The Giant of the Causeway

In olden days there was a feudal castle on the site where now stand the

Causeway and Giant’s Mount, in the town of Brussels.

A giant lived in this castle who is reputed to have been over nine feet

high.

This noble giant was generally beloved and esteemed, for in spite of his

capricious and brusque character, he was ever ready to exert his

superhuman strength in the defence of the weak. He rebuked the powerful,

exterminated brigands and robbers, and cleared the roads of highwaymen.

From the tower of his castle, which he had built on high ground, he had

a commanding view of the surrounding country.

He never left his castle except to inflict punishment on the wicked, or

in order to protect the weak.

He consecrated all his leisure to his dear and beautiful daughter Helen.

She was his only child by his beloved wife, who died in giving her

birth.

From her childhood Helen was accustomed to a secluded life and had never

left the castle grounds. In summer she amused herself with her sewing on

the top of the tower.

One day, when her father was scouring the country, she ventured to take

a little walk in the Valley of the Brook. She had only taken a few steps

outside the castle grounds when, on turning the corner of a little path,

she found herself face to face with a knight in armour, of comely

appearance.

As soon as the latter saw Helen, he stood still, spellbound by the youth

and beauty of the young girl. He loved her at first sight, and bewitched

by her shy, maidenly demeanour, flung himself at her feet. Helen, for

her part, stood bewildered at these demonstrations of respect and

adoration.

Suddenly her father appeared, followed by four prisoners he had

captured. He was leading them by a cord. He took in the situation at a

glance, and said to the knight, who was lost in contemplation of the

young maiden, “How dare you kneel at my daughter’s feet?”

“Sire,” replied the knight, “pardon me, I pray you. I love your

daughter, and love has drawn me to her feet.”

Helen trembled, for she had also fallen in love.

“Who are you?” asked the giant.

He questioned the knight in such a severe manner that the maiden

shivered, and blushing with shame took her father’s hand, murmuring

words only intelligible to him.

“I am Harry of Housestone,” replied the young man; “I was knighted by

Lothario.”

“That is sufficient; be quite frank with me.”

“I see your gentle daughter for the first time. The sight of her fills

me with a happiness which radiates through all my being. I feel that

without her life is not worth living. If, sire, I am fortunate enough to

have won her favour, I pray you to give me her hand.”

“You are worthy to be my son-in-law,” replied the giant. “However, I

have sworn that I will only give her in marriage to whoever shall be

able to construct a paved roadway in a single night. The next day at

dawn he must be able to take her on horseback down the Causeway bordered

by columns to St. George’s Chapel.”

After this speech he glanced ironically at the knight, and taking Helen

by the hand led her home. As she was about to cross the threshold the

young maiden cast a sad and tender glance at the Knight of Housestone,

who was completely disheartened by the giant’s impossible demands.

“Let me consider,” said the young lover, suddenly raising his head, “if

there is a way to perform this task.”

But by the time he had estimated the length of the ground and the depth

of the ravine on which he had to construct a paved way in a single

night, and had realized the impossibility of carting the necessary

stones for the colonnade, he groaned and sighed in dire despair.

“Night is falling,” he cried; “I will try my last resource. I will go

and see if the miners who work in my uncle’s copper-mines could do this

work before dawn.”

He at once started off to the Sunny Wood; he summoned the overseers and

asked them if they could build a paved roadway from the Giant’s Castle

to the town gates in a single night.

The overseers answered him that it would take at least a year, employing

a thousand workmen a day, to execute such a work.

Harry, in deep dismay, took his homeward road, completely overwhelmed by

his misfortunes. On the way he saw a little black-haired man, with a

tall green hat and white pointed beard, leaning against a tree. He was

not more than three feet high. He looked at the young knight with

flaming eyes.

“You look sorrowful, Knight of Housestone; no mortal power can help you

in your distress ... but if you like I can overcome your difficulties.”

“Oh, whoever you may be, you are very welcome,” replied the knight,

holding out his hand. “But who are you?”

“I am the spirit of the copper-mines your uncle is working. I live in

the underground caves, and his excavations are a source of great

annoyance to me. If you will promise that the mining shall cease, that

the galleries and shafts shall be filled in, in order that I and my

companions may live in peace in the bowels

of the earth, we will this night construct the road and the colonnade

demanded by the giant. To-morrow you will marry Helen.”

“I can promise no such thing, for my uncle has a son who is heir to all

he possesses.”

“His son, who was a good-for-nothing, was killed this morning by a

man-at-arms whom he had had flogged yesterday. You are now your uncle’s

sole heir.”

After saying a prayer for the repose of the soul of his cousin, Harry

placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword, and holding out the other

to the dwarf, he said, “I swear to do as you request immediately after

my uncle’s death.”

“Enough,” replied the dwarf, “to-morrow at dawn repair to the spot where

the road should begin, and all you will have to do is to fetch your

bride.”

About midnight a terrible storm arose, the wind rooted up the tall

trees, and the thunder rolled.

Helen, aroused by these alarming sounds, shaking with fear, got up and

sought protection in her father’s room.

“Do not be alarmed, my child,” the giant said softly, “it is the devil

chasing some wild beast of the forest.”

“But do you not hear the sound of hammers, the rumbling of wheelbarrows,

and confused noises, as though a crowd of men were at work?”

“It is possible,” replied the giant, looking out of the window; “but if

Housestone is attempting to perform the task I set him, he must be mad.”

As he shut the window again a puff of wind blew out the lamp. At the

same moment the storm abated, and all was calm and still as on other

nights.

Helen had not a moment’s rest. At daybreak she ran up to the tower. Her

surprise and joy were boundless when she saw a magnificent archway

glittering in front of the castle, and beyond it stretched a splendid

road, at the end of which she saw Harry of Housestone mounted on a black

horse, followed by a beautiful white ambling nag, led by two pages.

On hearing her joyous cries her father appeared. All the giant had

demanded was done. The Knight of Housestone was married to Helen the

same day, and on his uncle’s death he faithfully fulfilled his promise

to the dwarf of the underworld. He ordered the shafts and galleries to

be filled up in the copper-mines, and to this day no one has been able

to discover where they are.