d with that he brought out his
chessboard, and it made of silver, and precious stones shining in every
corner of it. And then he brought out the chessmen, and they made of
gold, from a bag that was of shining gold threads.

"Let us play now," said Midhir. "I will not play without a stake," said
the king. "What stake shall We play for?" said Midhir. "We can settle
that after the game is over," said the king.

They played together then, and Midhir was beaten, and it is what the
king asked of him, fifty brown horses to be given to him. And then they
played the second time, and Midhir was beaten again, and this time the
king gave him four hard things to do: to make a road over Moin Lamraide,
and to clear Midhe of stones, and to cover the district of Tethra with
rushes, and the district of Darbrech with trees.

So Midhir brought his people from Bri Leith to do those things, and it
is bard work they had doing them. And Eochaid used to be out watching
them, and he took notice that when the men of the Sidhe yoked their
oxen, it was by the neck and the shoulder they used to yoke them, and
not by the forehead and the head. And it was after Eochaid taught his
people to yoke them that way, he was given the name of Eochaid Airem,
that is, of the Plough.

And when all was done, Midhir came to Eochaid again, looking thin and
wasted enough with the dint of the hard work he had been doing, and he
asked Eochaid to play the third game with him. Eochaid agreed, and it
was settled as before, the stake to be settled by the winner. It was
Midhir won the game that time, and when the king asked him what he
wanted, "It is Etain, your wife, I want," said he. "I will not give her
to you," said the king. "All I will ask then," said Midhir, "is to put
my arms about her and to kiss her once." "You may do that," said the
king, "if you will wait to the end of a month." So Midhir agreed to
that, and went away for that time.

At the end of the month he came back again, and stood in the great hall
at Teamhair, and no one had ever seen him look so comely as he did that
night. And Eochaid had all his best fighting men gathered in the hall,
and he shut all the doors of the palace when he saw Midhir come in, for
fear he would try to bring away Etain by force.

"I am come to be paid what is due to me," said Midhir. "I have not been
thinking of it up to this time," said Eochaid, and there was anger on
him. "You promised me Etain, your wife," said Midhir.