"
They said that was a good advice, and Brian struck himself and the
others with his Druid rod, and changed them into beautiful hawks. And
they flew towards the garden, and the watchers took notice of them and
shouted on every side of them, and threw showers of spears and darts,
but the hawks kept out of their reach as Brian had bade them, till all
the spears were spent, and then they swept down bravely on the apples,
and brought them away with them, without so much as a wound.
And the news went through the city and the whole district, and the king
had three wise, crafty daughters, and they put themselves into the shape
of three ospreys, and they followed the hawks to the sea, and sent
flashes of lightning before them and after them, that scorched them
greatly.
"It is a pity the way we are now," said the sons of Tuireann, "for we
will be burned through and through with this lightning if we do not get
some relief." "If I can give you relief I will do it," said Brian. With
that he struck himself and his brothers with the Druid rod, and they
were turned into three swans, and they went down quickly into the sea,
and the ospreys went away from them then, and the sons of Tuireann went
into their boat.
After that they consulted together, and it is what they agreed, to go to
Greece and to bring away the skin of the pig, with or without leave. So
they went forward till they came near to the court of the King of
Greece.
"What appearance should we put on us going in here?" said Brian.
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