in
Cuchulain sprang from the brink of the ford, so that he alighted upon the
boss of Ferdiad macDaman's shield, that he might reach his head and strike
it over the rim of the shield from above. Ferdiad gave the shield a thrust
with his left knee, so that Cuchulain went from him like an infant onto the
bank of the ford.

Laeg espied that. "Woe then, [1]O Cuchulain!"[1] cried Laeg; [2]"meseems[2]
the battle-warrior that is against thee hath shaken thee as a fond woman
shakes her child. He hath washed thee as a cup is washed in a tub. He hath
ground thee as a mill grinds soft malt. He hath pierced thee as a tool
bores through an oak. He hath bound thee as the bindweed binds the trees.
He hath pounced on thee as a hawk pounces on little birds, so that no more
hast thou right or title or claim to valour or skill in arms till the very
day of doom and of life, thou little imp of an elf-man!" cried Laeg.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] Stowe.

Thereat for the third time, Cuchulain arose with the speed of the wind, and
the swiftness of a swallow, and the dash of a dragon, and the strength (of
a lion) [3]into the clouds[3] of the air, till he alighted on the boss of
the shield of Ferdiad son of Daman, so as to reach his head that he might
strike it from above over the rim of his shield. Then it was that the
battle-warrior gave the shield a [4]violent and powerful[4] shake, so that
Cuchulain flew from it into the middle of the ford, the same as if he had
not sprung at all.

[3-3] Stowe.

[4-4] Stowe.

It was then the first twisting-fit of Cuchulain took place, so that a
swelling and inflation filled him like breath in a bladder, until he made a
dreadful, terrible, many-coloured, wonderful bow of himself, so that as big
as a giant or a man [W.3805.] of the sea was the hugely-brave warrior
towering directly over Ferdiad.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their heads
encountered above and their feet below and their hands in the middle over
the rims and bosses of the shields.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their shields burst
and split from their rims to their centres.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their spears bent and
turned and shivered from their tips to their rivets.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that the boccanach and the
bananach ('the puck-faced Fays' and 'the white-faced Fays') and the sprites
of the glens and the eldritch