Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/105

 Rh Kaytuch took hold of the cat, and thrust his fist into her mouth, and took her heart and entrails out in his hand, and the cat and Kaytuch fell dead.

And one of the three men said. “Let us rise out, and let us help that man.” Said another of them, “Oh! it was for a day; let it be for a day, and him do the work of the day himself; that they would go to help him on the next day.” They rose out and went with themselves after him, and as they were going they found the slaughter made, till they came and found himself and the cat killed. They took hold of the heart and insides that were in his fist, and put them into his belly again. They rubbed the healing water on him, and he was as well as he was ever before.

They went with themselves, and there came a gust of wind and stirred a wisp, and the cat ran and struck her foot on the wisp. They said it was the cat's heart they put into him in place of his own; and one of them went forward, and drew his sword, and cut his head off again. They took the cat's heart out, and put his own heart in again, and rubbed the healing water on him, and he was as well as he was at first.

When they came home they had a pleasant night—three-thirds of the night: one-third in talking, one-third in story-telling, and a third in