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"The cat has a sore tail," said she, "by reason of sitting too close to a part of the hob that was hot. The dog has a toothache, the horse has a pain in her stomach, and the hen has the pip." "Ah, it's a sad world," said mac an Da'v. "There you are!" said the hag. "Tell me," Mongan commenced, "if you got a wish, what it is you would wish for?"
Then they were led to the room where Duv Laca was, and as he went into that room Mongan shut his eyes, for he did not want to look at Duv Laca while other people might be looking at him. "Let everybody leave this room, while I am talking to the queen," said he; and all the attendants left the room, except one, and she wouldn't go, for she wouldn't leave her mistress.
"Whatever it was," said mac an Da'v, "what was it?" "Look down the road on this side and tell me who is coming," said his master. "It is a lord with his troop." "It is the King of Leinster," said Mongan. "The man," said mac an Da'v in a tone of great pity, "the man that took away your wife!
When Duv Laca went away with the King of Leinster, her servant, mac an Da'v's wife, went with her, so there were two wifeless men in Ulster at that time, namely, Mongan the king and mac an Da'v his servant. One day as Mongan sat in the sun, brooding lamentably on his fate, mac an Da'v came to him. "How are things with you, master?" asked Mac an Da'v. "Bad," said Mongan.
"I will not." "A little bit only, a small bit about twice the size of my head." "I will not let you," said Mongan. When the king had gone by mac an Da'v groaned a deep and dejected groan. "Oco'n!" said he. "Oco'n-i'o-go-deo'!" said he. The man who had tied his sandal said then: "Are you in pain, honest man?" "I am not in pain," said mac an Da'v.
But Mongan knew what had happened, and he smiled with glee as he watched his astonished companions, and he sniffed that balmy air as one whose nostrils remembered it. "You had better come with me," he said. "Where are we?" his wife asked. "Why, we are here," cried Mongan; "where else should we be?"
At that news the men of the household picked up clubs and cudgels and every kind of thing that was near, and made a violent and woeful attack on Tibraide''s men The King of Leinster came in then, and when he was told Tibraide' was Mongan he attacked them as well, and it was with difficulty that Tibraide' got away to Cell Camain with nine of his men and they all wounded.
Mongan set out, and in no great time, for they travelled day and night, they came to Bregla, and gained admittance to the fortress, but just as he got in he had to go out again, for the King of Leinster had been warned of Mongan's journey, and came back to his fortress in the nick of time.
"What is the bridge for?" said Tibraide' Mongan and mac an Da'v followed them. When they got to the middle of the bridge it broke under them, and they were precipitated into that boiling yellow flood. Mongan snatched at the book as it fell from Tibraide''s hand. "Won't you let them drown, master?" asked mac an Da'v.
Everything they did they did together, for they loved to be with each other. However, a change came. One morning a great noise of voices and trampling of horses and rattle of armour came about the palace. Mongan looked from the window. "Who is coming?" asked Duv Laca. But he did not answer her. "The noise must announce the visit of a king," Duv Laca continued. But Mongan did not say a word.