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Read Ebook: Knightly Legends of Wales; or The Boy's Mabinogion Being the Earliest Welsh Tales of King Arthur in the Famous Red Book of Hergest by Lanier Sidney Fredericks Alfred Illustrator
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Ebook has 522 lines and 29955 words, and 11 pages
Gorsedd of Narberth, taking the mouse with him. And he set up two forks on the highest part of the Gorsedd. And while he was doing this, behold he saw a scholar coming towards him in old and poor and tattered garments. And it was now seven years since he had seen in that place either man or beast, except those four persons who had remained together until two of them were lost.
"My lord," said the scholar, "good day to thee."
"Heaven prosper thee, and my greeting be unto thee. And whence dost thou come, scholar?" asked he.
"I come, lord, from singing in Lloegyr; and wherefore dost thou inquire?"
"Because, for the last seven years," answered he, "I have seen no man here save four secluded persons, and thyself this moment."
"Truly, lord," said he, "I go through this land unto mine own. And what work art thou upon, lord?"
"I am hanging a thief that I caught robbing me," said he.
"What manner of thief is that?" asked the scholar. "I see a creature in thy hand like unto a mouse; and ill does it become a man of rank equal to thine to touch a reptile such as this. Let it go forth free."
"I will not let it go free, by Heaven," said he. "I caught it robbing me, and the doom of a thief will I inflict upon it, and I will hang it."
"Lord," said he, "rather than see a man of rank equal to thine at such a work as this, I would give thee a pound, which I have received as alms, to let the reptile go forth free."
"I will not let it go free," said he, "by Heaven; neither will I sell it."
"As thou wilt, lord," he answered. "Except that I would not see a man of rank equal to thine touching such a reptile, I care nought." And the scholar went his way.
And as he was placing the crossbeam upon the two forks, behold a priest came towards him upon a horse covered with trappings. "Good-day to thee, lord," said he.
"Heaven prosper thee!" said Manawyddan; "thy blessing."
"The blessing of Heaven be upon thee! And what, lord, art thou doing?"
"I am hanging a thief that I caught robbing me," said he.
"What manner of thief, lord?" asked he.
"A creature," he answered, "in form of a mouse. It has been robbing me, and I am inflicting upon it the doom of a thief."
"Lord," said he, "rather than see thee touch this reptile, I would purchase its freedom."
"It is true, lord, that it is worth nothing to buy. But rather than see thee defile thyself by touching such a reptile as this, I will give thee three pounds to let it go."
"I will not, by Heaven," said he, "take any price for it. As it ought, so shall it be hanged."
"Willingly, lord, do thy good pleasure." And the priest went his way.
Then he noosed the string around the mouse's neck, and as he was about to draw it up, behold, he saw a bishop's retinue with his sumpter-horses, and his attendants. And the bishop himself came towards him. And he stayed his work. "Lord bishop," said he, "thy blessing."
"Heaven's blessing be unto thee," said he. "What work art thou upon?"
"Hanging a thief that I caught robbing me," said he.
"Is not that a mouse that I see in thy hand?"
"Yes," answered he. "And she has robbed me."
"Ay," said he, "since I have come at the doom of this reptile, I will ransom it of thee. I will give thee seven pounds for it, and that rather than see a man of rank equal to thine destroying so vile a reptile as this. Let it loose, and thou shalt have the money."
"I declare to Heaven that I will not set it loose."
"If thou wilt not loose it for this, I will give thee four and twenty pounds of ready money to set it free."
"I will not set it free, by Heaven, for as much again," said he.
"If thou wilt not set it free for this, I will give thee all the horses that thou seest in this plain, and the seven loads of baggage, and the seven horses that they are upon."
"Since for this thou wilt not, do so at what price soever thou wilt."
"I will do so," said he. "I will that Rhiannon and Pryderi be free," said he.
"That thou shalt have," he answered.
"Not yet will I loose the mouse, by Heaven."
"What then wouldst thou?"
"That the charm and the illusion be removed from the seven Cantrevs of Dyved."
"This shalt thou have also: set therefore the mouse free."
"I will not set it free, by Heaven," said he. "I will know who the mouse may be."
"She is my wife."
"Even though she be, I will not set her free. Wherefore came she to me?"
"To despoil thee," he answered. "I am Llwyd the son of Kilcoed, and I cast the charm over the seven cantrevs of Dyved. And it was to avenge Gwawl the son of Clud from the friendship I had towards him, that I cast the charm. And upon Pryderi did I revenge Gwawl the son of Clud for the game of Badger in the Bag that Pwyll Pen Annwn played upon him, which he did unadvisedly in the court of Heveydd H?n. And when it was known that thou wast come to dwell in the land, my household came and besought me to transform them into mice, that they might destroy thy corn. And it was my own household that went the first night. And the second night also they went, and they destroyed thy two crofts. And the third night came unto me my wife and the ladies of the court, and besought me to transform them. And I transformed them. But since has been caught, I will restore thee Pryderi and Rhiannon; and I will take the charm and illusion from off Dyved. I have now told thee who she is. Set her therefore free."
"I will not set her free, by Heaven," said he.
"What wilt thou more?" he asked.
"I will that there be no more charm upon the seven Cantrevs of Dyved, and that none shall be put upon it henceforth."
"This thou shalt have," said he. "Now set her free."
"I will not, by my faith," he answered.
"What wilt thou furthermore?" asked he.
"Behold," said he, "this will I have; that vengeance be never taken for this, either upon Pryderi, or Rhiannon, or upon me."
"All this shalt thou have. And truly thou hast done wisely in asking this. Upon thy head would have lighted all this trouble."
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