der him. Their fathers thought it was
death he had given them. That was it not, but stunned they were with
front-blows and mid-blows and long-blows. "Hold!" cried Conchobar. "Why art
thou yet at them?" "I swear by my gods whom I worship" (said the boy) "they
shall all come under my protection and shielding, as I have put myself
under their protection and shielding. Otherwise I shall not lighten my
hands off them until I have brought them all to earth." "Well, little lad,
take thou upon thee the protection of the boy-troop." "I grant it, indeed,"
said the lad. Thereupon the boy-troop went under his protection and
shielding.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 410.

"[3]Then they all went back to the play-field, and the boys whom he had
overthrown there arose. Their nurses and tutors helped them.

"Now, once upon a time," continued Fergus, "when he was a gilla, he slept
not in Emain Macha till morning." "Tell me," Conchobar said to him, "why
sleepest thou not [4]in Emain Macha, Cuchulain?"[4] "I sleep not, unless it
be equally high at my head and my feet." Then Conchobar had a pillar-stone
set up at his head and another at his feet, and between them a bed apart
was made for him.

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 413-481.

[4-4] YBL. 418.

"Another time a certain man went to wake him, and the lad struck him with
his fist in [1]the neck or in[1] the forehead, so that it drove in the
front of his forehead on to his brain and he overthrew the pillar-stone
with his forearm." "It is known," exclaimed Ailill, "that that was the
fist of a champion and the arm of a hero." "And from that time," continued
Fergus, "no one durst wake him, so that he used to wake of himself.

[1-1] Eg. 1782.

"Then, another time, he played ball on the play-field east of Emain, and he
was alone on one side against the thrice fifty boys. He always worsted in
every game in the east (?) in this way. Thereafter the lad began to use his
fists on them, so that fifty boys of them died thereof. He took to flight
then, till he took refuge under the cushion of Conchobar's couch. The
Ulstermen sprang up all around him. I, too, sprang up, and Conchobar,
thereat. The lad himself rose up under the couch, so that he hove up the
couch and the thirty warriors that were on it withal, so that he bore it
into the middle of the house. Straightway the Ulstermen sat around him in
the house. We settled it then," continued Fergus, "and reconciled the
boy-troo