e wife of Gorla of the Flocks baked two cakes, one large and one
small; and Covan took the small one, and started on his quest. In the
wood he felt hungry, for he had walked far, and he sat down to eat.
Suddenly a voice behind him cried:

'A bit for me! a bit for me!' And looking round he beheld the black
raven of the wilderness.

'Yes, you shall have a bit,' said Covan the Brown-haired; and breaking
off a piece he stretched it upwards to the raven, who ate it greedily.
Then Covan arose and went forward, till he saw the light from the
cottage streaming before him, and glad was he, for night was at hand.

'Maybe I shall find some work there,' he thought, 'and at least I shall
gain money to help me in my search; for who knows how far my sister and
my brothers may have wandered?'

The door stood open and he entered, and the old man gave him welcome,
and the golden-haired maiden likewise. As happened before, he was
offered by the old man to herd his cows; and, as she had done to his
brothers, the maiden counselled him to leave such work alone. But,
instead of answering rudely, like both Ardan and Ruais, he thanked her,
with courtesy, though he had no mind to heed her; and he listened to the
warnings and words of his new master.

Next day he set forth at dawn with the dun cows in front of him, and
followed patiently wherever they might lead him. On the way he saw the
gold cock and silver hen, which ran even closer to him than they had
done to his brothers. Sorely tempted, he longed to give them chase; but,
remembering in time that he had been bidden to look neither to the right
nor to the left, with a mighty effort he turned his eyes away. Then the
gold and silver staffs seemed to spring from the earth before him, but
this time also he overcame; and though the fruit from the magic tree
almost touched his mouth, he brushed it aside and went steadily on.

That day the cows wandered father than ever they had done before,
and never stopped till they had reached a moor where the heather was
burning. The fire was fierce, but the cows took no heed, and walked
steadily through it, Covan the Brown-haired following them. Next they
plunged into a foaming river, and Covan plunged in after them, though
the water came high above his waist. On the other side of the river lay
a wide plain, and here the cows lay down, while Covan looked about
him. Near him was a house built of yellow stone, and from it came sweet
songs, and Covan liste