Celtic Fairy Tales (12 page)

"Go forward. And thou shalt not be chargeable for food or raiment
for my daughter while thou art seeking these things; and when thou
hast compassed all these marvels, thou shalt have my daughter for
wife."

Now, when they told Arthur how they had sped, Arthur said, "Which of
these marvels will it be best for us to seek first?"

"It will be best," said they, "to seek Mabon the son of Modron; and
he will not be found unless we first find Eidoel, the son of Aer,
his kinsman."

Then Arthur rose up, and the warriors of the Islands of Britain with
him, to seek for Eidoel; and they proceeded until they came before
the castle of Glivi, where Eidoel was imprisoned.

Glivi stood on the summit of his castle, and said, "Arthur, what
requirest thou of me, since nothing remains to me in this fortress,
and I have neither joy nor pleasure in it; neither wheat nor oats?"

Said Arthur, "Not to injure thee came I hither, but to seek for the
prisoner that is with thee."

"I will give thee my prisoner, though I had not thought to give him
up to any one; and therewith shalt thou have my support and my aid."

His followers then said unto Arthur, "Lord, go thou home, thou canst
not proceed with thy host in quest of such small adventures as
these."

Then said Arthur, "It were well for thee, Gwrhyr Gwalstawt
Ieithoedd, to go upon this quest, for thou knowest all languages,
and art familiar with those of the birds and the beasts. Go, Eidoel,
likewise with my men in search of thy cousin. And as for you, Kay
and Bedwyr, I have hope of whatever adventure ye are in quest of,
that ye will achieve it. Achieve ye this adventure for me."

These went forward until they came to the Ousel of Cilgwri, and
Gwrhyr adjured her for the sake of Heaven, saying, "Tell me if thou
knowest aught of Mabon, the son of Modron, who was taken when three
nights old from between his mother and the wall."

And the Ousel answered, "When I first came here there was a smith's
anvil in this place, and I was then a young bird, and from that time
no work has been done upon it, save the pecking of my beak every
evening, and now there is not so much as the size of a nut remaining
thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me if during all that
time I have ever heard of the man for whom you inquire.
Nevertheless, there is a race of animals who were formed before me,
and I will be your guide to them."

So they proceeded to the place where was the Stag of Redynvre.

"Stag of Redynvre, behold we are come to thee, an embassy from
Arthur, for we have not heard of any animal older than thou. Say,
knowest thou aught of Mabon?"

The stag said, "When first I came hither there was a plain all
around me, without any trees save one oak sapling, which grew up to
be an oak with an hundred branches. And that oak has since perished,
so that now nothing remains of it but the withered stump; and from
that day to this I have been here, yet have I never heard of the man
for whom you inquire. Nevertheless, I will be your guide to the
place where there is an animal which was formed before I was."

So they proceeded to the place where was the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, to
inquire of him concerning Mabon.

And the owl said, "If I knew I would tell you. When first I came
hither, the wide valley you see was a wooded glen. And a race of men
came and rooted it up. And there grew there a second wood, and this
wood is the third. My wings, are they not withered stumps? Yet all
this time, even until to-day, I have never heard of the man for whom
you inquire. Nevertheless, I will be the guide of Arthur's embassy
until you come to the place where is the oldest animal in this
world, and the one who has travelled most, the eagle of Gwern Abwy."

When they came to the eagle, Gwrhyr asked it the same question; but
it replied, "I have been here for a great space of time, and when I
first came hither there was a rock here, from the top of which I
pecked at the stars every evening, and now it is not so much as a
span high. From that day to this I have been here, and I have never
heard of the man for whom you inquire, except once when I went in
search of food as far as Llyn Llyw. And when I came there, I struck
my talons into a salmon, thinking he would serve me as food for a
long time. But he drew me into the deep, and I was scarcely able to
escape from him. After that I went with my whole kindred to attack
him and to try to destroy him, but he sent messengers and made peace
with me, and came and besought me to take fifty fish-spears out of
his back. Unless he know something of him whom you seek, I cannot
tell you who may. However, I will guide you to the place where he
is."

So they went thither, and the eagle said, "Salmon of Llyn Llyw, I
have come to thee with an embassy from Arthur to ask thee if thou
knowest aught concerning Mabon, the son of Modron, who was taken
away at three nights old from between his mother and the wall."

And the salmon answered, "As much as I know I will tell thee. With
every tide I go along the river upwards, until I come near to the
walls of Gloucester, and there have I found such wrong as I never
found elsewhere; and to the end that ye may give credence thereto,
let one of you go thither upon each of my two shoulders."

So Kay and Gwrhyr went upon his shoulders, and they proceeded till
they came to the wall of the prison, and they heard a great wailing
and lamenting from the dungeon. Said Gwrhyr, "Who is it that laments
in this house of stone?"

And the voice replied, "Alas, it is Mabon, the son of Modron, who is
here imprisoned!"

Then they returned and told Arthur, who, summoning his warriors,
attacked the castle.

And whilst the fight was going on, Kay and Bedwyr, mounting on the
shoulders of the fish, broke into the dungeon, and brought away with
them Mabon, the son of Modron.

Then Arthur summoned unto him all the warriors that were in the
three islands of Britain and in the three islands adjacent; and he
went as far as Esgeir Ocrvel in Ireland where the Boar Truith was
with his seven young pigs. And the dogs were let loose upon him from
all sides. But he wasted the fifth part of Ireland, and then set
forth through the sea to Wales. Arthur and his hosts, and his
horses, and his dogs followed hard after him. But ever and awhile
the boar made a stand, and many a champion of Arthur's did he slay.
Throughout all Wales did Arthur follow him, and one by one the
young pigs were killed. At length, when he would fain have crossed
the Severn and escaped into Cornwall, Mabon the son of Modron came
up with him, and Arthur fell upon him together with the champions of
Britain. On the one side Mabon the son of Modron spurred his steed
and snatched his razor from him, whilst Kay came up with him on the
other side and took from him the scissors. But before they could
obtain the comb he had regained the ground with his feet, and from
the moment that he reached the shore, neither dog nor man nor horse
could overtake him until he came to Cornwall. There Arthur and his
hosts followed in his track until they overtook him in Cornwall.
Hard had been their trouble before, but it was child's play to what
they met in seeking the comb. Win it they did, and the Boar Truith
they hunted into the deep sea, and it was never known whither he
went.

Then Kilhuch set forward, and as many as wished ill to Yspathaden
Penkawr. And they took the marvels with them to his court. And Kaw
of North Britain came and shaved his beard, skin and flesh clean off
to the very bone from ear to ear.

"Art thou shaved, man?" said Kilhuch.

"I am shaved," answered he.

"Is thy daughter mine now?"

"She is thine, but therefore needst thou not thank me, but Arthur
who hath accomplished this for thee. By my free will thou shouldst
never have had her, for with her I lose my life."

Then Goreu the son of Custennin seized him by the hair of his head
and dragged him after him to the keep, and cut off his head and
placed it on a stake on the citadel.

Thereafter the hosts of Arthur dispersed themselves each man to his
own country.

Thus did Kilhuch son of Kelython win to wife Olwen, the daughter of
Yspathaden Penkawr.

Once there was a poor widow, as often there has been, and she had
one son. A very scarce summer came, and they didn't know how they'd
live till the new potatoes would be fit for eating. So Jack said to
his mother one evening, "Mother, bake my cake, and kill my hen, till
I go seek my fortune; and if I meet it, never fear but I'll soon be
back to share it with you."

So she did as he asked her, and he set out at break of day on his
journey. His mother came along with him to the yard gate, and says
she, "Jack, which would you rather have, half the cake and half the
hen with my blessing, or the whole of 'em with my curse?"

"O musha, mother," says Jack, "why do you ax me that question? sure
you know I wouldn't have your curse and Damer's estate along with
it."

"Well, then, Jack," says she, "here's the whole lot of 'em with my
thousand blessings along with them." So she stood on the yard fence
and blessed him as far as her eyes could see him.

Well, he went along and along till he was tired, and ne'er a
farmer's house he went into wanted a boy. At last his road led by
the side of a bog, and there was a poor ass up to his shoulders near
a big bunch of grass he was striving to come at.

"Ah, then, Jack asthore," says he, "help me out or I'll be drowned."

"Never say't twice," says Jack, and be pitched in big stones and
sods into the slob, till the ass got good ground under him.

"Thank you, Jack," says he, when he was out on the hard road; "I'll
do as much for you another time. Where are you going?"

"Faith, I'm going to seek my fortune till harvest comes in, God
bless it!"

"And if you like," says the ass, "I'll go along with you; who knows
what luck we may have!"

"With all my heart, it's getting late, let us be jogging."

Well, they were going through a village, and a whole army of
gossoons were hunting a poor dog with a kettle tied to his tail. He
ran up to Jack for protection, and the ass let such a roar out of
him, that the little thieves took to their heels as if the ould boy
was after them.

"More power to you, Jack," says the dog.

"I'm much obleeged to you: where is the baste and yourself going?"

"We're going to seek our fortune till harvest comes in."

"And wouldn't I be proud to go with you!" says the dog, "and get rid
of them ill conducted boys; purshuin' to 'em."

"Well, well, throw your tail over your arm, and come along."

They got outside the town, and sat down under an old wall, and Jack
pulled out his bread and meat, and shared with the dog; and the ass
made his dinner on a bunch of thistles. While they were eating and
chatting, what should come by but a poor half-starved cat, and the
moll-row he gave out of him would make your heart ache.

"You look as if you saw the tops of nine houses since breakfast,"
says Jack; "here's a bone and something on it."

"May your child never know a hungry belly!" says Tom; "it's myself
that's in need of your kindness. May I be so bold as to ask where
yez are all going?"

"We're going to seek our fortune till the harvest comes in, and you
may join us if you like."

"And that I'll do with a heart and a half," says the cat, "and
thank'ee for asking me."'

Off they set again, and just as the shadows of the trees were three
times as long as themselves, they heard a great cackling in a field
inside the road, and out over the ditch jumped a fox with a fine
black cock in his mouth.

"Oh, you anointed villain!" says the ass, roaring like thunder.

"At him, good dog!" says Jack, and the word wasn't out of his mouth
when Coley was in full sweep after the Red Dog. Reynard dropped his
prize like a hot potato, and was off like shot, and the poor cock
came back fluttering and trembling to Jack and his comrades.

"O musha, naybours!" says he, "wasn't it the height o' luck that
threw you in my way! Maybe I won't remember your kindness if ever I
find you in hardship; and where in the world are you all going?"

"We're going to seek our fortune till the harvest comes in; you may
join our party if you like, and sit on Neddy's crupper when your
legs and wings are tired."

Well, the march began again, and just as the sun was gone down they
looked around, and there was neither cabin nor farm house in sight.

"Well, well," says Jack, "the worse luck now the better another
time, and it's only a summer night after all. We'll go into the
wood, and make our bed on the long grass."

No sooner said than done. Jack stretched himself on a bunch of dry
grass, the ass lay near him, the dog and cat lay in the ass's warm
lap, and the cock went to roost in the next tree.

Well, the soundness of deep sleep was over them all, when the cock
took a notion of crowing.

"Bother you, Black Cock!" says the ass: "you disturbed me from as
nice a wisp of hay as ever I tasted. What's the matter?"

"It's daybreak that's the matter: don't you see light yonder?"

"I see a light indeed," says Jack, "but it's from a candle it's
coming, and not from the sun. As you've roused us we may as well go
over, and ask for lodging."

So they all shook themselves, and went on through grass, and rocks,
and briars, till they got down into a hollow, and there was the
light coming through the shadow, and along with it came singing, and
laughing, and cursing.

"Easy, boys!" says Jack: "walk on your tippy toes till we see what
sort of people we have to deal with."

So they crept near the window, and there they saw six robbers
inside, with pistols, and blunderbushes, and cutlashes, sitting at a
table, eating roast beef and pork, and drinking mulled beer, and
wine, and whisky punch.