The Mabinogion Vol. 1 | Page 4

man said to me, 'Seest thou now, little man, what
power I hold over these animals?' Then I enquired of him the way; and
he became very rough in his manner to me; however he asked me
whither I would go. And when I had told him who I was, and what I
sought, he directed me. 'Take,' said he, 'that path that leads towards the
head of the glade, and ascend the wooded steep, until thou comest to its
summit; and there thou wilt find an open space, like to a large valley,
and in the midst of it a tall tree, whose branches are greener than the

greenest pine trees. Under this tree is a fountain, and by the side of the
fountain, a marble slab, and on the marble slab a silver bowl, attached
by a chain of silver, so that it may not be carried away. {21b} Take the
bowl, and throw a bowlful of water upon the slab, and thou wilt hear a
mighty peal of thunder; so that thou wilt think that heaven and earth are
trembling with its fury. With the thunder there will come a shower so
severe, that it will be scarcely possible for thee to endure it and live.
And the shower will be of hailstones. And after the shower, the weather
will become fair; but every leaf that was upon the tree will have been
carried away by the shower. Then a flight of birds will come and alight
upon the tree; and in thine own country thou didst never hear a strain so
sweet, as that which they will sing. And at the moment thou art most
delighted with the song of the birds, thou wilt hear a murmuring and
complaining coming towards thee along the valley. And thou wilt see a
knight upon a coal black horse, clothed in black velvet, and with a
pennon of black linen upon his lance, and he will ride unto thee to
encounter thee, with the utmost speed. If thou fleest from him he will
overtake thee, and if thou abidest there, as sure as thou art a mounted
knight, he will leave thee on foot. And if thou dost not find trouble in
that adventure, thou needst not seek it during the rest of thy life.'
"So I journeyed on, until I reached the summit of the steep. And there I
found every thing, as the black man had described it to me. And I went
up to the tree, and beneath it I saw the fountain, and by its side the
marble slab; and the silver bowl, fastened by the chain. Then I took the
bowl, and cast a bowlful of water upon the slab; and thereupon behold
the thunder came, much more violent than the black man had led me to
expect; and after the thunder came the shower; and of a truth I tell thee,
Kai, that there is neither man nor beast that could endure that shower
and live. For not one of those hailstones would be stopped either by the
flesh, or by the skin, until it had reached the bone. I turned my horse's
flanks towards the shower, and placed the beak of my shield over his
head and neck, while I held the upper part of it over my own head. And
thus I withstood the shower. When I looked on the tree, there was not a
single leaf upon it, and then the sky became clear; and with that, behold
the birds lighted upon the tree, and sang. And truly, Kai, I never heard
any melody equal to that, either before or since. And when I was most

charmed with listening to the birds, lo, a murmuring voice was heard
through the valley, approaching me, and saying, 'Oh, Knight, what has
brought thee hither? What evil have I done to thee, that thou shouldest
act towards me and my possessions, as thou hast this day? Dost thou
not know that the shower to-day has left in my dominions neither man
nor beast alive, that was exposed to it?' And thereupon, behold a Knight
on a black horse appeared, clothed in jet black velvet, and with a tabard
of black linen about him. And we charged each other; and as the onset
was furious, it was not long before I was overthrown. Then the Knight
passed the shaft of his lance through the bridle rein of my horse, and
rode off with the two horses; leaving me where I was. And he did not
even bestow so much notice upon me, as to imprison me, nor did he
despoil me of my arms. So I returned along the road by which I had
come. And when I reached the glade where the black man was,