Gulban turned his wide-horned head away
and looked at the full old moon that was coming up in the sky. And the
King of Ireland's Son took up the wheel and went to look for a shelter.
He found a sheep-cote on the side of the mountain and lay down and slept
between sheep.

V

When the sun rose he lifted up the wheel and set it going before him. He
was going and ever going down long hillsides and across spreading plains
till he came to where old trees and tree-stumps were standing hardly
close enough together to keep each other company. The wheel went through
this ancient wood and stopped before a fallen oak-tree. And sitting on a
branch of that oak, with a gray head bent and featherless wings gathered
up to her neck was a crow.

"I come from Laheen the Eagle," said the King of Ireland's Son.

"What did you say?" said the Crow, opening one eye.

"I come from Laheen the Eagle," said the King of Ireland's Son again.

"Oh, from Laheen," said the Crow and dosed her eye again.

"And I came to ask for knowledge of the Unique Tale," said the King of
Ireland's Son.

"Laheen," said the Crow, "I remember Laheen the Eagle." Keeping her eyes
shut, she laughed and laughed until she was utterly hoarse. "I remember
Laheen the Eagle," she said again. "Laheen never found out what I did
to her once. I stole the Crystal Egg out of her nest. Well, and how is
Laheen the Eagle?" she said sharply, opening one eye.

"Laheen is well," said the King of Ireland's Son. "She sent me to ask if
you had knowledge of the Unique Tale."

"I am older than Laheen," said the Crow. "I remember Paralon's People.
The Salmon of Assaroe always said he was before Paralon's People. But
never mind! Laheen can't say that. If I could only get the feathers to
stay on my wings I'd pay Laheen a visit some day. How are Laheen and her
bird-flocks?"

"O Crow of Achill," said the King of Ireland's Son, "I was sent to ask
if you had knowledge of the Unique Tale."

"The Unique Tale! No, I never heard of it," said the Crow. She gathered
her wings up to her neck again and bent her gray head.

"Think, O Crow of Achill," said the King of Ireland's Son. "I will bring
you the warmest wool for your nest."

"I never heard of the Unique Tale," said the Crow. "Tell Laheen I was
asking for her." Nothing would rouse the Crow of Achill again. The King
of Ireland's Son set the wheel rolling and followed it. Then he was
going and ever going with the clear day before him