"I know that," said she; "but so long as you keep me you shall keep them. There is no good wife whose tocher does not follow her."
He was now in good circumstances, indeed wealthy. He had gold and silver, as well as cattle and sheep. He went about with his gun and dogs hunting every day, and was a great man. It occurred to him one day that he would go to invite the King of Erin to dinner, but he did not tell his wife that he was going. His first vow was now broken. He sped away to the King of Erin, and invited him and his great court to dinner. The King of Erin said to him, "Do you intend to take away the cattle that I promised you?"
"Oh! no, King of Erin," said O'Cronicert; "I could give you as many to-day."
"Ah!" said the king, "how well you have got on since I saw you last!"
"I have indeed," said O'Cronicert! "I have fallen in with a rich wife who has plenty of gold and silver, and of cattle and sheep."
"I am glad of that," said the King of Erin.
O'Cronicert said, "I shall feel much obliged if you will go with me to dinner, yourself and your great court."
"We will do so willingly," said the king.
They went with him on that same day. It did not occur to O'Cronicert how a dinner could be prepared for the king without his wife knowing that he was coming. When they were going on, and had reached the place where O'Cronicert had met the deer, he remembered that his vow was broken, and he said to the king, "Excuse me; I am going on before to the house to tell that you are coming."
The king said, "We will send off one of the lads."