joint and every limb of him will
be as pliant as a pliant rush in the midst of a stream under the
point of my sword, if he shows himself once to me on the ford.'

It is thus they were speaking, and they made a song:

'O Cuchulainn, a bright meeting,' etc.

After that, 'Why have you come, O my friend, O Fergus?' said
Cuchulainn.

'That is my purpose,' said Fergus.

'Good luck and profit,' said Cuchulainn, 'that no other of the men
of Ireland has come for this purpose, unless the four provinces of
Ireland all met at one time. I think nothing of a warning before a
single warrior.'

Then Fergus went to his tent.

As regards the charioteer and Cuchulainn:

'What shall you do to-night?' said Loeg.

'What indeed?' said Cuchulainn.

'It is thus that Fer Diad will come to seek you, with new beauty of
plaiting and haircutting, and washing and bathing, and the four
provinces of Ireland with him to look at the fight. It would please
me if you went to the place where you will get the same adorning
for yourself, to the place where is Emer of the Beautiful Hair, to
Cairthend of Cluan Da Dam in Sliab Fuait.'

So Cuchulainn went thither that night, and spent the night with his
own wife. His adventures from this time are not discussed here now.
As to Fer Diad, he came to his tent; it was gloomy and weary that
Fer Diad's tent-servants were that night. They thought it certain
that where the two pillars of the battle of the world should meet,
that both would fall; or the issue of it would be, that it would be
their own lord who would fall there. For it was not easy to fight
with Cuchulainn on the Foray.

There were great cares on Fer Diad's mind that night, so that they
did not let him sleep. One of his great anxieties was that he
should let pass from him all the treasures that had been offered
to him, and the maiden, by reason of combat with one man. If he did
not fight with that one man, he must fight with the six warriors on
the morrow. His care that was greater than this was that if he
should show himself once on the ford to Cuchulainn, he was certain
that he himself would not have power of his head or life
thereafter; and Fer Diad arose early on the morrow.

'Good, my lad,' said he, 'get our horses for us, and harness the
chariot.'

'On our word,' said the servant, 'we think it not greater praise to
go this journey than not to go it.'

He was talking with his charioteer, and he made this little song,
incit