’"Let us go to our house,” said Conchobar.

’They met Cuscraid Mac Conchobair.  There were sure wounds on him; Cuchulainn took him on his back.  The three of them went then to Emain Macha.

’Another time the Ulstermen were in their weakness.  There was not among us,’ said Fergus, ’weakness on women and boys, nor on any one who was outside the country of the Ulstermen, nor on Cuchulainn and his father.  And so no one dared to shed their blood; for the suffering springs on him who wounds them. [Gloss incorporated in text:  ‘or their decay, or their shortness of life.’]

’Three times nine men came to us from the Isles of Faiche.  They went over our back court when we were in our weakness.  The women screamed in the court.  The boys were in the play-field; they come at the cries.  When the boys saw the dark, black men, they all take to flight except Cuchulainn alone.  He plies hand-stones and his playing-club on them.  He kills nine of them, and they leave fifty wounds on him, and they go forth besides.  A man who did these deeds when his five years were not full, it would be no wonder that he should have come to the edge of the boundary and that he should have cut off the heads of yonder four.’

‘We know him indeed, this boy,’ said Conall Cernach, ’and we know him none the worse that he is a fosterling of ours.  It was not long after the deed that Fcrgus has just related, when he did another deed.  When Culann the smith served a feast to Conchobar, Culann said that it was not a multitude that should be brought to him, for the preparation which he had made was not from land or country, but from the fruit of his two hands and his pincers.  Then Conchobar went, and fifty chariots with him, of those who were noblest and most eminent of the heroes.  Now Conchobar visited then his play-field.  It was always his custom to visit and revisit them at going and coming, to seek a greeting of the boys.  He saw then Cuchulainn driving his ball against the three fifties of boys, and he gets the victory over them.  When it was hole-driving that they did, he filled the hole with his balls and they could not ward him off.  When they were all throwing into the hole, he warded them off alone, so that not a single ball would go in it.  When it was wrestling they were doing, he overthrew the three fifties of boys by himself, and there did not meet round him a number that could overthrow him.  When it was stripping that they did, he stripped them all so that they were quite naked, and they could not take from him even his brooch out of his cloak.

’Conchobar thought this wonderful.  He said “Would he bring his deeds to completion, provided the age of manhood came to them?” Every one said:  “He would bring them to completion.”  Conchobar said to Cuchulainn:  “Come with me,” said he, “to the feast to which we are going, because you are a guest.”

’"I have not had enough of play yet, O friend Conchobar,” said the boy; “I will come after you.”