’But the king would not mind him; but he brought her away, and he had a house made for her, and she was reared up in it.  And she grew to be a nice young girl, and there were women about her to care her and to attend on her; but she never saw a man but the king himself, that used to come and see her every week.  And he had great love for her; and he thought she loved him.’

The account of Deirdre’s meeting with Naoise, and their flight to Scotland, and the king’s message bringing them back, was much the same as in some of the printed versions; but Mannanan’s part at the end was new to me.  The old man went on:  ’When they came to Ulster, the king made an attack on them, to bring away Deirdre from them; but they killed all that came near them, and drove the whole army back.

’Then the king went to Mannanan of the Hill, and he said:  “Come and give me your help against these men, or they will kill the whole army of Ulster.”  And Mannanan said:  “I will give you no help; for I told you all this would come on you if you brought the girl away the time she was a baby in this place.”  But the king pressed him, and said:  “Put blindness on them, the way they will not be able to kill my people.”

’So Mannanan agreed to do that, and he put blindness on the three brothers.  And when they went out next time to fight against the army, they could not see who was before them; and it was at each other they were striking; and at last all of them fell by each other’s hand.

’And when Deirdre saw they were dead, she took up a sword or a dagger that was lying on the ground, and she put it through her own body, and she fell dead along with them.

’And she was buried on one side of a dry stone wall, and her husband on the other side.  And a briar grew up on his grave, and a briar on hers; and they met over the wall, and joined with one another.’

* * * * *

A young man, narrow-chested and consumptive-looking, but with fun in his eyes, said then:  ’There were three Irishmen joined the English army, and they didn’t like it.  And they were brought to India; and when they were there, they agreed to make away.  So they went into a forest, where they would not be found.  And they made a little cabin for themselves there; and two of them used to go hunting every day, and the other would stop at home to make ready the dinner.

’One day when the pot was on the fire, a little old man came into the house.  “Bum-bum,” he said; “give me something to eat out of the pot.”

’So the soldier gave him a rabbit out of the pot.  “Give me another,” he said then.  “I will not,” said the soldier; “for there would not be enough for my friends’ dinner when they come home from hunting.”  With that the little man took hold of the pot, and threw the scalding broth over the soldier, and made off, leaving nothing in the pot after him.

’And when the others came home, they found their comrade lying there on the ground, scalded, and he told them what had happened.