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He was covered with hair and had a big head with horse's ears. And the Glashan twitched his horse's ears as he smoked in great contentment. "Glashan, come here," said the King of Ireland's Son. But the Glashan gave him no heed at all. "I want you to carry me across the River of the Broken Towers," shouted the King of Ireland's Son. The Glashan went on smoking and twisting his ears.
One feature is common to the stories about him. He asks the woman what her name is, and she always replies "Myself." So when the companions of the Glashan ask who burned or scalded him, he says "Myself," and then they laugh at him. This answer marks the connection between these tales and those of other countries. Polyphemos asks Odysseus his name, and is told that it is Outis, or "Nobody."
He longed for something that would allay his hunger and thirst. But he knew that he could not go to the river to get refreshment of water and cresses from the Glashan. Something fell beside him in the courtyard. It was a beautiful, bright-colored apple. He went to pick it up, but it rolled away towards the third courtyard. He followed it.
He drew back towards the gate of the fifth courtyard. The King of Ireland's Son sprang at him and thrust the Sword of Light through his breast. Down on the stones before the fifth gate of his Castle fell the King of the Land of Mist. The King of Ireland's Son stepped over the body and went towards the fifth gate. Then he remembered what the Glashan had said, "His life is in his head."
The King of Ireland's Son twisted his horse's ears, and then the Glashan said "The second gate is guarded by five spear-men." "And how is the third gate guarded?" "The third gate is guarded by seven swordsmen." "And how is the fourth gate guarded?" "The fourth gate is guarded by the King of the Land of Mist himself." "And the fifth gate?"
They bade good-by to the Glashan, who went back to the river to hunt for salmon. Then they went along the bank of the river hand in hand while the King of Ireland's Son told Fedelma of all the things that had happened to him in his search for her. They came to where the river became known as the River of the Morning Star. And then, in the distance, they saw the Hill of Horns.
"To-morrow's dawn I shall go back," said the King of Ireland's Son, "and go through the fifth and sixth and seventh gate and take away Fedelma." "If the King of the Land of Mist lets you," said the Glashan. "He is dead," said the King of Ireland's Son, "I thrust my sword through his breast." "And where is his head?" said the Glashan. "It is on his corpse," said the King of Ireland's Son.
The Glashan was broiling on a hot stone the eel he had taken out of the river. "Wash my wound and give me refreshment, Glashan," said the King of Ireland's Son. The Glashan washed the wound in his foot and gave him a portion of the broiled eel with cresses and water.
Then said he when they were three-quarters of the way across, "Maybe you don't know that the King of the Land of Mist will kill you?" "Maybe 'tis I who will kill him," said the King of Ireland's Son. "You'd be a hardy little fellow if you did that," said the Glashan. "But you won't do it." They went on. The water was up to the Glashan's waist but that gave him no trouble.
"Then you will have another fight to-morrow. His life is in his head, and his life will come back to him if you did not cut it off. It is he, I tell you, who will guard the fourth and fifth and sixth gate." "That I do not believe, Glashan," said the King of Ireland's Son. "There is no one to guard the gates now but the Hag you spoke of.
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