The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends (75 page)

Koadalan, who was the last to learn that the princess was about to have a child, met King Bertele walking in the garden, with anxiety on his face.

“What ails you, my King?” he asked.

“Alas, I have to confess to you,
keniterv.
I do have a daughter and I have kept her from everyone’s eyes, to save her from the heartache of villainous fortune-seekers. But, in
spite of keeping her in an apartment in a tower, with only her maidservant for company, she is pregnant. I do not know what to do. She will not tell me who the father is.”

Koadalan was a moral and responsible young man.

“I will not lie to you, my King,” he said. “I discovered that you had a daughter, for it was my destiny to find her. I am the father of her child. I beg you, therefore, my
King, let me marry the Princess Keredwen.”

The King of Poher was amazed when he heard that and, when his surprise was overcome, he realized that he was rather pleased with the idea.

“I can do no better than give you her hand in marriage,
keniterv
,” he said.

So the marriage was arranged and guests from many parts of the five kingdoms attended. It was a ceremony that was talked about for some years afterwards. For a while, Koadalan and Keredwen lived
happily and she gave birth to a fine son.

“Husband,” said Princess Keredwen after a while, “I could not help but notice that none of your family came to our wedding. Is it you or is it I who am out of favour with them,
that they disdain us both?”

Now Koadalan had been feeling ashamed that he had not been able to produce his family or confess that he was no more than a humble forester’s son. He also felt somewhat guilty that he had
not returned to share his new-found wealth with his poor parents. But he dismissed that from his mind, although he was ashamed. So Koadalan decided that he
would pretend to
take his wife and child back to his own country but, working with his three magic books, would, in fact, take them to a magic country so that the princess could report the fact back to her
father.

So Koadalan summoned a golden coach pulled by five white horses with a coachman and two footmen, all by means of a spell from one of his three red leather-bound books.

Off they went, and on their journey they went by the castle of a great wizard called Anar-Zall, the great worm. He lived in a golden castle held between this world and the Otherworld and
anchored to each by four silver chains. Now Koadalan, who never suspected people’s motives, was pleased when Anar-Zall stopped his coach and invited Koadalan and Keredwen to come inside and
sample his hospitality before they went on their journey.

After a magnificent feast in their honour, Koadalan and Keredwen were shown to a bedroom, while a wet-nurse took their son. Now Koadalan, before getting into bed, made a great mistake. He forgot
completely to place the three red leather-bound books under his pillow, for this was the only means that Berc’hed had told him would keep them safe during the night.

Keredwen had grown to accept this custom, but it irritated her and so she had placed the books under a pile of clothes and failed to remind Koadalan where they were.

So, during the night, Anar-Zall entered their bedroom as they slept and seized the three books.

With the books safely in his possession, Anar-Zall woke the luckless Koadalan and ordered his servants to throw him down a bottomless well which led from the nether lands between this world and
the Otherworld. Luckily, when Koadalan finally landed, it was in the middle of a great forest in this world. No longer was he dressed in fine clothes but returned to this world in the worn costume
of a poor forester’s son.

Koadalan cursed himself for his stupidity. He had lost his wife and his child and he had also lost the three books of magic that had made his fortune. He wandered the forest for several days,
barely sleeping and finding nothing to eat. On
the third day, he found a path out of the forest and, lo and behold!, he saw a familiar plain on which was the very stone circle
where he had bade farewell to Berc’hed.

He went immediately to the centre and called out: “Berc’hed! Berc’hed! Berc’hed!”

There was something like a breath of wind and a voice said softly: “Do you need my help, Koadalan?”

Koadalan swung round and there was the beautiful goddess standing behind him.

“I surely stand in need of help, if ever I did,” he said. “But whether you will wish to help me is another matter. For it is my fault, my grievous fault, that has brought this
fate upon me.”

“I know all about it, Koadalan. If you do exactly as I tell you, you shall have your wife, your son and the three magic books back again.”

Then she held out her hand. “Touch my fingertips and close your eyes.”

He did so and felt a gigantic wind seize him and hurl him into the air.

“Open your eyes now,” said Berc’hed’s voice.

They stood before Anar-Zall’s golden castle.

“Everyone inside is asleep now, for it is rest time. I will show you Anar-Zall’s resting place. Go in and you’ll find him sleeping with the three red books. Yet he will not
awaken. Take them and return to the castle gate. By that time, I will have found the Princess Keredwen and your son.”

So she showed him where Anar-Zall slept.

In the room, Koadalan tried to hide his distaste, for Anar-Zall, in repose, turned into a great blind worm, curled in circles like a snake.

Koadalan tiptoed forward and picked up the three red leather-bound books.

At the gate, the goddess Berc’hed was waiting with the Princess Keredwen and their son.

“Before we leave,” the goddess said, “how do you want me to punish Anar-Zall?”

Koadalan thought. Then he shrugged. “I have my wife and son back safely, and I have the three magic books. He has done me no further harm and I wish him no ill.”

Berc’hed looked on in appreciation. “That sentiment stands you in good stead, Koadalan. As repulsive as Anar-Zall, the blind worm, is to your eyes, yet you wish
him no harm. Very well. Come and touch my fingertips.”

The wind came again and suddenly they were in the forest near the stone circle.

Berc’hed gazed sadly upon Koadalan. “Now I must bid you farewell, Koadalan, and farewell for ever in this world, for we shall never meet here again. Next time you see me, I shall be
awaiting your arrival in the Otherworld.”

Then a white cloud came down and she vanished in a blaze of light.

“Who was that?” demanded Princess Keredwen.

Then it was, for the first time, that Koadalan told Keredwen the full story of his humble beginnings and how he had managed to gain wealth and power.

Keredwen sighed.

“It would not matter to me if you were still a poor forester’s son, Koadalan. It is the person you should love and not their clothes.”

So with renewed love in their hearts for each other, they decided to journey to see Koadalan’s real parents. Koadalan felt a great joy that now he would be able to repay them for all they
had done for him. But to do this, Koadalan summoned forth the magic carriage again. And in fine style they came to the forest of Cranou.

Now Koadalan’s parents were overjoyed at seeing their son having made his way in the world. They were amazed that he had married a princess and had a young son. Koadalan told his parents
that whatever they wanted was theirs for the asking. But they were a proud and independent couple and said that they would accept no charity from their son.

When Koadalan said he would raise a castle for them, they told him that they preferred to stay in their old thatched cottage in the forest. Likewise, they refused any gifts of money.

“You were raised in the forest, my son. You are Alan of the Woods. Yet you have forgotten your forest law.”

Koadalan frowned. “What have I forgotten, father?”

“Watch the animals of the forest. They own no debt, save to the seasons. Wealth is not their ambition, but to live and enjoy the luxury of what nature provides. The
vixen and the dog-fox want no gratitude; they prefer to bear, to suckle, teach and then let their offspring run: not to demand repayment.”

Koadalan and Keredwen and their son stayed in the cottage and shared whatever Koadalan’s parents had. But Koadalan was not satisfied with old Alan’s dismissal of his wish to repay
his parents.

He pored over his magic books in order to see what he could do. One evening, sitting in the clearing of the forest, by means of divination, the stars told him that three evil magicians were
coming in search of him and his magic books. So Koadalan devised a plan to thwart these evil magicians and so raise money for his father and mother without them feeling that it was charity.

That same evening Koadalan’s father, old Alan, was having supper when his son said to him: “Tomorrow there is a fair at Quimerc’h, and you shall go there.”

His father laughed sourly. “Why should I go to the fair? I’ve nothing to sell there, neither horse, cow nor pig. Nor do I have money to buy anything.”

“You shall have something to sell, father. You have refused offers of great wealth because you do not want to accept my charity. However, I can pay you back for the bull you had to sell to
educate me. That is surely no gift which you can refuse? The return of a bull?”

Old Alan thought and admitted that if his son returned a bull in exchange for the bull he had sold to educate Koadalan, it would not be accepting his son’s charity. He agreed.

“Tomorrow morning, you shall go to your outbuilding and find a superb bull there,” Koadalan told him. “Take it to the fair tomorrow and ask for a thousand silver pieces for it.
But do not give the rope with the steer, otherwise great harm will befall me.”

Now old Alan thought his son was joking but agreed. And the next morning, the old man was astonished to find a magnificent bull in his outhouse. It was the finest that he had
ever seen. There was a rope around its neck and, remembering what his son has said, he took it and went to Quimerc’h fair.

When he appeared at Quimerc’h fair, the local people crowded round to admire the bull.

“We heard that you had strangers staying with you, Alan. Fine, rich strangers. Did they give you that fine bull?”

“They did,” said the old man.

“Well, it is a fine beast, indeed. What do you want for him?”

“A thousand pieces of silver.”

“
Gabell!
” cried a villager, which means, in the Breton language, something like “the devil!” and is an expression of surprise. “It is a fine beast, but we
cannot afford to buy it.”

And, indeed, no one locally could afford to offer such a sum.

Then three strangers approached him. They were tall, dark men, clad from head to toe in black.

“A fine beast is that bull,” observed the first.

“Fine indeed,” commented the second.

“How much for him?” asked the third.

“A thousand pieces of silver,” replied old Alan.

“It is not cheap,” said the first.

“But a fine beast,” commented the second.

“So we are agreed on a deal. Here is the payment,” summed up the third.

Old Alan put the money in his pocket and took off the rope.

“The bull is yours,” he said.

“Give us the rope then, old man,” said the first.

“Otherwise, we cannot lead the beast,” commented the second.

“We need the rope,” summed up the third.

“I didn’t sell you the rope. I sold you the animal.”

“But the rope always goes with a cow or bull,” said the first.

“We’ll buy the rope,” added the second.

“Indeed, we will,” said the third.

“The rope is not for sale,” said Alan stubbornly, adhering to what his son had said.

“We’ll give you another thousand,” said all three in unison.

“Not for ten thousand!” replied Alan, making sure the rope was firmly in his pocket.

Then the three strangers mounted the back of the bull, which straightaway began to bellow and run about as if it were crazy. It threw the three strangers to the ground. Then it abruptly turned
into a great dog and bounded home towards the forest of Cranou. But the three strangers had changed into wolves and chased it. But it reached the door of the forester, Alan, and leapt over the
doorstep. Immediately it became a man – indeed, it was none other than Koadalan himself. The three wolves had to halt at the door and changed back into human form.

Koadalan smiled at them. “You are a little late, my friends.”

“We almost had you,” said the first.

“It doesn’t matter,” commented the second.

“We’ll get you by the scruff of your neck yet,” warned the third.

“You’ll have to be quicker,” laughed Koadalan.

They disappeared, muttering in anger.

A little while later, Alan himself returned home.

“Well, father, did you do well at the fair?” asked Koadalan.

“I did so,” agreed the father. “I sold the bull for a thousand pieces of silver but held on to the rope. Here it is. I could have sold the rope for another thousand.”

“Just as well that you were not tempted,” smiled Koadalan.

“I was not, for the sale of the bull has given us enough to buy cows and a bull now.”

Koadalan smiled. Then he said:

“But you sold a stallion for me. It is no charity to return it.”

Old Alan agreed that it was not.

“There is another fair tomorrow, at Rumengol,” Koadalan said. “It is a very good fair and you should go there.”

“And with what should I go? I have no livestock to take there.” protested old Alan.

“In the morning, you will find a stallion in your stable. It is the best horse you will have ever seen. You must ask two
thousand pieces of silver for it. But when you
sell it, be sure not to give the bridle away. Keep it and return here with it.”

So, the next morning, old Alan went to the stable and found a magnificent stallion there. So he took it to the great fair at Rumengol. At the sight of the stallion, many gathered around and
demanded to know how much old Alan wanted. But when he said two thousand pieces of silver, they felt it too much and drifted away.

Then along came the three strangers, clad in black from head to toe.