Fintan:  Not at all!  It was the Nurse herself told me it was at evening she was born.

Queen:  There is the Nurse now.  Let you ask her account.

Fintan:  (To Nurse.) It was yourself laid down it was evening!

Nurse:  Sure I wasn’t in the place at all till Samhuin time, when she was near three months in the world.

Fintan:  Then it was some other hag the very spit of you!  I wish she didn’t tell a lie.

Nurse:  Sure that one was banished out of this on the head of telling lies.  An hour ere sunrise, and before the crowing of the cocks.  The Dall Glic will tell you that much.

Dall Glic:  That is so.  I have it marked upon the genealogies in the chest.

Fintan:  That is great news!  It was a heavy wrong was done me!  It had me greatly upset.  Twelve hours out in laying down the birth-time!  That clears the character of myself and of the carwheel of the stars.  I knew I could make no mistake in my office and in my billet!

King:  Will you stop praising yourself and give out some sense?

Fintan:  Knowledge is surely the greatest thing in the world!  And truth!  Twelve hours with the planets is equal to twelve months on earth.  I am well satisfied now.

Queen:  So the Dragon is not coming, and the girl is in no danger at all?

Fintan:  Not coming!  Heaven help your poor head!  Didn’t I get word within the last half-hour he is after leaving his den in the Kingdoms of the Cold, and is at this minute ploughing his way to Ireland, the same as I foretold him, but that I made a miscount of a year?

Nurse:  (Putting her arm round Princess.) Och! do not listen or give heed to him at all!

Queen:  When is he coming so?

Fintan:  Amn’t I tired telling you this day in the place of this day twelvemonth.  But as to the minute, there’s too much lies in this place for me to be rightly sure.

King:  The curse of the seven elements upon him!

Fintan:  Little he’ll care for your cursing.  The whole world wouldn’t stop him coming to your own grand gate.

Princess:  (Coming forward.) Then I am to die to-night?

Fintan:  You are, without he will be turned back by someone having a stronger star than your own, and I know of no star is better, unless it might be the sun.

Queen:  If you had minded me, and given in to ring the wedding bells, you would be safe out of this before now.

Fintan:  That Dragon not to find her before him, he will ravage and destroy the whole district with the poisonous spittle of his jaw, till the want will be so great the father will disown his son and will not let him in the door.  Well, good-bye to ye!  Ye’ll maybe believe me to have foreknowledge another time, and I proved to be right.  I have knocked great comfort out of that!