At last when they had put away desire of eating and drinking, Iubdan rose up, having in his hand the royal goblet of gold inlaid with precious many-coloured jewels, and the heir-apparent rose at the other end of the table, and they drank prosperity and victory to Faylinn.  Then Iubdan’s heart swelled with pride, and he asked of the company, “Come now, have any of you ever seen a king more glorious and powerful than I am?” “Never, in truth,” cried they all.  “Have ye ever seen a stronger man than my giant, Glowar?” “Never, O King,” said they.  “Or battle-steeds and men-at-arms better than mine?” “By our words,” they cried, “we never have.”  “Truly,” went on Iubdan, “I deem that he who would assail our kingdom of Faylinn, and carry away captives and hostages from us, would have his work cut out for him, so fierce and mighty are our warriors; yea, any one of them hath the stuff of kingship in him.”

On hearing this, Eisirt, in whom the heady wine and ale had done their work, burst out laughing; and the King turned to him, saying, “Eisirt, what hath moved thee to this laughter?” “I know a province in Erinn,” replied Eisirt, “one man of whom would harry Faylinn in the teeth of all four battalions of the Wee Folk.”  “Seize him,” cried the King to his attendants; “Eisirt shall pay dearly in chains and in prison for that scornful speech against our glory.”

Then Eisirt was put in bonds, and he repented him of his brag; but ere they dragged him away he said, “Grant me, O mighty King, but three days’ respite, that I may travel to Erinn to the court of Fergus mac Leda, and if I bring not back some clear token that I have uttered nought but the truth, then do with me as thou wilt.”

So Iubdan bade them release him, and he fared away to Erinn oversea.

[Illustration:  “They all trooped out, lords and ladies, to view the wee man”]

After this, one day, as Fergus and his lords sat at the feast, the gatekeeper of the palace of Fergus in Emania heard outside a sound of ringing; he opened the gate, and there stood a wee man holding in his hand a rod of white bronze hung with little silver bells, by which poets are wont to procure silence for their recitations.  Most noble and comely was the little man to look on, though the short grass of the lawn reached as high as to his knee.  His hair was twisted in four-ply strands after the manner of poets and he wore a gold-embroidered tunic of silk and an ample scarlet cloak with a fringe of gold.  On his feet he wore shoes of white bronze ornamented with gold, and a silken hood was on his head.  The gatekeeper wondered at the sight of the wee man, and went to report the matter to King Fergus.  “Is he less,” asked Fergus, “than my dwarf and poet AEda?” “Verily,” said the gatekeeper, “he could stand upon the palm of AEda’s hand and have room to spare.”  Then with much laughter and wonder they all trooped out, lords and ladies, to the great gate to view the wee man and to speak with him.  But Eisirt, when he saw them, waved them back in alarm, crying, “Avaunt, huge men; bring not your heavy breath so near me; but let yon man that is least among you approach me and bear me in.”  So the dwarf AEda put Eisirt on his palm and bore him into the banqueting hall.