she said,
"it was a bad thing you did, to kill the father of Lugh of the Long
Hand; and whatever harm may come to you from it, it is but just." "Do
not say that, Ethne," they said, "for we are in good heart, and we will
do brave deeds. And we would sooner be killed a hundred times over,"
they said, "than to meet with the death of cowards." "My grief," said
Ethne, "there is nothing more sorrowful than this, to see you driven out
from your own country."

Then the three pushed out their curragh from the beautiful clear-bayed
shore of Ireland. "What course shall we take first?" said they. "We will
go look for the apples," said Brian, "as they were the first thing we
were bade bring. And so we ask of you, curragh of Manannan that is under
us, to sail to the Garden in the East of the World."

And the curragh did not neglect that order, but it sailed forward over
the green-sided waves and deep places till it came to its harbour in the
east of the world.

And then Brian asked his brothers: "What way have you a mind to get into
the garden? for I think," he said, "the king's champions and the
fighting men of the country are always guarding it, and the king himself
is chief over them." "What should we do," said his brothers, "but to
make straight at them and attack them, and bring away the apples or fall
ourselves, since we cannot escape from these dangers that are before us
without meeting our death in some place." "It would be better," said
Brian, "the story of our bravery and our craftiness to be told and to
live after us, than folly and cowardice to be told of us. And what is
best for us to do now," he said, "is to go in the shape of swift hawks
into the garden, and the watchers have but their light spears to throw
at us, and let you take good care to keep out of their reach; and after
they have thrown them all, make a quick flight to the apples and let
each of you bring away an apple of them in your claws, and I will bring
away the third."

They said that was a good advice, and Brian struck himself and the
others with his Druid rod, and changed them into beautiful hawks. And
they flew towards the garden, and the watchers took notice of them and
shouted on every side of them, and threw showers of spears and darts,
but the hawks kept out of their reach as Brian had bade them, till all
the spears were spent, and then they swept down bravely on the apples,
and brought them away with them, without so much as a wound.

And t