ds not to marry me
for seven years and a day, and he cannot; still, I must serve him. When
he goes fowling he spends three days away and the next three days at
home. This is the day for him to come back, and for me to prepare his
dinner. There is no stir that you or I have made here to-day but that
brass head beyond there will tell of it."

"It is equal to you what it tells," said Lawn Dyarrig, "only make ready
a clean long chamber for me."

She did so, and he went back into it. Herself rose up then to prepare
dinner for the Green Knight. When he came, she welcomed him as every
day. She left down his food before him, and he sat to take his dinner.
He was sitting with knife and fork in hand when the brass head spoke.
"I thought when I saw you taking food and drink with your wife that you
had the blood of a man in you. If you could see that sprisawn of a goat
or sheep out of Erin taking meat and drink with her all day, what would
you do?"

"Oh, my suffering and sorrow!" cried the knight. "I'll never take
another bite or sup till I eat some of his liver and heart. Let three
hundred heroes, fresh and young, go back and bring his heart to me, with
the liver and lights, till I eat them."

The three hundred heroes went, and hardly were they behind in the
chamber when Lawn Dyarrig had them all dead in one heap.

"He must have some exercise to delay my men, they are so long away,"
said the knight. "Let three hundred more heroes go for his heart, with
the liver and lights, and bring them here to me."

The second three hundred went, and as they were entering the chamber
Lawn Dyarrig was making a heap of them, till the last one was inside,
where there were two heaps.

"He has some way of coaxing my men to delay," said the knight. "Do you
go now, three hundred of my savage hirelings, and bring him." The three
hundred savage hirelings went, and Lawn Dyarrig let every man of them
enter before he raised a hand, then he caught the bulkiest of them all
by the two ankles, and began to wallop the others with him, and he
walloped them till he drove the life out of the two hundred and
ninety-nine. The bulkiest one was worn to the shin-bones that Lawn
Dyarrig held in his two hands. The Green Knight, who thought Lawn
Dyarrig was coaxing the men, called out then, "Come down, my men, and
take dinner."

"I'll be with you," said Lawn Dyarrig, "and have the best food in the
house, and I'll have the best bed in the house. God not be good t