Chapter XI

[Thereafter he followed his charioteer. “My plan,” quoth Mève toAilill, “is to keep those three heroes with us again to-night, and tofurther test them.” “Do as thou deemest right,” quoth Ailill. The menwere then detained and brought to Cruachan and their horsesunyoked.][16]§ 63. Their choice of food was given them for their horses. Conall andLoigaire told them to give oats two years old to theirs. But Cuchulainnchose barley grains for his. They slept there that night. The women wereapportioned among them. Findabair, with a train of fifty damsels, wasbrought into the stead of Cuchulainn. Sav the Eloquent (Sadb Sulbair),another daughter of Ailill and of Mève, with fifty maids in attendance,was ushered into the presence of Conall Cernach. Conchend, daughter ofCeit mac Magach, with fifty damsels along with her, was brought intothe presence of Loigaire the Triumphant. Moreover, Mève herself waswont to resort to the stead of Cuchulainn. They slept there that night.§ 64. On the morrow they arose early in the morning and went intothe house where the youths were performing the wheel-feat. ThenLoigaire seized the wheel and tossed it till it reached half up the sidewall. Upon that the youths laughed and cheered him. It was in reality ajeer, but it seemed to Loigaire a shout of applause. Conall then took thewheel; it was on the ground. He tossed it as high as the ridge-pole of thepalace. The youths raised a shout at that. It seemed to Conall it was ashout of applause and of victory. To the youths it was a shout of scorn.Then Cuchulainn took the wheel—it was in mid-air he caught it. Hehurled it aloft till it cast the ridge-pole from off the place; the wheel wenta man’s cubit into the ground in the outside enclosure. The youths raiseda shout of applause and of triumph in Cuchulainn’s case. It seemed toCuchulainn, however, it was a laugh of scorn and of ridicule they thengave vent to.§ 65. Cuchulainn anon sought out the womenfolk, and took thricefifty needles from them. These he tossed up one after the other. Eachneedle went into the eye of the other, till in that wise they were joinedtogether. He returned to the women, and gave each her own needle intoher hand. The young braves praised Cuchulainn. Whereupon they badefarewell to the king, the queen, and household as well.