By day Sharvan the giant sat at the foot of the tree, and by night he sat
in a hut in its branches, and no man dared to come near. Fearful to behold
and wicked was this Sharvan. One eye, one red eye gleamed from the middle
of his black forehead. On his body was a girdle of iron, and from the
girdle was a heavy club hung by a heavy chain. And by magic was Sharvan
saved from death, for water would not drown him nor fire burn; neither was
there weapon, save one, that could wound the giant. The one weapon was
Sharvan's own club, for were he by it dealt three blows, his doom was
come.
Now Dermat knew of the giant that guarded the fairy quicken-tree,
therefore he left Grania in shelter and went alone to the foot of the
tree. And there sat Sharvan, for it was day.
And Dermat told the giant how he would fain build a hut in the forest and
hunt amid the woods.
Then the giant, casting his red eye upon the champion, told him in surly
tone that it mattered not to him who lived or hunted in the forest, so
long as he did not eat the berries of the quicken-tree.
So Dermat built a hut near to a clear well, and there he and Grania lived
in peace for many days, eating the food of the forest and drinking water
from the spring.
Now it was at this time that two chiefs came to Finn on the green slopes
of Allen. And when he asked them who they were and whence they came, they
told how they were enemies that would fain make peace.
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