And you can believe my words, Oisin,' he said,
'for I myself am the King of the Country of the Young, and this is its
comely queen, and it was golden-headed Niamh our daughter that went over
the sea looking for you to be her husband for ever.' I gave thanks to
him then, and I stooped myself down before the queen, and we went
forward to the royal house, and all the high nobles came out to meet us,
both men and women, and there was a great feast made there through the
length of ten days and ten nights.
"And that is the way I married Niamh of the Golden Hair, and that is the
way I went to the Country of the Young, although it is sorrowful to me
to be telling it now, O Patrick from Rome," said Oisin.
"Follow on with your story, Oisin of the destroying arms," said Patrick,
"and tell me what way did you leave the Country of the Young, for it is
long to me till I hear that; and tell us now had you any children by
Niamh, and was it long you were in that place."
"Two beautiful children I had by Niamh," said Oisin, "two young sons and
a comely daughter. And Niamh gave the two sons the name of Finn and of
Osgar, and the name I gave to the daughter was The Flower.
"And I did not feel the time passing, and it was a long time I stopped
there," he said, "till the desire came on me to see Finn and my comrades
again. And I asked leave of the king and of Niamh to go back to Ireland.
'You will get leave from me,' said Niamh; 'but for all that,' she said,
'it is bad news you are giving me, for I am in dread you will never come
back here again through the length of your days.
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