This story was told me by Duncan Mathieson around the early 1990s when I was working on the Glendochart area and he was working on Jeanie McAlpine's Inn at Aberfoyle; I I wrote it down very shortly after he told it, trying to recall his words exactly - but some variations will have crept in!
Saint Fillan was travelling and studying and in particular he was visiting all the great healers in France. He came to one man, a very great healer. who asked him where he came from when he answered that he came from Kintail in Scotland. The healer asked him if he would do him a favour, a very great favour. St Fillan answered that if it was in his power he would certainly do so. Well, says th
e healer, he wanted him to go back to Kintail and go to a certain place which he told him how to find and there under a certain stone he would find a white snake, the king of the serpents. He was to catch it and bring it back to the healer in France. Fillan agreed and set off back to Scotland. Wen he got there he went to the place the healer had described, found the stone and under it sure enough the serpent which he captured. Of course when the other serpents realised that their king was captured they woke up and chased after Fillan. Hundreds of them. But, as you know, if you jump over seven streams then you're safe from any serpent. And, as there were plenty of streams about, Fillan was able to jump over seven before the serpents caught up and he was able to start off back to France.
He arrived at the healer’s place and showed him the serpent and he was very very pleased. The healer took a kettle and into the kettle he put some water. Then he put the serpent in and put the kettle on the fire. When it was boiling he told Fillan that he was going to leave him for a short time and asked him to stir the pot for him and he made him promise that he would on no account taste the contents of the pot. Which Fillan agreed to do. Fillan stirred and stirred but he was very very tired with all his travelling between Scotland and France and momentarily he fell asleep. His hand slipped and his finger, just the tip , dipped into the pot touching the hot froth on top of the broth. Quickly, still half asleep he pulled it out and without thinking put it in his mouth to suck and soothe it. And that’s how Fillan got his healing powers.
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