"The Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's Son" is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands (1860–1862), listing his informant as Donald MacNiven, a lame carrier, in Bowmore, Islay; the story was written down by Hector MacLean on 5 July 1859.
[1] Andrew Lang included it in The Orange Fairy Book (1906) as "Ian, the Soldier's Son".
A soldier's three sons were going to play a game at Christmas, and the youngest son, Iain, insisted that they do it on the knight's lawn, because it was the smoothest, but this, as his brothers had warned, offended the knight because it reminded him of his daughters.
At the top, the raven asked him for tobacco, and when Iain refused him, told him to go to a giant's house, where he would find the oldest daughter.
The oldest daughter told him that rattling a chain would bring the giant, but only Iain the soldier's son could fight him.
Iain rattled the chain and wrestled with the giant; he wished the raven were with him, and it helped him win the fight and gave him a knife to cut off its head.
There a hag turned them to stone; Iain defeated her, but was sent to fetch living water, to bring back the men.
At the castle, he heard that the youngest princess demanded a cap such as her sisters had.