the music they thought the best. "To be playing at
games," said Conan, "that is the best music I ever heard;" for though
Conan was a good hand against an enemy, there never was a man had less
sense. "The music I like the best is to be talking with a woman," said
Diarmuid. "My music is the outcry of my hounds, and they putting a deer
to its last stand," said Lugaidh's Son. "The music of the woods is best
to me," said Oisin; "the sound of the wind and of the cuckoo and the
blackbird, and the sweet silence of the crane."

And then Osgar was asked, and he said: "The best music is the striking
of swords in a battle." And it is likely he took after Finn in that, for
in spite of all the sweet sounds he gave an account of the time he was
at Conan's house, at Ceann Slieve, it used to be said by the Fianna that
the music that was best with Finn was what happened.

This now is the way Osgar met with his wife.

One time Finn and his men came to Slieve Crot, and they saw a woman
waiting there before them, having a crimson fringed cloak, and a gold
brooch in it, and a band of yellow gold on her forehead. Finn asked her
name, and where she came from. "Etain of the Fair Hair is my name," she
said, "daughter of Aedh of the White Breast, of the hill of the Sidhe at
Beinn Edair, son of Angus Og." "What is it brought you here, girl?" said
Finn. "To ask a man of the Fianna of Ireland to run a race with me."
"What sort of a runner are you?" said Diarmuid. "I am a good runner,"
said the girl; "for it is the same to me if the ground is long or short
under my feet."

All of the Fianna that were there then set out to run with her, and they
ran to the height over Badhamair and on to Ath Cliath, and from that on
to the hill of the Sidhe at Beinn Edair.

And there was a good welcome before them, and they were brought meat and
wine for drinking, and water for washing their feet. And after a while
they saw a nice fair-haired girl in front of the vats, and a cup of
white silver in her hand, and she giving out drink to every one. "It
seems to me that is the girl came asking the Fianna to race against her
at Slieve Crot," said Finn. "It is not," said Aedh of the White Breast,
"for that is the slowest woman there is among us." "Who was it so?" said
Finn. "It was Be-mannair, daughter of Ainceol, woman-messenger of the
Tuatha de Danaan. And it is she that changes herself into all shapes;
and she will take the shape of a fly, and of a true lover, and e