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Thereafter they bade farewell to the anchorite, and fared forth on the ocean once more.
The Island of the Laughing Folk
Here they found a great company of men laughing and playing incessantly. They drew lots as to who should
enter and explore it, and it fell to Maeldun's foster-brother. But when he set foot on it he at once began to
laugh and play with the others, and could not leave off; nor would he come back to his comrades. So they left
him and sailed away. [this disposes of the last of the foster-brothers, who should not have joined the party.]
The Island of the Flaming Rampart
They now came in sight of an island which was not large, and it had about it a rampart of flame that circled
round and round it continually. In one part of the rampart there was an opening, and when this opening came
opposite to them they saw through it the whole island, and saw those who dwelt therein, even men and
women, beautiful, many, and wearing adorned garments, with vessels of gold in their hands. And the festal
music which they made came to the ears of the wanderers. For a long time they lingered there, watching this
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marvel, "and they deemed it delightful to behold."
The Island of the Monk of Tory
Far off among the waves they saw what they took to be a white bird on the water. Drawing near to it they
found it to be an aged man clad only in the white hair
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of his body, and he was throwing himself in prostrations on a broad rock.
"From Torach [Tory Island, off the Donegal coast. There was there a monastery and a church dedicated to St.
Columba] have come hither," he said, "and there I was reared. I was cook in the monastery there, and the
food of the Church I used to sell for myself, so that I had at last much treasure of raiment and brazen vessels
and gold-bound books and all that man desires. Great was my pride and arrogance.
"One day as I dug a grave in which to bury a churl who had been brought on to the island, a voice came from
below where a holy man lay buried, and he said: 'Put not the corpse of a sinner on me, a holy, pious person !' "
After a dispute the monk buried the corpse elsewhere, and was promised an eternal reward for doing so. Not
long thereafter he put to sea in a boat with all his accumulated treasures, meaning apparently to escape from
the island with his plunder. A great wind blew him far out to sea, and when he was out of sight of land the
boat stood still in one place. He saw near him a man (angel) sitting on the wave. "Whither goest thou?" said
the man. "On a pleasant way, whither I am now looking," said the monk. "It would not be pleasant to thee if
thou knewest what is around thee," said the man. " So far as eye can see there is one crowd of demons all
gathered around thee, because of thy covetousness and pride, and theft, and other evil deeds. Thy boat hath
stopped, nor will it move until thou do my will, and the fires of hell shall get hold of thee."
He came near to the boat, and laid his hand on the arm of the fugitive, who promised to do his will.
"Fling into the sea," he said, "all the wealth that is in thy boat."
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" It is a pity," said the monk, " that it should go to loss."
"It shall in nowise go to loss. There will be one man whom thou wilt profit."
The monk thereupon flung everything into the sea save one little wooden cup, and he cast away oars and
rudder. The man gave him a provision of whey and seven cakes, and bade him abide wherever his boat
should stop. The wind and waves carried him hither and thither till at last the boat came to rest upon the rock
where the wanderers found him. There was nothing there but the bare rock, but remembering what he was
bidden he stepped out upon a little ledge over which the waves washed, and the boat immediately left him,
and the rock was enlarged for him. There he remained seven years, nourished by otters which brought him
salmon out of the sea, and even flaming firewood on which to cook them, and his cup was filled with good
liquor every day. "And neither wet nor heat nor cold affects me in this place."
At the noon hour miraculous nourishment was brought for the whole crew, and thereafter the ancient man
said to them :
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"Ye will all reach your country, and the man that slew thy father, O Maeldun, ye will find him in a fortress
before you. And slay him not, but forgive him because God hath saved you from manifold great perils, and ye
too are men deserving of death."
Then they bade him farewell and went on their accustomed way.
The Island of the Falcon
This is uninhabited save for herds of sheep and oxen. They land on it and eat their fill, and one of them sees
there a large falcon. "This falcon," he says, " is
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like the falcons of Ireland." "Watch it," says Maddun, "and see how it will go from us." It flew off to the
south-east, and they rowed after it all day till vespers.
The Home-corning
At nightfall they sighted a land like Ireland ; and soon came to a small island, where they ran their prow
ashore. It was the island where dwelt the man who had slain Ailill.
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