No More Learning

There had been a fight, a great fight, a tremendous great fight. A
young man had landed on the shore, the guardians of the shore had asked
his name, and he had refused to tell it, and he had killed one, and
others had run away.

FOOL.

That's enough. Come on now to the fowl. I wish it was bigger. I wish it
was as big as a goose.

BLIND MAN.

Hush! I haven't told you all. I know who that young man is. I heard the
men who were running away say he had red hair, that he had come from
Aoife's country, that he was coming to kill Cuchulain.

FOOL.

Nobody can do that.

[_To a tune.
_]

Cuchulain has killed kings,
Kings and sons of kings,
Dragons out of the water,
And witches out of the air,
Banachas and Bonachas and people of the woods.

BLIND MAN.

Hush! hush!

FOOL.

[_Still singing. _]

Witches that steal the milk,
Fomor that steal the children,
Hags that have heads like hares,
Hares that have claws like witches,
All riding a-cockhorse

[_Spoken. _]

Out of the very bottom of the bitter black north.

BLIND MAN.

Hush, I say!

FOOL.

Does Cuchulain know that he is coming to kill him?

BLIND MAN.

How would he know that with his head in the clouds? He doesn't care for
common fighting. Why would he put himself out, and nobody in it but
that young man?