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By Root 708 0

is the favourite youth of the king of the Síde of Ériu.’ At that, Fróech heard the weeping, and he said to his people ‘Bear me outside. The weeping of my mother this, and of the women of Bóand.’ Fróech was borne outside, then, and the women gathered about him and took him off into the síd of Crúachu. On the evening of the following day, the people saw him return, accompanied by fifty women and completely healed, without fault or blemish. Of equal age and form and beauty and fairness and comeliness and grace the women about him, so that there was no telling one from the other; and they had the look of the women of the Síde. Men all but suffocated about them. The women departed at the entrance to the courtyard, but in leaving they so poured forth their lament that the people in the courtyard were laid prostrate. Thus it is that the musicians of Ériu possess the weeping of the women of the Síde.

Fróech entered the fort after that; the hosts rose to meet him, and they welcomed him as if he had come from another world. Ailill and Medb rose also, and they expressed regret for what they had done to him, and peace was made. That night, a feast was held. Fróech called a lad of his people to him and said ‘Go out to where I entered the pool. I left a salmon there; take it to Findabair and leave it with her, and have her cook it well. The thumb ring is inside the salmon, and I expect that it may be demanded of her tonight.’

After that, everyone grew intoxicated, and the singers and musicians entertained them. ‘Bring all my treasures to me!’ said Ailill, and these were brought before him. ‘Wonderful! Wonderful!’ said everyone. ‘Call Findabair to me,’ said Ailill; Findabair came, with fifty girls about her. ‘Daughter,’ said Ailill, ‘the thumb ring I gave you last year, do you still have it? Give it to me that the warriors may see it – you will get it back.’ ‘I do not know what has happened to it,’ said Findabair. ‘Find out, then!’ said Ailill. ‘Otherwise, your soul must leave your body.’ ‘It is not worth that,’ said the youths, ‘not with all the treasures that are here already.’ ‘There is no treasure I would not give for the girl,’ said Fróech, ‘for she brought the sword that saved my life.’ ‘You have no treasure that can save her if she does not restore the thumb ring,’ replied Ailill. ‘I have no power to restore it,’ said Findabair. ‘Do with me as you like.’ ‘I swear by the god my people swear by, you will die unless you restore it,’ said Ailill. ‘That is why I demand it of you – I know you cannot produce it. That ring will not come from where it has been put until the dead come to life.’ ‘Then neither wealth nor wishing will restore it. But since your need is urgent, let me go that I may bring it,’ said Findabair. Ailill replied ‘You will not go – let one of your people go for it.’ Findabair sent her maid to look for the ring, and she said to Ailill ‘I swear by the god my people swear by, if the ring is found, I will not remain under your protection so long as there is someone else to undertake it.’ ‘If the ring is found,’ said Ailill, ‘I would not refuse you that even if you went to the stableboy.’

The maid brought a platter into the royal house, then, and the salmon was on it; Findabair had cooked it well, and the gold thumb ring lay upon it. Ailill and Medb looked at the ring; Fróech said ‘Give it here that I may see it’, and he looked into his wallet. ‘I believe I was observed when I took off my belt,’ he said to Ailill. ‘By the truth of your sovereignty, tell us what you did with the ring.’ ‘That will not be concealed from you,’ said Ailill. ‘Mine the thumb ring that was in your wallet, and I knew that Findabair had given it to you. That is why I threw it into the dark water. By the truth of your honour and your soul, Fróech, tell how you managed to bring it out.’ ‘That will not be concealed from you,’ said Fróech. ‘I found the thumb ring at the entrance to the courtyard my first day here; I knew it was a fair treasure, and so I put it carefully into my wallet. The day I went into the water I perceived the girl who had lost