d her mind for a
way to destroy Etain altogether.

And it is what she did, she persuaded Midhir and Angus to go out and
meet one another and to make peace, for there had been a quarrel between
them ever since the time Etain was sent away. And when Angus was away
from Brugh na Boinn, Fuamach went and found Etain there, in her sunny
house. And she turned her with Druid spells into a fly, and then she
sent a blast of wind into the house, that swept her away through the
window.

But as to Midhir and Angus, they waited a while for Fuamach to come and
join them. And when she did not come they were uneasy in their minds,
and Angus hurried back to Brugh na Boinn. And when he found the sunny
house empty, he went in search of Fuamach, and it was along with
Etarlaim, the Druid, he found her, and he struck her head off there and
then.

And for seven years Etain was blown to and fro through Ireland in great
misery. And at last she came to the house of Etar, of Inver Cechmaine,
where there was a feast going on, and she fell from a beam of the roof
into the golden cup that was beside Etar's wife. And Etar's wife drank
her down with the wine, and at the end of nine months she was born again
as Etar's daughter.

And she had the same name as before, Etain; and she was reared as a
king's daughter, and there were fifty young girls, daughters of princes,
brought up with her to keep her company.

And it happened one day Etain and all the rest of the young girls were
out bathing in the bay at Inver Cechmaine, and they saw from the water a
man, with very high looks, coming towards them over the plain, and he
riding a bay horse with mane and tail curled. A long green cloak he had
on him, and a shirt woven with threads of red gold, and a brooch of gold
that reached across to his shoulders on each side. And he had on his
back a shield of silver with a rim of gold and a boss of gold, and in
his hand a sharp-pointed spear covered with rings of gold from heel to
socket. Fair yellow hair he had, coming over his forehead, and it bound
with a golden band to keep it from loosening.

And when he came near them he got down from his horse, and sat down on
the bank, and it is what he said:

"It is here Etain is to-day, at the Mound of Fair Women. It is among
little children is her life on the strand of Inver Cechmaine.

"It is she healed the eye of the king from the well of Loch da Lig; it
is she was swallowed in a heavy drink by the wife of Etar.