Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/14

 learning magic and was playing far away, but he heard these words. Throwing aside the club and ball and taking off his game-dress he went at once to the house where Conachoor was still sleeping.

'Hail, King!' said Cohoolin, and the king raised himself upon his elbow.

'What is it, Setanta?'

'This day I wish to take arms as a warrior.'

'Ah Cohoolin, Culann's hound, who put that into thy head?'

'Cathbad the Druid.'

'Then there is no denying the request,' said Conachoor, and he gave Cohoolin a sword, two spears and a shield, such as he kept by him to equip those of his boy band who took arms. Cohoolin received the sword and brandished it and broke it: he tried the spears against the shield and splintered the shield and then snapped the spears. Thus he did one after the other with every set of weapons in the king's store.

'O Conachoor,' he said, 'these weapons must have been meant for others.'

Then Conachoor gave him his own sword and his spears and shield. Cohoolin brandished and bent them and thrust and slashed with them upon the shield, and found them good.

'These now are good, O King,' he cried.

At that moment Cathbad entered and asked in wonder:

'Is little Cohoolin taking arms?'

'Yes...' said the king.

'It is not his mother's son that ought to take arms on such a day as this,' said the Druid.

'But what, did not you yourself put it into the boy's head?' asked the king.