e the sons of
Turenn, by name Brian and Iuchar and Iucharba. And there was an
ancient blood-feud between the house of Canta and the house of Turenn,
so that they never met without bloodshed.

[15] Dundalk.

Then Kian thought to himself, "If my brothers Cu and Kethan were here
there might be a pretty fight, but as they are three to one I would do
better to fly." Now there was a herd of wild swine near by; and Kian
changed himself by druidic sorceries into a wild pig and fell to
rooting up the earth along with the others.

When the sons of Turenn came up to the herd, Brian said, "Brothers,
did ye see the warrior wh' just now was journeying across the plain?"

"We saw him," said they.

"What is become of him?" said Brian.

"Truly, we cannot tell," said the brothers.

"It is good watch ye keep in time of war!" said Brian; "but I know
what has taken him out of our sight, for he struck himself with a
magic wand, and changed himself into the form of one of yonder swine,
and he is rooting the earth among them now. Wherefore," said Brian, "I
deem that he is no friend to us."

"If so, we have no help for it," said they, "for the herd belongs to
some man of the Danaans; and even if we set to and begin to kill the
swine, the pig of druidism might be the very one to escape."

"Have ye learned so little in your place of studies," said Brian,
"that ye cannot distinguish a druidic beast from a natural beast?" And
with that he smote his two brothers with a magic wand, and changed
them into two slender, fleet hounds, and they darted in among the
herd. Then all the herd scattered and fled, but the hounds separated
the druidic pig and chased it towards a wood where Brian awaited it.
As it passed, Brian flung his spear, and it pierced the chest of the
pig and brought it down. The pig screamed, "Evil have you done to cast
at me."

Brian said, "That hath the sound of human speech!"

"I am in truth a man," said the pig, "and I am Kian, son of Canta, and
I pray you show me mercy."

"That will we," said Iuchar and Iucharba, "and sorry are we for what
has happened."

"Nay," said Brian, "but I swear by the Wind and the Sun that if thou
hadst seven lives I would take them all."

"Grant me a favour then," said Kian.

"We shall grant it," said Brian.

"Let me," said Kian, "return into my own form that I may die in the
shape of a man."

"I had liefer kill a man than a pig," said Brian. Then Kian became a
man again and stood