Gods and Fighting Men, Lady I. A Gregory [best e books to read TXT] 📗

of the

coast of Greece, and they said: "We are well off when we have the apples

and the skin." And they stopped nowhere till they came to the borders of

Persia.

 

"Let us go to the court with the appearance of poets," said Brian, "the

same as we went to the King of Greece." "We are content to do that,"

said the others, "as all turned out so well the last time we took to

poetry; not that it is easy for us to take to a calling that does not

belong to us."

 

So they put the poet's tie on their hair, and they were as well treated

as they were at the other court; and when the time came for poems Brian

rose up, and it is what he said:

 

"It is little any spear looks to Pisear; the battles of enemies are

broken, it is not too much for Pisear to wound every one of them.

 

"A yew, the most beautiful of the wood, it is called a king, it is not

bulky. May the spear drive on the whole crowd to their wounds of death."

 

"That is a good poem," said the king, "but I do not understand why my

own spear is brought into it, O Man of Poetry from Ireland."

 

"It is because it is that spear of your own I would wish to get as the

reward of my poem," said Brian. "It is little sense you have to be

asking that of me," said the king; "and the people of my court never

showed greater respect for poetry than now, when they did not put you to

death on the spot."

 

When Brian heard that talk from the king, he thought of the apple that

was in his hand, and he made a straight cast and hit him in the

forehead, so that his brains were put out at the back of his head, and

he bared the sword and made an attack on the people about him. And the

other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help

bravely till they had made an end of all they met of the people of the

court. And then they found the spear, and its head in a cauldron of

water, the way it would not set fire to the place.

 

And after a while they said it was time for them to go and look for the

rest of the great fine that was on them, and they asked one another what

way should they go. "We will go to the King of the Island of Siogair,"

said Brian, "for it is with him are the two horses and the chariot the

Ildanach asked of us."

 

They went forward then and brought the spear with them, and it is proud

the three champions were after all they had done. And they went on till

they were come to the court of the King of Siogair.

 

"It is what we will do this time," said Brian, "we will go in with the

appearance of paid soldiers from Ireland, and we will make friends with

the king, the way we will get to know in what place the horses and the

chariot are kept." And when they had settled on that they went forward

to the lawn before the king's house.

 

The king and the chief men that were with him rose up and came through

the fair that was going on there, and they saluted the king, and he

asked who were they. "We are trained fighting men from Ireland," they

said, "and we are earning wages from the kings of the world." "Is it

your wish to stop with me for a while?" said the king. "That is what we

are wanting," said they. So then they made an agreement and took service

with him.

 

They stopped in the court a fortnight and a month, and they never saw

the horses through that time. Then Brian said: "This is a bad way we are

in, to have no more news of the horses now than the first day we came to

the place." "What is best for us to do now?" said his brothers. "Let us

do this," said Brian, "let us take our arms and gather our things

together, and go to the king and tell him we will leave the country and

this part of the world unless he will show us those horses."

 

So they went to the king that very day, and he asked them what did they

mean by getting themselves ready for a journey. "You will hear that,

high king," said Brian; "it is because trained fighting men from

Ireland, like ourselves, have always trust put in them by the kings they

guard, and we are used to be told the secrets and the whispers of any

person we are with, and that is not the way you have treated us since we

came to you. For you have two horses and a chariot that are the best in

the world, as we have been told, and we have not been given a sight of

them yet." "It would be a pity you to go on that account," said the

king, "when I would have showed them to you the first day, if I had

known you had a wish to see them. And if you have a mind to see them

now," he said, "you may see them; for I think there never came soldiers

from Ireland to this place that were thought more of by myself and by my

people than yourselves."

 

He sent for the horses then, and they were yoked to the chariot, and

their going was as fast as the cold spring wind, and the sea was the

same as the land to them.

 

And Brian was watching the horses closely, and on a sudden he took hold

of the chariot and took the chariot driver out and dashed him against

the nearest rock, and made a leap into his place himself, and made a

cast of the Persian spear at the king, that went through his heart. And

then he and his brothers scattered the people before them, and brought

away the chariot.

 

"We will go now to Easal, the King of the Golden Pillars," said Brian,

"to look for the seven pigs the Ildanach bade us bring him."

 

They sailed on then without delay or drawback to that high country. And

it is the way the people of that country were, watching their harbours

for fear of the sons of Tuireann, for the story of them had been told

in all parts, how they had been sent out of Ireland by force, and how

they were bringing away with them all the gifted treasures of the whole

world.

 

Easal came to the edge of the harbour to meet them, and he asked was it

true what he heard, that the king of every country they had gone to had

fallen by them. Brian said it was true, whatever he might wish to do to

them for it. "What was it made you do that?" said Easal. Brian told him

then it was the oppression and the hard sentence of another had put them

to it; and he told him all that had happened, and how they had put down

all that offered to stand against them until that time.

 

"What did you come to this country now for?" said the king. "For the

pigs belonging to yourself," said Brian; "for to bring them away with us

is a part of the fine." "What way do you think to get them?" said the

king. "If we get them with good-will," said Brian, "we are ready to take

them thankfully; and if we do not, we are ready to do battle with

yourself and your people on the head of them, that you may fall by us,

and we may bring away the pigs in spite of you." "If that is to be the

end of it," said the king, "it would be a pity to bring my people into a

battle." "It would be a pity indeed," said Brian.

 

Then the king whispered and took advice with his people about the

matter, and it is what they agreed, to give up the pigs of their own

free will to the sons of Tuireann, since they could not see that any one

had been able to stand against them up to that time.

 

Then the sons of Tuireann gave their thanks to Easal, and there was

wonder on them to have got the pigs like that, when they had to fight

for every other part of the fine. And more than that, they had left a

share of their blood in every other place till then.

 

Easal brought them to his own house that night, and they were served

with food, and drink, and good beds, and all they could wish for. And

they rose up on the morrow and came into the king's presence, and the

pigs were given to them. "It is well you have done by us, giving us

these pigs," said Brian, "for we did not get any share of the fine

without fighting but these alone." And he made a poem for the king then,

praising him, and putting a great name on him for what he had done.

 

"What journey are you going to make now, sons of Tuireann?" said Easal.

"We are going," they said, "to the country of Ioruaidh, on account of a

whelp that is there." "Give me one request," said Easal, "and that is to

bring me with you to the King of Ioruaidh, for a daughter of mine is his

wife, and I would wish to persuade him to give you the whelp without a

battle." "That will please us well," they said.

 

So the king's ship was made ready, and we have no knowledge of what

happened till they came to the delightful, wonderful coast of Ioruaidh.

The people and the armies were watching the harbours and landing-places

before them, and they knew them at once and shouted at them.

 

Then Easal went on shore peaceably, and he went to where his son-in-law,

the king, was, and told him the story of the sons of Tuireann from

beginning to end. "What has brought them to this country?" said the King

of Ioruaidh. "To ask for the hound you have," said Easal. "It was a bad

thought you had coming with them to ask it," said the king, "for the

gods have not given that much luck to any three champions in the world,

that they would get my hound by force or by good-will." "It would be

better for you to let them have the hound," said Easal, "since they have

put down so many of the kings of the world."

 

But all he could say was only idleness to the king. So he went then to

where the sons of Tuireann were, and gave them the whole account. And

when they heard the king's answer, they made no delay, but put quick

hands on their arms, and offered to give battle to the army of Ioruaidh.

And when they met, there was a brave battle fought on both sides. And as

for the sons of Tuireann, they began to kill and to strike at the men of

Ioruaidh till they parted from one another in the fight, so that Iuchar

and Iucharba chanced to be on one side, and Brian by himself on the

other side. It was a gap of danger and a breaking of ranks was before

Brian in every path he took, till he came to the King of Ioruaidh in the

battle pen where he was. And then the two brave champions began a fierce

fight together, and they did not spare one another in it. And at the

last Brian overcame the king, and bound him, and brought him through the

middle of the army, till he came to the place where Easal was, and it is

what he said: "There is your son-in-law for you, and I swear by my hand

of valour, I would think it easier to kill him three times than to bring

him to you once like this."

 

So then the whelp was given to the sons of Tuireann, and the king was

unbound, and peace was made between them. And when they had brought all

this to an end, they bade farewell to Easal and to all the rest.

 

Now as to Lugh of the Long Hand, it was showed to him that the sons of

Tuireann had got all the things that were wanting to him against the

battle with the Fomor; and on that he sent a Druid spell after them to

put forgetfulness on them of the rest of