on his spear, and his
spear on his knee; but he was striking and cutting and attacking
and slaying the four great provinces of Ireland for that space.

It is then that the warrior of the sid cast herbs and grasses of
curing and charms of healing into the hurts and wounds and into
the injuries and into the many wounds of Cuchulainn, so that
Cuchulainn recovered in his sleep without his perceiving it at all.

Now it was at this time that the boys came south from Emain Macha:
Folloman Mac Conchobair with three fifties of kings' sons of
Ulster, and they gave battle thrice to the hosts, so that three
times their own number fell, and all the boys fell except Folloman
Mac Conchobair. Folloman boasted that he would not go back to Emain
for ever and ever, until he should take the head of Ailill with
him, with the golden crown that was above it. This was not easy to
him; for the two sons of Bethe Mac Bain, the two sons of Ailill's
foster-mother and foster-father, came on him, and wounded him so
that he fell by them. So that that is the death of the boys of
Ulster and of Folloman Mac Conchobair.

Cuchulainn for his part was in his deep sleep till the end of three
days and three nights at the mound in Lerga. Cuchulainn arose then
from his sleep, and put his hand over his face, and made a purple
wheelbeam from head to foot, and his mind was strong in him, and he
would have gone to an assembly, or a march, or a tryst, or a
beer-house, or to one of the chief assemblies of Ireland.

'How long have I been in this sleep now, O warrior?' said
Cuchulainn.

'Three days and three nights,' said the warrior.

'Alas for that!' said Cuchulainn.

'What is the matter?' said the warrior.

'The hosts without attack for this space,' said Cuchulainn.

'They are not that at all indeed,' said the warrior.

'Who has come upon them?' said Cuchulainn.

'The boys came from the north from Emain Macha; Folloman Mac
Conchobair with three fifties of boys of the kings' sons of Ulster;
and they gave three battles to the hosts for the space of the three
days and the three nights in which you have been in your sleep now.
And three times their own number fell, and the boys fell, except
Folloman Mac Conchobair. Folloman boasted that he would take
Ailill's head, and that was not easy to him, for he was killed.'

'Pity for that, that I was not in my strength! For if I had been in
my strength, the boys would not have fallen as they have fallen,
and Fo