fall by them. They will share prowess with any six in the
Hostel, and they will escape from their foes, for they are out of the
elfmounds. They are the best cupbearers in Erin. Woe to him that shall
wreak the Destruction were it only because of them!"

"Ye cannot," says Ingcel. "Clouds, etc." "And after that, whom sawest
thou there?"

THE ROOM OF TULCHINNE THE JUGGLER

"There I beheld a great champion, in front of the same room, on the
floor of the house. The shame of baldness is on him. White as mountain
cotton-grass is each hair that grows through his head. Earrings of gold
around his ears. A mantle speckled, coloured, he wore. Nine swords in
his hand, and nine silvern shields, and nine apples of gold. He throws
each of them upwards, and none of them falls on the ground, and there is
only one of them on his palm; each of them rising and falling past
another is just like the movement to and fro of bees on a day of beauty.
When he was swiftest, I beheld him at the feat, and as I looked, they
uttered a cry about him and they were all on the house-floor. Then the
Prince who is in the house said to the juggler: 'We have come together
since thou wast a little boy, and till to-night thy juggling never
failed thee.'

"'Alas, alas, fair master Conaire, good cause have I. A keen, angry eye
looked at me: a man with the third of a pupil which sees the going of
the nine bands. Not much to him is that keen, wrathful sight! Battles
are fought with it,' saith he. 'It should be known till doomsday that
there is evil in front of the Hostel.'

"Then he took the swords in his hand, and the silvern shields and the
apples of gold; and again they uttered a cry and were all on the floor
of the house. That amazed him, and he gave over his play and said:

'O Fer caille, arise! Do not ... its slaughter. Sacrifice thy pig! Find
out who is in front of the house to injure the men of the Hostel.'

'There,' said he, 'are Fer Cualngi, Fer le, Fer gar, Fer rogel, Fer
rogain. They have announced a deed which is not feeble, the annihilation
of Conaire by Donn Desa's five sons, by Conaire's five loving
fosterbrothers.'

"Liken thou that, O Fer rogain! Who has chanted that lay?"

"Easy for me to liken him," says Fer rogain. "Taulchinne the chief
juggler of the King of Tara; he is Conaire's conjurer. A man of great
might is that man. Thrice nine will fall by him in his first encounter,
and he will share prowess with every one in the Hostel, and h