Part 34 (1/2)

”You will not, unless you find the man to release you; and there is no man in the world to do that but a champion who is now with Fin Macc.u.mhail in Erin.”

”Well, how can I find that man?” asked she.

”I will tell you,” said the Druid. ”Do you make a s.h.i.+rt out of your own hair, take it with you, and never stop till you land in Erin and find Fin and his men; the man that the s.h.i.+rt will fit is the man who will release you.”

She began to make the s.h.i.+rt and worked without stopping till it was finished. Then she went on her journey and never rested till she came to Erin in a s.h.i.+p. She went on sh.o.r.e and inquired where Fin and his men were to be found at that time of the year.

”You will find them at Knock an Ar,” was the answer she got.

She went to Knock an Ar carrying the s.h.i.+rt with her. The first man she met was Conan Maol, and she said to him: ”I have come to find the man this s.h.i.+rt will fit. From the time one man tries it all must try till I see the man it fits.”

The s.h.i.+rt went from hand to hand till Cuculin put it on. ”Well,” said she, ”it fits as your own skin.”

Now Gil an Og told Cuculin all that had happened,--how her father had forced her sister to marry the king of Greece, how this king had made war on her father, enchanted her sister and herself, and carried off the rod of enchantment with the ring of youth, and how the old Druid said the man this s.h.i.+rt would fit was the only man in the world who could release them.

Now Gil an Og and Cuculin went to the s.h.i.+p and sailed across the seas to her country and went to her castle.

”You'll have no one but a cat for company to-night,” said Gil an Og. ”I have the form of a cat inside this castle, but outside I have my own appearance. Your dinner is ready, go in.”

After the dinner Cuculin went to another room apart, and lay down to rest after the journey. The cat came to his pillow, sat there and purred till he fell asleep and slept soundly till morning.

When he rose up, a basin of water, and everything he needed was before him, and his breakfast ready. He walked out after breakfast; Gil an Og was on the green outside before him and said:

”If you are not willing to free my sister and myself, I shall not urge you; but if you do free us, I shall be glad and thankful. Many king's sons and champions before you have gone to recover the ring and the rod; but they have never come back.”

”Well, whether I thrive or not, I'll venture,” said Cuculin.

”I will give you,” said Gil an Og, ”a present such as I have never given before to any man who ventured out on my behalf; I will give you the speckled boat.”

Cuculin took leave of Gil an Og and sailed away in the speckled boat to Greece, where he went to the king's court, and challenged him to combat.

The king of Greece gathered his forces and sent them out to chastise Cuculin. He killed them all to the last man. Then Cuculin challenged the king a second time.

”I have no one now to fight but myself,” said the king; ”and I don't think it becomes me to go out and meet the like of you.”

”If you don't come out to me,” said Cuculin, ”I'll go in to you and cut the head off you in your own castle.”

”That's enough of impudence from you, you scoundrel,” said the king of Greece. ”I won't have you come into my castle, but I'll meet you on the open plain.”

The king went out, and they fought till Cuculin got the better of him, bound him head and heels, and said: ”I'll cut the head off you now unless you give me the ring of youth and the rod of enchantment that you took from the father of Gil an Og.”

”Well, I did carry them away,” said the king, ”but it wouldn't be easy for me now to give them to you or to her; for there was a man who came and carried them away, who could take them from you and from me, and from as many more of us, if they were here.”

”Who was that man?” asked Cuculin.

”His name,” said the king, ”is Lug[12] Longhand. And if I had known what you wanted, there would have been no difference between us. I'll tell you how I lost the ring and rod and I'll go with you and show you where Lug Longhand lives. But do you come to my castle. We'll have a good time together.”

[12] p.r.o.nounced ”Loog.”

They set out next day, and never stopped till they came opposite Lug Longhand castle, and Cuculin challenged his forces to combat.