will serve you," said the King of Ireland's
Son.

"It is not easy for me to brighten the Sword now," said the Gobaun Saor.
"But find me the Unique Tale and what went before its beginning and what
comes after its end, and I shall brighten the sword for you and show you
the way to the Land of Mist. Go now, and search for the Unique Tale."

He went, and he had many far journeys, I can tell you, and he found no
person who had any knowledge of the Unique Tale or who knew any way of
coming to the Land of Mist. One twilight in a wood he saw a great bird
flying towards him. It lighted on an old tree, and the King of Ireland's
Son saw it was Laheen the Eagle.

"Are you still a friend to me, Eagle?" said the King's Son.

"I am still a friend to you, King's Son," said Laheen.

"Then tell me where I should go to get knowledge of the Unique Tale,"
said the King of Ireland's Son.

"The Unique Tale--I never heard of it at all," said Laheen the Eagle,
changing from one leg to the other. "I am old," she said, shaking her
wings, "and I never heard of the Unique Tale."

The King's Son looked and saw that Laheen was really old. Her neck was
bare of feathers and her wings were gray. "Oh, if you are so old," said
the King's Son, "and have gone to so many places, and do not know of the
Unique Tale, to whom can I go to get knowledge of it?"

"Listen," said Laheen the Eagle, "there are five of us that are called
the Five Ancient Ones of Ireland, and it is not known which one of
the five is the oldest. There is myself, Laheen the Eagle; there is
Blackfoot the Elk of Ben Gulban, there is the Crow of Achill, the Salmon
of Assaroe and the Old Woman of Beare. We do not know ourselves which
of us is the oldest, but we know that we five are the most ancient of
living things. I have never heard of the Unique Tale," said Laheen, "but
maybe one of the other Ancients has heard of it."

"I will go to them," said the King's Son. "Tell me how I will find the
Crow of Achill, the Elk of Ben Gulban, the Salmon of Assaroe and the Old
Woman of Beare--tell me how to go to them, Laheen the Eagle."

"You need not go to the Salmon of Assaroe," said the Eagle, "for the
Salmon would not have heard any tale. I will get you means of finding
the other three. Follow the stream now until you come to the river. Wait
at the ford and I will fly to you there." Laheen the Eagle then shook
her wings and flew slowly away. The King of Ireland's Son followed the
stream u