—"But the queen is sleeping in her chamber now," said Eochaid; "and it is there the chessboard is."
—"Little matter," said Midir, "I have here a board as good as yours is."
And that was the truth. His chessboard was of silver, glittering with precious stones at each corner. From a satchel wrought of shining metal he took his chessmen, which were of pure gold. Then he arranged them on the board.—"Play you," said he.
—"I will not play without a stake," said the king.
—"What will the stake be?" said Midir.
—"All one to me," said Eochaid.
—"If you win," said Midir, "I will give you fifty broad-chested horses with slim swift feet."
—"And if you win," said Eochaid Airem, sure of victory, "I will give you whatever you demand."
Midir won that game, and demanded Etain the queen. But the rules of chess are that the vanquished may claim his revenge,—a second game, that is, to decide the matter; and the high king proposed that it should be played at the end of a year. Midir agreed, and vanished.
The year ended, and Eochaid was at Tara; he had had the palace surrounded by a great armed host against Midir; and Etain was there with him. Here is the description of Etain: