"Who is boasting of my flight?" Cuchulainn said.

"Nadcranntail", Fiacha said.

"What is there to boast about? The feat I did before him is nothing to be ashamed of ," Cuchulainn said. " If he had been carrying real weapons he wouldn't be boasting now; you know I don't kill unarmed men. Let him come tomorrow," Cuchulainn said, "between the hill Ochaine and the sea. As early as he wishes he'll find me waiting, with no question of flight."

So Cuchulainn went to their meeting-place and watched through the night. In the morning he flung his cloak about himself and also, without noticing it, about a great standing stone nearby, as big as himself. He came with it wrapped between his body and his cloak, and it settled upright beside him. Then Nadcranntail came, with his weapons in their wagon.

"Show me Cuchulainn", he said.

"There he is," Fergus said.

"He seems not quite the same as yesterday," Nadcranndtail said. "Are you ready Cuchulainn?"

"What if I am?" Cuchulainn said.

"If you are," Nadcranntail said, "how can I take a little lamb's head back to the camp? I cannot behead a beardless boy."

"I'm not the one," Cuchulainn said. "You'll find him behind that hill."

Cuchulainn ran to Laeg.

"Make me a false beard. I can't get this warrior to fight me unless I have a beard." Cuchulainn said.

Laeg did as he was asked, and Cuchulainn went to meet Nadcranntail on the hill.

"This is more like him," Nadcranntail said. " A fight with rules!"

"Agreed," Cuchulainn said. "Name your rules."

"Thrown spears, " Nadcranntail said, " and no dodging."

"No dodging," Cuchulainn said, " except upward!"

Nadcranntail made a cast at him but Cuchulainn leaped on high and it struck the standing stone and shattered in two.

"You have fought foul! You have dodged my throw," Nadcranntail said.

"You are free to dodge mine by leaping upward," Cuchulainn said.

Then he let his spear fly, but he threw it up on high so that it dropped down into Nadcranntail's skull and pinned him into the earth, and Nadcranntail cried:

"Misery! Misery!"

Then he said:

"You are the best warrior in Ireland."

Bhrian o h-Eachtuigheirn....An laoch dar dhli an smior....cios agus na hEireann.