arter of the pig to roast, and then his host said
to him,

"Tell us a tale, stranger, and if it be a true one the quarter will be
done as soon as the tale is told."

"Do thou begin," said Cormac, "and then thy wife, and after that my
turn will come."

"Good," said the host. "This is my tale. I have seven of these swine,
and with their flesh the whole world could be fed. When one of them is
killed and eaten, I need but put its bones into the pig-trough and on
the morrow it is alive and well again." They looked at the fireplace,
and behold, the first quarter of the pig was done and ready to be
served.

Then Cormac put on the second quarter, and the woman took up her tale.
"I have seven white cows," she said, "and seven pails are filled with
the milk of them each day. Though all the folk in the world were
gathered together to drink of this milk, there would be enough and to
spare for all." As soon as she had said that, they saw that the second
quarter of the pig was roasted.

Then Cormac said: "I know you now, who you are; for it is Mananan that
owns the seven swine of Faery, and it is out of the Land of Promise
that he fetched Fand his wife and her seven cows." Then immediately
the third quarter of the pig was done.

"Tell us now," said Mananan, "who thou art and why thou art come
hither."

Cormac then told his story, of the branch with its nine golden apples
and how he had bartered for it his wife and his children, and he was
now-seeking them through the world. And when he had made an end, the
last quarter of the pig was done.

"Come, let us set to the feast," then said Mananan; but Cormac said,
"Never have I sat down to meat in a company of two only." "Nay," said
Mananan, "but there are more to come." With that he opened a door in
the hall and in it appeared Queen Ethne and her two children. And when
they had embraced and rejoiced in each other Mananan said, "It was I
who took them from thee, Cormac, and who gave thee the bell-branch,
for I wished to bring thee hither to be my guest for the sake of thy
nobleness and thy wisdom."

Then they all sat down to table and feasted and made merry, and when
they had satisfied themselves with meat and drink, Mananan showed the
wonders of his household to King Cormac. And he took up a golden cup
which stood on the table, and said: "This cup hath a magical property,
for if a lie be spoken over it, it will immediately break in pieces,
and if a truth be spoken it will be