DEIRDIRE
There was once a man in Eirin of the
name of Colum Cruitire — Colum the
Harper. The man was a worthy man,
and he had a goodly portion of worldly
means. He had a wife, but the hus-
band and wife had no children. The
husband and wife reached a great age,
and therefore they had no expectation
of children for ever.
What should Colum Cruitire hear
but that a soothsayer was come home
to the place, and, as the man was a
hospitable man, he had a wish that
the soothsayer should come near them.
Whether it was that he was asked to