The Mabinogion | Page 6

'we would have talked to thee sooner,
but we feared to disturb thee during thy repast; now, however, we will
discourse.' Then I told the man who I was, and what was the cause of
my journey; and said that I was seeking whether any one was superior
to me, or whether I could gain the mastery over all. The man looked
upon me, and he smiled and said, 'If I did not fear to distress thee too
much, I would show thee that which thou seekest.' Upon this I became
anxious and sorrowful, and when the man perceived it, he said, 'If thou
wouldest rather that I should show thee thy disadvantage than thine
advantage, I will do so. Sleep here to- night, and in the morning arise
early, and take the road upwards through the valley until thou reachest
the wood through which thou camest hither. A little way within the
wood thou wilt meet with a road branching off to the right, by which
thou must proceed, until thou comest to a large sheltered glade with a
mound in the centre. And thou wilt see a black man of great stature on
the top of the mound. He is not smaller in size than two of the men of
this world. He has but one foot; and one eye in the middle of his
forehead. And he has a club of iron, and it is certain that there are no
two men in the world who would not find their burden in that club. And
he is not a comely man, but on the contrary he is exceedingly

ill-favoured; and he is the woodward of that wood. And thou wilt see a
thousand wild animals grazing around him. Inquire of him the way out
of the glade, and he will reply to thee briefly, and will point out the
road by which thou shalt find that which thou art in quest of.'
"And long seemed that night to me. And the next morning I arose and
equipped myself, and mounted my horse, and proceeded straight
through the valley to the wood; and I followed the cross-road which the
man had pointed out to me, till at length I arrived at the glade. And
there was I three times more astonished at the number of wild animals
that I beheld, than the man had said I should be. And the black man
was there, sitting upon the top of the mound. Huge of stature as the
man had told me that he was, I found him to exceed by far the
description he had given me of him. As for the iron club which the man
had told me was a burden for two men, I am certain, Kai, that it would
be a heavy weight for four warriors to lift; and this was in the black
man's hand. And he only spoke to me in answer to my questions. Then
I asked him what power he held over those animals. 'I will show thee,
little man,' said he. And he took his club in his hand, and with it he
struck a stag a great blow so that he brayed vehemently, and at his
braying the animals came together, as numerous as the stars in the sky,
so that it was difficult for me to find room in the glade to stand among
them. There were serpents, and dragons, and divers sorts of animals.
And he looked at them, and bade them go and feed; and they bowed
their heads, and did him homage as vassals to their lord.
"Then the black man said to me, 'Seest thou now, little man, what
power I hold over these animals?' Then I inquired 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 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. 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