ea at Inver Cechmaine. And when he came up to her he
began to sing words to her that no one could hear but herself. And it is
what he said:

"O beautiful woman, will you come with me to the wonderful country that
is mine? It is pleasant to be looking at the people there, beautiful
people without any blemish; their hair is of the colour of the
flag-flower, their fair body is as white as snow, the colour of the
foxglove is on every cheek. The young never grow old there; the fields
and the flowers are as pleasant to be looking at as the blackbird's
eggs; warm, sweet streams of mead and of wine flow through that country;
there is no care and no sorrow on any person; we see others, but we
ourselves are not seen.

"Though the plains of Ireland are beautiful, it is little you would
think of them after our great plain; though the ale of Ireland is heady,
the ale of the great country is still more heady. O beautiful woman, if
you come to my proud people it is the flesh of pigs newly killed I will
give you for food; it is ale and new milk I will give you for drink; it
is feasting you will have with me there; it is a crown of gold you will
have upon your hair, O beautiful woman!

"And will you come there with me, Etain?" he said. But Etain said she
would not leave Eochaid the High King. "Will you come if Eochaid gives
you leave?" Midhir said then. "I will do that," said Etain.

One day, after that time, Eochaid the High King was looking out from his
palace at Teamhair, and he saw a strange man coming across the plain.
Yellow hair he had, and eyes blue and shining like the flame of a
candle, and a purple dress on him, and in his hand a five-pronged spear
and a shield having gold knobs on it.

He came up to the king, and the king bade him welcome. "Who are you
yourself?" he said; "and what are you come for, for you are a stranger
to me?" "If I am a stranger to you, you are no stranger to me, for I
have known you this long time," said the strange man. "What is your
name?" said the king. "It is nothing very great," said he; "I am called
Midhir of Bri Leith." "What is it brings you here?" said Eochaid. "I am
come to play a game of chess with you," said the stranger. "Are you a
good player?" said the king. "A trial will tell you that," said Midhir.
"The chessboard is in the queen's house, and she is in her sleep at this
time," said Eochaid. "That is no matter," said Midhir, "for I have with
me a chess-board as good as your own." An