"In the first place there is none," they say; "all the liquids that had
been in the house have been spilt on the fires."
The cupbears found no drink for him in the Dodder (a river), and the
Dodder had flowed through the house.
Then Conaire again asked for a drink. "A drink to me, O fosterer, O Mac
cecht! 'Tis equal to me what death I shall go to, for anyhow I
shall perish."
Then Mac cecht gave a choice to the champions of valour of the men of
Erin who were in the house, whether they cared to protect the King or to
seek a drink for him.
Conall Cernach answered this in the house--and cruel he deemed the
contention, and afterwards he had always a feud with Mac cecht.--"Leave
the defence of the King to _us_," says Conall, "and go thou to seek the
drink, for of thee it is demanded."
So then Mac cecht fared forth to seek the drink, and he took Conaire's
son, Le fri flaith, under his armpit, and Conaire's golden cup, in which
an ox with a bacon-pig would be boiled; and he bore his shield and his
two spears and his sword, and he carried the caldron-spit, a spit
of iron.
Pages:
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249