Fionn in the House of the Yellow Field, unable to stand or to lie down
(part 3 of four)
Now last week, Fionn asked his friends, Oscar and Laoghaire to commit murder for him, to kill the three children of the King of Iceland for the sake of their blood - the only thing that could free him and the rest of his men from the embrace of the stones of the House of the Yellow Field. He sent the two heroes to find the three wearing green among a great host to land after sunset at the mouth of the river.
A great host of men came to the mouth of the river and Oscar and Laoghaire gave an attack and left not one man among them alive. Searching the field after, though, they found that none of those they had killed wore green. And so they told Fionn when they returned to the House of the Yellow Field.
Fionn asked them to return to the mouth of the river again as the sun sank, but since it was morning and he and his men in the hall were hungry, he asked the two to fetch food.
Oscar and Laoghaire went to the kitchen building of the Great House and cast their eyes within. They saw a hideously ugly tall man with four hands lifting meat from out of a cauldron. Oscar went inside but when he did, he found an eagle ready to throw an egg at him. He lifted his shield in time, but the blow drove him down to one knee, beside the cauldron, and the eagle dove in attack. Without thinking of it, Oscar lifted the cauldron and threw it at the eagle's head. The eagle screamed, pulled up, flew out of the hall and disappeared. Oscar never saw it again. Oscar and Laoghaire picked up all the food and took it to Fionn and the others, passing it through the hole in the side of the building.
At the mouth of the river at the setting of the sun, another great host of men came while Oscar and Laoghaire stood waiting. These men were proud and confident and seeing the two of them waiting, they jeered, saying "What great uncomely lumps are those waiting in the dusk. Now it is time for us to put fear into them."
Oscar called back, "Two thirds of the fear is on your ownselves, only the smallest of thirds is with us." They threw themselves into the attack and left not one man among them alive. But again, when they searched the dead, they found none that fit the description Fionn had given them to match the three children of the King of Iceland. This account they carried back to Fionn.
Once more, Fionn asked them to return in the evening and wait, but again, he and his men inside the house of the Yellow Field were hungering. Oscar went ahead to the kitchen building of the Big House, moving carefully and keeping a sharp eye out. This time, when he got view into the kitchen, he saw a handsome, brave man, with two heads and four hands, lifting the food from the cauldron. But when he went inside, in place of the man, he found a dragon, with two snake-like heads.
Oscar whispered to Laoghaire, "You get the food, I'll handle the dragon." He lifted his shield and threw his spear. With one stab, it went through one head of the dragon and a piece of the second before hitting the floor. And when he pulled the spear free, the dragon disappeared. Laoghaire and Oscar returned to Fionn and the others with the food.
When twilight came, Fionn asked if Oscar had his silver rings for the filtering and his gold cup for the collecting and he sent the two heroes off to the mouth of the river to wait for what might come.
There's one more part to this story.
Now last week, Fionn asked his friends, Oscar and Laoghaire to commit murder for him, to kill the three children of the King of Iceland for the sake of their blood - the only thing that could free him and the rest of his men from the embrace of the stones of the House of the Yellow Field. He sent the two heroes to find the three wearing green among a great host to land after sunset at the mouth of the river.
A great host of men came to the mouth of the river and Oscar and Laoghaire gave an attack and left not one man among them alive. Searching the field after, though, they found that none of those they had killed wore green. And so they told Fionn when they returned to the House of the Yellow Field.
Fionn asked them to return to the mouth of the river again as the sun sank, but since it was morning and he and his men in the hall were hungry, he asked the two to fetch food.
Oscar and Laoghaire went to the kitchen building of the Great House and cast their eyes within. They saw a hideously ugly tall man with four hands lifting meat from out of a cauldron. Oscar went inside but when he did, he found an eagle ready to throw an egg at him. He lifted his shield in time, but the blow drove him down to one knee, beside the cauldron, and the eagle dove in attack. Without thinking of it, Oscar lifted the cauldron and threw it at the eagle's head. The eagle screamed, pulled up, flew out of the hall and disappeared. Oscar never saw it again. Oscar and Laoghaire picked up all the food and took it to Fionn and the others, passing it through the hole in the side of the building.
At the mouth of the river at the setting of the sun, another great host of men came while Oscar and Laoghaire stood waiting. These men were proud and confident and seeing the two of them waiting, they jeered, saying "What great uncomely lumps are those waiting in the dusk. Now it is time for us to put fear into them."
Oscar called back, "Two thirds of the fear is on your ownselves, only the smallest of thirds is with us." They threw themselves into the attack and left not one man among them alive. But again, when they searched the dead, they found none that fit the description Fionn had given them to match the three children of the King of Iceland. This account they carried back to Fionn.
Once more, Fionn asked them to return in the evening and wait, but again, he and his men inside the house of the Yellow Field were hungering. Oscar went ahead to the kitchen building of the Big House, moving carefully and keeping a sharp eye out. This time, when he got view into the kitchen, he saw a handsome, brave man, with two heads and four hands, lifting the food from the cauldron. But when he went inside, in place of the man, he found a dragon, with two snake-like heads.
Oscar whispered to Laoghaire, "You get the food, I'll handle the dragon." He lifted his shield and threw his spear. With one stab, it went through one head of the dragon and a piece of the second before hitting the floor. And when he pulled the spear free, the dragon disappeared. Laoghaire and Oscar returned to Fionn and the others with the food.
When twilight came, Fionn asked if Oscar had his silver rings for the filtering and his gold cup for the collecting and he sent the two heroes off to the mouth of the river to wait for what might come.
There's one more part to this story.