Chapter IX

§ 57. One night as their portion was assigned them, three cats fromthe Cave of Cruachan were let loose to attack them, i.e. three beasts ofmagic. Conall and Loigaire made for the rafters, having left their foodwith the beasts. In that wise they slept till the morrow. Cuchulainn flednot from his place from the beast which attacked him. But when itstretched its neck out for eating, Cuchulainn gave a blow with his swordon the beast’s head, but [the blade] glided off as ’twere from stone. Thenthe cat set itself down. In the circumstances Cuchulainn neither ate norslept. As soon as it was early morning the cats were gone. In suchcondition were the three heroes found (lit. seen) on the morrow. “Doesnot that trial suffice for adjudging ye?” asked Ailill. “By no means,”quoth Conall and Loigaire, “it is not against beasts we are striving, butagainst men.”