( 467 ) 

 THE GIANT'S STAIRS. 



AN IRISH STORY. 



NOT far from Cork is Blackrock, and not far from Blackrock is 

 Passage, and not far from Passage are the Giant's Stairs. These 

 consist of huge masses of rock, which have been piled upon one 

 another by Nature so wildly and strangely as to resemble the steps 

 which a giant would lake were he to make a progress from the 

 ground-floor up to the top story. 



It so happened] that on a fine summer's evening, as three jolly 

 fishermen were sitting on the shore between Blackrock and Passage, 

 and were laughing at each other's jokes, they chose for the subject of 

 their conversation these wonderful stairs, and one of the party elicited 

 stares of another description from his companions by the following 

 display of his knowledge on the subject in question. 



" I've heard," said he (pausing and looking round, to be certain that 

 none were by but themselves) I've haard that a giant once lived in 

 that rock, and that he was very good to the poor fishermen, and the 

 like, and that if they tuck no fish if they went to his home in the rock 

 at night and brought with them some illigant present, he'd be polite 

 enough the next morning to whirl the mackerel into their boats by 

 bucketsfull." " By de powers," says another, " this same giant must 

 be a very proper gintleman.*' " You may say that with your purty 

 mouth, and tell no lie neither," rejoined the first spokesman. " It's 

 a pity he an't just living there now," observed the third. " Och ! 

 and t he may," said the first, " and if I knew the boys that would 

 attind me" (said the second), "but I'll go." " And so will I too," 

 said the third. " Why then it looks," (said the first), " as if we'd all 

 go ; now I'll tell you what we'll do boys its getting dark, we'll loose 

 the boat, and we'll be offjust now."* 



This being agreed upon, after smoking a pipe or two more they 

 proceeded towards the boat, and having entered it were speedily 

 floating towards the place of their destination. The night set in 

 darker than usual, and the beauteous scenery on each side of the 

 river became mingled in huge masses of shadow. In Passage they 

 beheld a few moving lights, which only served to make this place of 

 ruin more discernible ; they soon glided by it, and all was perfect 

 silence, the light dipping of their own oars and the gentle and distant 

 rolling of the tide on the shore, were all that they heard, saving the 

 comforting tones of their own voices. At length they beheld rising 

 in rugged solemnity and grandeur the Giant's Stairs. Each looked at 

 his companion significantly, as much as to say, "We have reached 

 the place where our adventures are to begin." They then proceeded 

 to near in to the shore, the boat now grated along the pebbly shelving 

 of the river, and Paddeen (which was the name of the proposer of 

 this expedition) valorously leapt on the land. His two companions 



* A phrase invariably used in Ireland for by-and-bye. 



