A STORY OF MONGAN

Now once upon a time when Forgall the poet was with Mongan, the latter at a certain hour of the day went before his stronghold, where he found a bardic scholar learning his lesson. Said Mongan:

All is lasting
In a cloak of sackcloth;
In due course thou shalt attain
The end of thy studies.

Mongan then took pity on the scholar, who was in the cloak of sackcloth. He had little of any substance. In order to know whether he would be a truthful and good messenger, he said to him: “Go now, until thou reach the fairy-mound of Lethet Oidni, and bring a precious stone which I have there, and for thyself take a pound of white silver, in which are twelve ounces. Thou shalt have help from them. This is thy journey from here, to Cnocc Bane. Thou wilt find welcome in the fairy-mound of Cnocc Bane for my sake. Thence to Duma Granerit. Thence to the fairy- mound of Lethet Oidni. Take the stone for me, and go to the stream of Lethet Oidni, where thou wilt find a pound of gold, in which are nine ounces. Take that with thee for me.”

The scholar went on his journey. In the fairy-mound of Gnocc Bane be found a noble-looking couple to meet him. They gave great welcome to a messenger of Mongan’s. It was his due. He went further. He found another couple in Duma Granerit, where he had the same welcome. He went to the fairy-mound of Lethet Oidni, where again he found another couple. They gave great welcome to a man of Mongan’s. He was most hospitably enter­tained, as on the other nights. There was a marvellous chamber at the side of the couple’s house. Mongan had told him that he should ask for its key. He did so. The key was brought to him. He opened it. He had been told to take nothing out of the house except what he had been sent for. He did so. The key he gave back to the couple; his stone, however, and his pound of silver he took with him. Thereupon he went to the stream of Lethet Oidni, out of which he took his pound of gold. He went back to Mongan, to whom he gave his stone and his gold. He himself took his silver. These were his wanderings.