the sight of all my tribe, and me
the best man among them? How am I to fight this man-mountain--this huge
cross between an earthquake and a thunderbolt?--with a pancake in his
pocket that was once--"

"Be easy, Fin," replied Oonagh; "troth, I'm ashamed of you. Keep your
toe in your pump, will you? Talking of pancakes, maybe, we'll give him
as good as any he brings with him--thunderbolt or otherwise. If I don't
treat him to as smart feeding as he's got this many a day, never trust
Oonagh again. Leave him to me, and do just as I bid you."

This relieved Fin very much; for, after all, he had great confidence in
his wife, knowing, as he did, that she had got him out of many a
quandary before. Oonagh then drew the nine woollen threads of different
colours, which she always did to find out the best way of succeeding in
anything of importance she went about. She then platted them into three
plats with three colours in each, putting one on her right arm, one
round her heart, and the third round her right ankle, for then she knew
that nothing could fail with her that she undertook.

Having everything now prepared, she sent round to the neighbours and
borrowed one-and-twenty iron griddles, which she took and kneaded into
the hearts of one-and-twenty cakes of bread, and these she baked on the
fire in the usual way, setting them aside in the cupboard according as
they were done. She then put down a large pot of new milk, which she
made into curds and whey. Having done all this, she sat down quite
contented, waiting for his arrival on the next day about two o'clock,
that being the hour at which he was expected--for Fin knew as much by
the sucking of his thumb. Now this was a curious property that Fin's
thumb had. In this very thing, moreover, he was very much resembled by
his great foe, Cucullin; for it was well known that the huge strength
he possessed all lay in the middle finger of his right hand, and that,
if he happened by any mischance to lose it, he was no more, for all his
bulk, than a common man.

At length, the next day, Cucullin was seen coming across the valley,
and Oonagh knew that it was time to commence operations. She
immediately brought the cradle, and made Fin to lie down in it, and
cover himself up with the clothes.

"You must pass for your own child," said she; "so just lie there snug,
and say nothing, but be guided by me."

About two o'clock, as he had been expected, Cucullin came in. "God save
all here!"