tract
thee to her lips," said Iubdan.

Another time it chanced that Iubdan overheard one of the King's
soldiers complaining of a pair of new brogues that had been served out
to him, and grumbling that the soles were too thin. At this Iubdan
laughed again, and being asked why, he said, "I must need laugh to
hear yon fellow grumbling about his brogues, for the soles of these
brogues, thin as they are, he will never wear out." And this was a
true prophecy, for the same night this and another of the King's men
had a quarrel, and fought, and killed each the other.

At last the Wee Folk determined to go in search of their king, and
seven battalions of them marched upon Emania and encamped upon the
lawn over against the King's Dun. Fergus and his nobles went out to
confer with them. "Give us back our king," said the Wee Folk, "and we
shall redeem him with a great ransom." "What ransom, then?" asked
Fergus. "We shall," said they, "cause this great plain to stand thick
with corn for you every year, and that without ploughing or sowing."
"I will not give up Iubdan for that," said Fergus. "Then we shall do
you a mischief," said the Wee Folk.

That night every calf in the Province of Ulster got access to its dam,
and in the morn there was no milk to be had for man or child, for the
cows were sucked dry.

Then said the Wee Folk to Fergus, "This night, unless we get Iubdan,
we shall defile every well and lake and river in Ulster." "That is a
trifle," said Fergus, "and ye shall not get Iubdan."

The Wee Folk carried out this threat, and once more they came and
demanded Iubdan, saying, "To-night we shall burn with fire the shaft
of every mill in Ulster." "Yet not so shall ye get Iubdan," said
Fergus.

This being done, they came again, saying, "We shall have vengeance
unless Iubdan be delivered to us." "What vengeance?" said Fergus. "We
shall snip off every ear of corn in thy kingdom," said they. "Even
so," replied Fergus, "I shall not deliver Iubdan."

So the Wee Folk snipped off every ear of standing corn in Ulster, and
once more they returned and demanded Iubdan. "What will ye do next?"
asked Fergus. "We shall shave the hair of every man and every woman in
Ulster," said they, "so that ye shall be shamed and disgraced for ever
among the people of Erinn." "By my word," said Fergus, "if ye do that
I shall slay Iubdan."

Then Iubdan said, "I have a better counsel than that, O King; let me
have liberty to go and speak with them