of
his passions as Daniel, and mild and gentle like Moses. His parents
however despised him because he valued not earthly vanities and in his
regard were verified the words of David:--"Pater meus et mater mea
derliquerunt me, Dominus autem assumpsit me [Psalm 26(27):10] (For my
father and my mother have left me and the Lord hath taken me up)." Like
David too--who kept the sheep of his father--Mochuda, with other youths,
herded his father's swine in his boyhood.

On a certain day as Mochuda, with his companion swineherds and their
charges, was in the vicinity of the River Maing, he heard that the king
of Ciarraighe Luachra was at his residence called Achadh-di; he waited
on the king by whom he was kindly and politely received. The king,
whose name was Maoltuile and who wished to see Mochuda frequently,
invited the youth to come every day to the royal lios and to bring with
him his companions, who would be made welcome for his sake. One evening
as Mochuda sate in the king's presence Maoltuile gazed so long and so
intently at the youth that the queen (Dand, daughter of Maolduin Mac
Aodha Beannan, king of Munster) reproved her husband asking why he
stared every evening at the boy. "O wife," answered the king, "if you
but saw what I see, you would never gaze at anything else, for I behold
a wondrous golden chain about his neck and a column of fire reaching
from his head to the heavens, and since I first beheld these marvels my
affection for the boy has largely increased." "Then," said the queen,
"let him sit there beside you." Thenceforth the youth sate as
suggested. Sometimes Mochuda herded the swine in the woods and at other
times he remained with the king in his court.

One day as Mochuda was keeping his herd as usual beside the river
already alluded to, he heard the bishop and his clerics pass by,
chanting psalms as they went along. The Spirit of God touched the boy's
heart and leaving his pigs Mochuda followed the procession as far as the
monastery called Tuaim [Druim Fertain] [into which the clerics entered].
And as the bishop and his household sate down to eat, Mochuda, unknown
to them, concealed himself--sitting in the shadow of the doorway.
Meanwhile the king, Maoltuile, was troubled about the boy, noticing his
absence [from the homestead at Achaddi] that evening and not knowing the
cause thereof. He immediately sent messengers to seek the youth
throughout the country, and one of these found him sitting,