" "A gift from
me," said Angus Og, son of the Dagda, "a rath and a good town with high
walls, and with bright sunny houses, and with wide houses, in whatever
place it will please them between Rath Chobtaige and Teamhair." "A gift
to them from me," said Aine, daughter of Modharn, "a woman-cook that I
have, and there is _geasa_ on her not to refuse food to any; and
according as she serves it out, her store fills up of itself again."
"Another gift to them from me," said Bodb Dearg, "a good musician that I
have, Fertuinne, son of Trogain; and although there were women in the
sharpest pains of childbirth, and brave men wounded early in the day, in
a place where there were saws going through wood, they would sleep at
the sweetness of the music he makes. And whatever house he may be in,
the people of the whole country round will hear him."
So they stopped in Brugh na Boinne three days and three nights, and when
they left it, Angus bade them bring away from the oak-wood three
apple-trees, one in full bloom, and one shedding its blossom, and the
third covered with ripe fruit.
They went then to their own dun that was given them, and it is a good
place they had there, and a troop of young men, and great troops of
horses and of greyhounds; and they had three sorts of music that comely
kings liked to be listening to, the music of harps and of lutes, and the
chanting of Trogain's son; and there were three great sounds, the
tramping on the green, and the uproar of racing, and the lowing of
cattle; and three other sounds, the grunting of good pigs with the fat
thick on them, and the voices of the crowd on the green lawn, and the
noise of men drinking inside the house.
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