Beare, "until you have done a
task for me."

"What task can I do for you?" said Gilly of the Goatskin. "I would
know," said she, "which of us four is the oldest creature in the
world--myself or Laheen the Eagle, Blackfoot the Elk or the Crow of
Achill--I leave the Salmon of Assaroe out of account altogether."

"And how can a youth like me help you to know that?" said Gilly of the
Goatskin.

"An ox was killed on the day I was born and on every one of my birthdays
afterwards. The horns of the oxen are in two quarries outside. You must
count them and tell me how much half of them amounts to and then I shall
know my age."

"That I'll do if you feed me and give me shelter," said Gilly of the
Goatskin. "Eat as you like," said the Old Woman of Beare. She pushed him
a loaf of bread and a bottle of water. When he cut a slice of the loaf
it was just as if nothing had been cut off, and when he took a cupful
out of the bottle it was as if no water had been taken out of it at
all. When he had drunk and eaten he left the complete loaf and the full
bottle of water on the shelf, went outside and began to count the horns
on the right-hand side.

On the second day a strange youth came to him and saluted him, and then
went to count the horns in the quarry on the left-hand side. This youth
was none other than the King of Ireland's Son.

On the third day they had the horns all counted. Then Gilly of the
Goatskin and the King of Ireland's Son met together under a bush. "How
many horns have you counted?" said the King of Ireland's Son. "So many,"
said Gilly of the Goatskin. "And how many horns have you counted?" "So
many," said the King of Ireland's Son.

Just as they were adding the two numbers together they both heard sounds
in the air--they were like the sounds that Bards make chanting their
verses. And when they looked up they saw a swan flying round and
round above them. And the swan chanted the story of the coming of the
Milesians to Eirinn, and as the two youths listened they forgot the
number of horns they had counted. And when the swan had flown away they
looked at each other and as they were hungry they went into the house
and ate slices of the unwasted loaf and drank cupfuls out of the
inexhaustible bottle. Then the Old Woman of Beare wakened up and asked
them to tell her the number of her years.

"We cannot tell you although we counted all the horns," said the King of
Ireland's Son, "for just as we were putting the nu