He first put one quarter of the pig to roast, and then his host said
to him,
"Tell us a tale, stranger, and if it be a true one the quarter will be
done as soon as the tale is told."
"Do thou begin," said Cormac, "and then thy wife, and after that my
turn will come."
"Good," said the host. "This is my tale. I have seven of these swine,
and with their flesh the whole world could be fed. When one of them is
killed and eaten, I need but put its bones into the pig-trough and on
the morrow it is alive and well again." They looked at the fireplace,
and behold, the first quarter of the pig was done and ready to be
served.
Then Cormac put on the second quarter, and the woman took up her tale.
"I have seven white cows," she said, "and seven pails are filled with
the milk of them each day. Though all the folk in the world were
gathered together to drink of this milk, there would be enough and to
spare for all." As soon as she had said that, they saw that the second
quarter of the pig was roasted.
Then Cormac said: "I know you now, who you are; for it is Mananan that
owns the seven swine of Faery, and it is out of the Land of Promise
that he fetched Fand his wife and her seven cows." Then immediately
the third quarter of the pig was done.
"Tell us now," said Mananan, "who thou art and why thou art come
hither.
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