I asked of you,” he said, “is the pig skin of Tuis, King of Greece, and it heals all the wounds and all the sickness of the world, and whatever danger a man may be in, if it can but overtake the life in him, it will cure him; and it is the way it was with that pig, every stream of water it would go through would be turned into wine to the end of nine days after, and every wound it touched was healed; and it is what the Druids of Greece said, that it is not in itself this virtue was, but in the skin, and they skinned it, and the skin is there ever since.  And I think, too, it will not be easy for you to get it, with or without leave.”

“And do you know what is the spear I am asking of you?” he said.  “We do not,” said they.  “It is a very deadly spear belonging to the King of Persia, the Luin it is called, and every choice thing is done by it, and its head is kept steeped in a vessel of water, the way it will not burn down the place where it is, and it will be hard to get it.  And do you know what two horses and what chariot I am asking of you?  They are the chariot and the two wonderful horses of Dobar, King of Siogair, and the sea is the same as land to them, and there are no faster horses than themselves, and there is no chariot equal to that one in shape and in strength.

“And do you know what are the seven pigs I asked of you?  They are the pigs of Easal, King of the Golden Pillars; and though they are killed every night, they are found alive again the next day, and there will be no disease or no sickness on any person that will eat a share of them.

“And the whelp I asked of you is Fail-Inis, the whelp belonging to the King of Ioruaidh, the Cold Country.  And all the wild beasts of the world would fall down at the sight of her, and she is more beautiful than the sun in his fiery wheels, and it will be hard to get her.

“And the cooking-spit I asked of you is a spit of the spits of the women of Inis Cenn-fhinne, the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair.  And the three shouts you are to give on a hill must be given on the Hill of Miochaoin in the north of Lochlann.  And Miochaoin and his sons are under bonds not to allow any shouts to be given on that hill; and it was with them my father got his learning, and if I would forgive you his death, they would not forgive you.  And if you get through all your other voyages before you reach to them, it is my opinion they themselves will avenge him on you.  And that is the fine I have asked of you,” said Lugh.

There was silence and darkness on the sons of Tuireann when they heard that.  And they went to where their father was, and told him the fine that had been put on them.  “It is bad news that is,” said Tuireann; “and it is to your death and your destruction you will be going, looking for those things.  But for all that, if Lugh himself had a mind to help you, you could work out the fine, and all the men of the world could not do it but by the power of Manannan or of Lugh.  Go then and ask