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 anoint her directly they met. Rua followed out the old sorcerer’s directions, took up his pot of red ochre and went on towards the hill of the Fairies until he met his wife, who was walking with glassy eyes like those of a somnambulist under the influence of the powerful spell. Rua anointed the woman with the sacred colour and the two went back joyfully together to the village.

As soon as they saw the old priest, he ordered all the people in the settlement to begin making ovens and cook food. In the meantime the chief of the Fairies had returned to his abode and found that his fair captive had made her escape. Hastily summoning his friends and allies, he proceeded to the village, but was unable to enter it, for the steam of cooked food was in the air, and the savour of any cooked food is detestable to fairies and all other spiritual beings. The fairies joined in a magic song designed to draw the woman forth once more, but the old priest thundered forth a counter-charm which closed the ears of Rua’s wife to the voices of the abductors. And as the red colour on her person and the savoury steam of the victuals prevented them taking her by force, they, after some time gave up their efforts to allure her, and full of chagrin, retreated to their mountain dwellings.