Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER VII: THE VOYAGE OF MAELDUN 271meat and drink beside each bed. Maeldūn and his party ate anddrank their fill, and then sailed off again.The Island of the ApplesBy the time they had come here they had been a long timevoyaging, and food had failed them, and they were hungry. Thisisland had precipitous sides from which a wood hung down, andas they passed along the cliffs Maeldūn broke off a twig and heldit in his hand. Three days and nights they coasted the cliff andfound no entrance to the island, but by that time a cluster of threeapples had grown on the end of Maeldūn's rod, and each applesufficed the crew for forty days.The Island of the Wondrous BeastThis island had a fence of stone round it, and within the fencea huge beast that raced round and round the island. And anon itwent to the top of the island, and then performed a marvellousfeat, viz., it turned its body round and round inside its skin, theskin remaining unmoved, while again it would revolve its skinround and round the body. When it saw the party it rushed atthem, but they escaped, pelted with stones as they rowed away.One of the stones pierced through Maeldūn's shield and lodgedin the keel of the boat.The Island of the Biting HorsesHere were many great beasts resembling horses, that torecontinually pieces of flesh from each other's sides, so that all theisland ran with blood. They rowed hastily away, and were nowdisheartened and full of complaints, for they knew not where [316]they were, nor how to find guidance or aid in their quest.The Island of the Fiery SwineWith great weariness, hunger, and thirst they arrived at thetenth island, which was full of trees loaded with golden apples.Under the trees went red beasts, like fiery swine, that kickedthe trees with their legs, when the apples fell and the beastsconsumed them. The beasts came out at morning only, when amultitude of birds left the island, and swam out to sea till nones,