ulfilled. In the place where he saw Medb
west of the ford he cast a stone from his sling at her, so that it killed
the pet bird that was on her shoulder. Medb passed over the ford eastwards,
and again he cast a stone from his sling at her east of the ford, so that
it killed the tame squirrel that was on her shoulder. Hence the names of
those places are still, Meide in Togmail ('Squirrel's Neck') and Meide ind
Eoin ('Bird's Neck'). And Ath Srethe ('Ford of the Throw') is the name of
the ford over which Cuchulain cast the stone from his sling.

[1-1] The superscription is taken from LU. fo. 64a, in the margin.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 813.

[3]Then Reuin was drowned in his lake. Hence is Loch Reuin. "Your companion
is not afar off from you," cried Ailill to the Mane. They stood up and
looked around. When they sat down again, Cuchulain struck one of them so
that his head was split. "It is well it was thou hast essayed that; thy[a]
mirth was not seemly," quoth Mane the fool; "it is I would have taken his
head off." Cuchulain flung a stone at him, so that his head was split. Thus
these people were slain: Orlam, first of all, on his hill; the three sons
of Arach[a] on their ford; Fertidil in his ... (?); Maenan on his hill. "I
swear by the god by whom my people swear," cried Ailill; "the man that
scoffs at Cuchulain here I will make two halves of. But above all let us
hasten our way by day and by night," Ailill continued, "till we come to
Cualnge. That man will slay two-thirds of your host in this fashion."[3]

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 820-831 and, partly, in Eg. 1782.

[a] Literally, 'your.'

[a] '_Garech_,' LU. and YBL. 827.

[1]Then did the men of Erin deliberate about going to ravage and lay waste
Mag Breg and Meath and the plain of Conall and the land of Cuchulain; and
it was in the presence of Fergus macRoig they discussed it.[1]

[1-1] H. 2. 17.

[W.1465.] The four grand provinces of Erin moved out on the morrow, and
began to harry the plains of Breg and Murthemne. And the sharp, keen-edged
anxiety [LL.fo.69a.] for Cuchulain came over his fosterer Fergus. And he
bade the men of Erin be on their guard that night, for that Cuchulain would
come upon them. And here again he sang in his praise, as we wrote it
before,[b] and he uttered the lay:--

"If Cuchulain, Cualnge's Hound,
And Red Branch chiefs on you come,
Men will welter in their blood,
Laying waste Murthemne's plain!

[4