a non-going for seeking them; thou wouldest not give thy life for them,” she says.  “Thou shalt have cows at my hands besides them.”  “Not so this,” he says:  “I have pledged my hospitality and my soul to go to Ailill and to Medb with my cows to the Spoil of the Cows from Cualnge.”  “What thou seekest shall not be obtained,” says his mother.  At this she goes off from him then.

He then sets out with three nines, and a wood-cuckoo (hawk), and a hound of tie with them, until he goes to the territory of the Ulstermen, so that he meets with Conall Cernach (Conall the Victorious) at Benna Bairchi (a mountain on the Ulster border).

He tells his quest to him.  “What awaits thee,” says the latter, “shall not be lucky for thee.  Much of trouble awaits thee,” he says, “though in it the mind should be.”  “It will come to me,” says Fraech to Connall, “that thou wouldest help me any time we should meet.” (?) “I shall go truly,” says Conall Cernach.  They set of the three (i.e. the three nines) over sea, over Saxony of the North, over the Sea of Icht (the sea between England and France), to the north of the Long-bards (the dwellers of Lombardy), until they reached the mountains of Elpa.  They saw a herd-girl at tending of the sheep before them.  “Let us go south,” says Conall, “O Fraech, that we may address the woman yonder, and let our youths stay here.”

They went then to a conversation.  She said, “Whence are ye?” “Of the men of Erin,” says Conall.  “It shall not be lucky for the men of Erin truly, the coming to this country.  From the men of Erin too is my mother.  Aid thou me on account of relationship.”

“Tell us something about our movements.  What is the quality of the land we have to come to?” “A grim hateful land with troublesome warriors, who go on every side for carrying off cows and women as captives,” she says.  “What is the latest thing they have carried off?” says Fraech.  “The cows of Fraech, son of Idath, from the west of Erin, and his wife, and his three sons.  Here is his wife here in the house of the king, here are his cows in the country in front of you.”  “Let thy aid come to us,” says Conall.  Little is my power, save guidance only.”  “This is Fraech,” says Conall, and they are his cows that have been carried off.”  “Is the woman constant in your estimation?” she says.  “Though constant in our estimation when she went, perchance she is not constant after coming.”  “The woman who frequents the cows, go ye to her; tell ye of your errand; of the men of Ireland her race; of the men of Ulster exactly.”

They come to her; they receive her, and they name themselves to her, and she bids welcome to them.  “What hath led you forth?” she says.  “Trouble hath led us forth,” says Conall; “ours are the cows and the woman that is in the Liss.”