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"Let us not go near him at all," said Mongan, "for he is coming to complete his bargain." "What bargain are you talking about?" Duv Laca asked. But Mongan would not answer that. "Let us go out," said he, "for we must go out." Mongan and Duv Laca went out then and welcomed the King of Leinster.
Then Mongan opened his eyes and he saw Duv Laca, and he made a great bound to her and took her in his arms, and mac an Da'v made a savage and vicious and terrible jump at the attendant, and took her in his arms, and bit her ear and kissed her neck and wept down into her back. "Go away," said the girl, "unhand me, villain," said she.
Said Mongan: There was an attendant in Fiachna Finn's palace who was called An Da'v, and the same night that Fiachna's wife bore a son, the wife of An Da'v gave birth to a son also. This latter child was called mac an Da'v, but the son of Fiachna's wife was named Mongan. "Ah!" murmured the Flame Lady. The queen was angry.
Duv Laca then went to the window. "Who is that king?" she asked. And her husband replied to her then. "That is the King of Leinster," said he mournfully. "Well," said Duv Laca surprised, "is he not welcome?" "He is welcome indeed," said Mongan lamentably. "Let us go out and welcome him properly," Duv Laca suggested.
There were fifty cows in all, for he counted them, and each cow had a calf beside her, and each cow and calf was pure white in colour, and each of them had red ears. When Mongan saw these cows, he fell in love with them as he had never fallen in love with anything before.
The universal doctrine survived in that way in Ireland, as it survived as a rumor in the folk-lore in Wales. There is the story, for instance, of Mongan son of Fiachta, a historical chieftain killed in 625. According to Tigernach, the oldest of the Irish annalists, Finn MacCool died in A.D. 274.
There is more comeliness in the men and more tenderness in the women. Everything in Faery is better by this one wonderful degree, and it is by this betterness you will know that you are there if you should ever happen to get there. Mongan and his companions stepped from the world of storm into sunshine and a scented world.
"There is no one sorrier for you than I am," said Mongan. "There is indeed," said mac an Da'v, "for I am sorrier myself." Mongan roused himself then. "You have a claim on me truly," said he, "and I will not have any one with a claim on me that is not satisfied. Go," he said to mac an Da'v, "to that fairy place we both know of.
He wrapped Mongan in his green cloak and took him away to rear and train in the Land of Promise, which is beyond the sea that is at the other side of the grave. When Fiachna Duv heard that Mongan, who was affianced to his daughter Duv Laca, had disappeared, he considered that his compact of peace was at an end, and one day he came by surprise and attacked the palace.
He brought Ivell over to the king then and gave her three kisses. "The king would suspect something if I did not kiss you," said he, and then he gave the hag over to the king. After that they all got drunk and merry, and soon there was a great snoring and snorting, and very soon all the servants fell asleep also, so that Mongan could not get anything to drink.
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