to Manannan's country.

Ciabhan now was the most beautiful of the young men of the world at that
time, and he was as far beyond all other kings' sons as the moon is
beyond the stars. And Finn liked him well, but the rest of the Fianna
got to be tired of him because there was not a woman of their women, wed
or unwed, but gave him her love. And Finn had to send him away at the
last, for he was in dread of the men of the Fianna because of the
greatness of their jealousy.

So Ciabhan went on till he came to the Strand of the Cairn, that is
called now the Strand of the Strong Man, between Dun Sobairce and the
sea. And there he saw a curragh, and it having a narrow stern of copper.
And Ciabhan got into the curragh, and his people said: "Is it to leave
Ireland you have a mind, Ciabhan?" "It is indeed," he said, "for in
Ireland I get neither shelter or protection." He bade farewell to his
people then, and he left them very sorrowful after him, for to part with
him was like the parting of life from the body.

And Ciabhan went on in the curragh, and great white shouting waves rose
up about him, every one of them the size of a mountain; and the
beautiful speckled salmon that are used to stop in the sand and the
shingle rose up to the sides of the curragh, till great dread came on
Ciabhan, and he said: "By my word, if it was on land I was I could make
a better fight for myself"

And he was in this danger till he saw a rider coming towards him on a
dark grey horse having a golden bridle, and he would be under the sea
for the length of nine waves, and he would rise with the tenth wave, and
no wet on him at all. And he said: "What reward would you give to
whoever would bring you out of this great danger?" "Is there anything in
my hand worth offering you?" said Ciabhan. "There is," said the rider,
"that you would give your service to whoever would give you his help."
Ciabhan agreed to that, and he put his hand into the rider's hand.

With that the rider drew him on to the horse, and the curragh came on
beside them till they reached to the shore of Tir Tairngaire, the Land
of Promise. They got off the horse there, and came to Loch Luchra, the
Lake of the Dwarfs, and to Manannan's city, and a feast was after being
made ready there, and comely serving-boys were going round with smooth
horns, and playing on sweet-sounding harps till the whole house was
filled with the music.

Then there came in clowns, long-snouted, long-heeled, lean