United States or India ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
And," he roared in a voice of extraordinary savagery, "the man that took away my wife into the bargain, and she not in the bargain." "Hush," said Mongan, for a man who heard his shout stopped to tie a sandie, or to listen. "Master," said mac an Da'v as the troop drew abreast and moved past. "What is it, my good friend?" "Let me throw a little small piece of a rock at the King of Leinster."
It was then he saw the hag lying beside him, and he gave a great screech and jumped out of the bed. "Aren't you the Hag of the Mill?" said he. "I am indeed," she replied, "and I love you dearly." "I wish I didn't see you," said Branduv. That was the end of the story, and when he had told it Mongan began to laugh uproariously and called for more wine.
When the men of Ulster saw the condition into which Mongan fell they were in great distress, and they all got sick through compassion for their king. The nobles suggested to him that they should march against Leinster and kill that king and bring back Duv Laca, but Mongan would not consent to this plan. "For," said he, "the thing I lost through my own folly I shall get back through my own craft."
Therefore she lost no opportunity of reminding Mongan of his promise, and on each occasion he renewed the promise and put it back to another time.
Branduv asked him. "I am," said Mongan. "Everybody is," said the King of Leinster. "I never saw anything like them," said Mongan. "Nobody has," said the King of Leinster. "I never saw anything I would rather have than these cows," said Mongan.
At the feast Duv Laca sat beside the King of Leinster, but Mongan sat opposite him with Ivell, and Mongan put more and more magic into the hag, so that her cheeks shone and her eyes gleamed, and she was utterly bewitching to the eye; and when Branduv looked at her she seemed to grow more and more lovely and more and more desirable, and at last there was not a bone in his body as big as an inch that was not filled with love and longing for the girl.
"It is in Ulster," said Branduv. Mongan did not want to say anything more then, but the King of Leinster was so intent and everybody else was listening and Duv Laca was nudging his arm, so he said: "What is it that you do want?" "I want Duv Laca." "I want her too," said Mongan.
They came to Mongan's palace at Moy Linney, and it was not until they reached the palace that they found they had been away one whole year, for they had thought they were only away one night. They lived then peacefully and lovingly together, and that ends the story, but Bro'tiarna did not know that Mongan was Fionn. The abbot leaned forward. "Was Mongan Fionn?" he asked in a whisper.
"It is true," said Mongan. "This is a wonderful hour and a glorious minute," said the hag, "for this is the first time in sixty years that any one wanted to talk to me. Talk on now," said she, "and I'll listen to you if I can remember how to do it. Talk gently," said she, "the way you won't disturb the animals, for they are all sick." "They are sick indeed," said mac an Da'v pityingly.
Although she questioned and cross-questioned Cairide', her story-teller, she could discover nothing about a lady who had been known as the Black Duck. But one night when Mongan seemed to speak with Duv Laca he mentioned her father as Fiachna Duv mac Demain, and the story-teller said that king had been dead for a vast number of years.
Word Of The Day