But on they went with a breeze that he himself would have chosen,
And the little creatures of the sea sat up on their tails to watch his going.
and so he went until he came near the Green Island where Shamble-shanks the Giant who had carried off the three teeth of the King of Ireland had his Castle and his stronghold.
He fastened his boat where a boat should be fastened and he went through the Island until
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