Fionn in the House of the Yellow Field, unable to stand or to lie down
Now Fionn and his heroes were all in the great hall of the House of the Yellow Field, sitting around waiting for the feast which had been promised them. But there was no sign of food nor feast nor anyone to serve either. Fionn asked one of his men to get up and go outside, to try to see if anyone was bringing the food to them. But when he tried, he found he could not move. None of the heroes could move. They were all stuck fast, their buttocks to their seats, the soles of their feet to the floor, their backs to the walls. Conan, stuck fast back and hair to the stones of the hearth, called out to Fionn, "See! Didn't I tell you this would happen?"
Fionn didn't say a word. He remembered his deud-fios - his tooth of knowledge. He put his finger underneath it and he found out that the only thing that could free them was the blood of three children of the king of Iceland, filtered through silver rings into cups of gold. He remembered, too, that Laoghaire, the son of the king of the hunt, and Oscar were not with them that day. And he remembered that he had with him Gurra-fiodha, a whistle made of wood. He never blew Gurra-fiodha except when he was in terrible danger. When he played Gurra-fiodha, the sound passed through the seven borders of the world. When Laoghaire and Oscar heard the sound, they would come to Fionn.
He blew Gurra-fiodha three times. Before the sun rose the next morning, Oscar was calling from outside the house, "Are you here, Fionn?" "Who is that?" asked Fionn from the inside. "It's a great change when you don't recognize my voice and it's not but the walls of a house between us," answered Oscar. "It's me, Oscar, here, and Laoghaire with me. What is it that we are to do?"
Fionn told them of the terrible fix they were in, and how nothing would free them from the place except the blood of the three children of the King of Iceland, filtered through silver rings into cups of gold. Oscar asked where he would find them. Said Fionn, "Be at the mouth of that river over yonder before the sinking of the sun." But it was morning then, and the heroes were all hungry. Fionn asked Oscar and Laoghaire to bring them food.
Oscar and Laoghaire went to the Big House near at hand. They went inside. When they came to the kitchen, they saw the appearance of a fierce warrior lifting a quarter of a deer from out a cauldron. Said Oscar to Laoghaire, "Follow me and take the meat. I will attack the man." When Oscar went inside, he didn't see a sign of the man. In his place was a large buzzard with wings sweeping, that launched itself at his head. Oscar had a dart. He threw the dart at the buzzard. He broke its wing and the buzzard fell to the floor, and was never seen again. Oscar and Laoghaire took all the bits of meat that they found there.
They arrived at the house Fionn was in. They made a hole in the wall of the house and put the meat inside. Fionn said that a great host would come with the three sons of the King of Iceland at the mouth of the river at the setting of the sun. "How will we know the three sons of the King of Iceland?" asked Oscar.
"They will be walking apart from the host on the right hand and will be wearing green clothes," said Fionn.
Fionn didn't say a word. He remembered his deud-fios - his tooth of knowledge. He put his finger underneath it and he found out that the only thing that could free them was the blood of three children of the king of Iceland, filtered through silver rings into cups of gold. He remembered, too, that Laoghaire, the son of the king of the hunt, and Oscar were not with them that day. And he remembered that he had with him Gurra-fiodha, a whistle made of wood. He never blew Gurra-fiodha except when he was in terrible danger. When he played Gurra-fiodha, the sound passed through the seven borders of the world. When Laoghaire and Oscar heard the sound, they would come to Fionn.
He blew Gurra-fiodha three times. Before the sun rose the next morning, Oscar was calling from outside the house, "Are you here, Fionn?" "Who is that?" asked Fionn from the inside. "It's a great change when you don't recognize my voice and it's not but the walls of a house between us," answered Oscar. "It's me, Oscar, here, and Laoghaire with me. What is it that we are to do?"
Fionn told them of the terrible fix they were in, and how nothing would free them from the place except the blood of the three children of the King of Iceland, filtered through silver rings into cups of gold. Oscar asked where he would find them. Said Fionn, "Be at the mouth of that river over yonder before the sinking of the sun." But it was morning then, and the heroes were all hungry. Fionn asked Oscar and Laoghaire to bring them food.
Oscar and Laoghaire went to the Big House near at hand. They went inside. When they came to the kitchen, they saw the appearance of a fierce warrior lifting a quarter of a deer from out a cauldron. Said Oscar to Laoghaire, "Follow me and take the meat. I will attack the man." When Oscar went inside, he didn't see a sign of the man. In his place was a large buzzard with wings sweeping, that launched itself at his head. Oscar had a dart. He threw the dart at the buzzard. He broke its wing and the buzzard fell to the floor, and was never seen again. Oscar and Laoghaire took all the bits of meat that they found there.
They arrived at the house Fionn was in. They made a hole in the wall of the house and put the meat inside. Fionn said that a great host would come with the three sons of the King of Iceland at the mouth of the river at the setting of the sun. "How will we know the three sons of the King of Iceland?" asked Oscar.
"They will be walking apart from the host on the right hand and will be wearing green clothes," said Fionn.