FOLK-LORE FROM UNST. 223 



built brochs, which were always made so that one flat 

 stone covered the top, and no one can tell how far 

 down in the earth the lower rooms went ; for the Picts, 

 after finishing the tops of their habitations, continued 

 to add vaults and cells and passages innumerable 

 underneath the ground. They never provided more 

 food than what was required for the day's wants, and 

 after supper they always said — 



' He that was in Bethlehem born. 

 Will provide for us the morn.' 



They brewed a kind of spirit from the heather flowers, 

 and this spirit was so much liked that many nations 

 tried to make it, but the Picts kept the secret of ' how 

 to do it ' to themselves. By-and-by the Norsemen 

 came unexpectedly and killed all the peace-loving 

 Picts except one man and his son. They were spared, 

 that the conquerors might be instructed in the art of 

 brewing spirits from heather tops. At first both the 

 Picts refused to tell, but after torture was applied, the 

 father said, * Kill the lad, and then I'll tell you.' The 

 sea-kings did as the father desired. 'Now,' said he, 

 triumphantly, ' you can kill me, slow or fast ; it is all 

 one. You shall never learn the secrets of our race 

 from the last of the Picts. My son might have been 

 tempted to reveal them, but there is no fear of that 

 now: — 



' Kill slow or kill fast, 

 Death man come at last. ' 



And that was the end of the Picts in Shetland." 



