Please note that this series of caches will be archived on 31 December 2021 and the containers uplifted. Please complete any site visits before that date.
Munro's continuing Adventures
“C’mon Corbett!” Munro called from a heathery tuft at the top of the hill5 “I can see a braw patch of grass from here. It must be lunchtime ‘cause I’m STARVING!”
Corbett caught up with his big brother and the two coos settled down into the lush green grass to rest and to eat. Once their bellies were full7 they lay back in the summer sun.
“Will you tell me another one of Michty Moo’s stories, Munro?” asked Corbett4 “He always tells the best ones when I’m already in bed.”
“That’s because he saves the scary ones for when you’re not around!” laughed Munro. “I’ll tell you what, here’s one from Braemar2 This story is almost 1000 years old...
“So Malcolm Canmore, the King had a pet wild boar called Tad-Losgann. He kept it at the castle at Kindrochit in a pit on the banks of the river Clunie. But although it started off as a cute little piggy5 it soon grew into this monstrous beast that had to be constantly fed! Every family in the area had to supply food for the boar once a year. Do you know what they fed him?”
“No?” said Corbett.
“A whole live cow!” exclaimed Munro, grinning at Corbett’s squeal of horror.
“Well there was this old widow McLeod and she had a boy called Sandy. They were very poor and lived in an old run down cottage where the rain came in through the roof3 They had a cow which provided them with milk and cream to make cheese and butter. But one day the soldiers came to take away their cow to feed Tad Losgann! The widow begged them not to, but they took the cow anyway. Sandy was furious.”
“So would I be!” said Corbett.
“Well it just so happened that Sandy was the best archer in the whole area. The very next morning he got up at the break of dawn and shot a grouse. He took three arrows with him and headed for the pit where Tad Losgann was kept. He hid in a wee cave on the other side of the river from the pit where he would have a good view of the boar without being spotted himself2 He took the grouse by the legs, swung it a couple of times round his head and threw it into the pit. Tad Losgann smelled it and came out of his den to sniff at the grouse. Immediately Sandy put the first of the arrows in his bow and from the other side of the river he aimed and fired! He was such a good shot that he killed the boar stone dead with one arrow! He ran away from the cave back to his mother’s house. But only two hours later, some of the kings soldiers were there – the king had found his beloved pet dead and someone had recognised the arrow as belonging to Sandy. They took him to the king and the king decided that Sandy should be put to death. But then Sandy’s mother came running in ‘Please don’t kill my boy! He only killed the boar because the people of this land are too poor, we cannot afford to feed your pet for you! Our cow is gone and now you mean to take my son away from me too!’ and she collapsed in front of the king crying.
“The king thought for a while. ‘I will give your son one chance,’ he said, turning to his soldiers. ‘Take the old woman and place her in Tad Losgann’s pit with a peat on her head3 Have the boy stand on the other side of the river with his bow and arrow. If he can knock the peat off her head with his arrow then he can live.’
“Sandy was terrified. What if he shot his own mother? But he had no choice3 ‘I’ll do it your majesty. Now can I have my two arrows and bow back please?’
“They placed the peat on his mother’s head and Sandy was taken to the cave on the other side of the river. Everyone held their breath as Sandy took a deep breath, aimed and fired. The arrow shot through the air clean into the side of the peat, knocking it off his mother’s head! The King smiled and applauded8 ‘So you win your life, boy. I am impressed. But tell me, why did you take two arrows?’
"’If I had missed the peat and killed my mother, your majesty4 the last arrow would have been for you!’
“There was a stunned silence. Everyone looked from Sandy to the king and back again. Surely the king would have him killed for such cheek! But the king just started to laugh0 ‘Surely the bravest boy in the kingdom! You are a hardy one – and when you are old enough you may join my archers.’ But Sandy never did. He returned home that day with his mother and never picked up a bow and arrow again.”
“I liked that story,” said Corbett. “Except the bit about eating cows alive. Yuk.”
“Yuk,” agreed Munro.
Please see the first cache in the series for parking waypoints.
If you are struggling with any of the Geoart puzzles and want a nudge please join the Facebook discussion group. Note the group is for getting hints and nudges not posting solutions.
“As the geocache owner, I ensure that this links to a local geocaching group that is active in the community and contributing to geocaching in positive ways. This link has not been checked by Geocaching HQ or by the reviewer."
