And in wrath they will rush on our land; ’twere best that Fraech we devise to slay; Ere that ruin he bring, let us make our spring, and the ill yet unwrought arrest.”  “It were pity such deed should be done,” said Maev, “and to slay in our house our guest!  ’Twill bring shame on us ever.”  “No shame to our house,” said King Ailill, “that death shall breed!” (And he spake the words twice)—­“but now hear my advice, how I plan we should do this deed.”

All the plot had been planned; to their house at last
King Ailill and Maev through the doorway passed;
And the voice of the king uprose: 
“’Tis now that the hounds should their prey pursue,
Come away to the hunt who the hounds would view;
For noon shall that hunting close.” 
So forth went they all, on the chase intent,
And they followed till strength of the hounds was spent,
And the hunters were warm; and to bathe they went
Where the river of Croghan flows.

And, “’Tis told me,” said Ailill, “that Fraech hath won
A great fame for the feats he in floods hath done: 
Wilt thou enter these streams by our side that run? 
We are longing to see thee swim!”
And said Fraech:  “Is it good then indeed thy stream? 
And said Ailill:  “Of danger no need to dream,
For many a youth from the Connaught Court
In its current hath bathed, and hath swum it in sport,
Nor of any who tried have we heard report
That ill hath been found by him!”

Then Fraech from his body his garments stripped,
And he sprang down the bank, and he swiftly slipped
In the stream:  and the king’s glance fell
On a belt, left by Fraech on the bank; the king
Bent low; in the purse saw his daughter’s ring,
And the shape of the ring could tell. 
“Come hither, O Maev,” Ailill softly cried;
And Queen Maev came up close to her husband’s side
“Dost thou know of that ring?” in the purse she spied
The ring, and she knew it well. 
Then Ailill the ring from the purse withdrew,
And away from the bank the fair gem he threw;
And the ring, flashing bright, through the air far flew,
To be lost in the flood’s swift swell.

And Fraech saw the gem as it brightly flashed,
And a salmon rose high, at the light it dashed,
And, as back in the stream with the ring he splashed,
At the fish went Fraech with a spring: 
By its jole was the salmon secured, and thrown
To a nook in the bank, that by few was known;
And unnoticed he threw it, to none was it shown
As it fell to the earth, with the ring.

And now Fraech from the stream would be going: 
But, “Come not,” said the king, “to us yet: 
Bring a branch from yon rowan-tree, showing
Its fair berries, with water-drops wet.”

Then Fraech, swimming away through the water,
Brake a branch from the dread rowan-tree,
And a sigh came from Ailill’s fair daughter;
“Ah! how lovely he seemeth,” said she.