hree shouts on a hill."

"We would not consider heavy hundreds or thousands of these things,"
said the Sons of Turenn, "but we misdoubt thou hast some secret
purpose against us."

"I deem it no small eric," said Lugh, "and I call to witness the High
King and lords of the Danaans that I shall ask no more; and do ye on
your side give me guarantees for the fulfilment of it."

So the High King and the lords of the Danaans entered into bonds with
Lugh and with the Sons of Turenn that the eric should be paid and
should wipe out the blood of Kian.

"Now," said Lugh, "it is better forme to give you fuller knowledge of
the eric. The three apples that I have demanded of you are the apples
that grow in the garden of the Hesperides, in the east of the world,
and none but these will do. Thus it is with them: they are the colour
of bright gold, and as large as the head of a month-old child; the
taste of them is like honey; if he who eats them has any running sore
or evil disease it is healed by them; they may be eaten and eaten and
never be less. I doubt, O young heroes, if ye will get these apples,
for those who guard them know well an ancient prophecy that one day
three knights from the western world would come to attempt them.

"As for the skin of the pig, that is a treasure of Tuish, the King of
Greece. If it be laid upon a wounded man it will make him whole and
well, if only it overtake the breath of life in him. And do ye know
what is the spear that I demanded?"

"We do not," said they.

"It is the poisoned spear of Peisear, the King of Persia, and so
fierce is the spirit of war in it that it must be kept in a pot of
soporific herbs or it would fly out raging for death. And do ye know
what are the two horses and the chariot ye must get?"

"We do not know," said they.

"The steeds and the chariot belong to Dobar, King of Sicily. They are
magic steeds and can go indifferently over land and sea, nor can they
be killed by any weapon unless they be torn in pieces and their bones
cannot be found. And the seven pigs are the swine of Asal, King of the
Golden Pillars, which may be slain and eaten every night and the next
morning they are alive again.

"And the hound-whelp I asked of you is the whelp of the King of
Iorroway, that can catch and slay any beast in the world; hard it is
to get possession of that whelp.

"The cooking spit is one of the spits that the fairy women of the
Island of Finchory have in their kitchen.