And at that time there were hundreds of ships waiting near the shore;
and he left his ship outside them all, and then he stepped from ship to
ship till he stood on land.
There was a great feast going on at that time in the king's house, and
the Lad of the Skins went up to the door, but he could get no farther
because of the crowd. So he stood outside the door for a while, and no
one looked at him, and he called out at last: "This is a hospitable
house indeed, and these are mannerly ways, not to ask a stranger if
there is hunger on him or thirst." "That is true," said the king; "and
give the cauldron of plenty now to this stranger," he said, "till he
eats his fill."
So his people did that, and no sooner did the Lad of the Skins get a
hold of the cauldron than he made away to the ship and put it safe into
it. But when he had done that he said: "There is no use in taking the
pot by my swiftness, if I do not take it by my strength." And with that
he turned and went to land again. And the whole of the men of the army
of the King of the Floods were ready to fight; but if they were, so was
the Lad of the Skins, and he went through them and over them all till
the whole place was quiet.
He went back to his ship then and raised the sails and set out again
for Ireland, and the ship went rushing back to the place where he made
it. And when he came there, he gave a touch of his hand to the ship, and
there was nothing left of it but the two sticks he made it from, and
they lying on the strand before him, and the cauldron of plenty with
them.
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