During these preparations for his mother’s wedding, little Twm Shôn Catti, by the squire’s orders given at the bridegroom’s request, was gratified by a whole week’s absence from school; and Wat the mole-catcher took the happy youngster along with him, during his pleasant excursion, to every house where he had to perform the functions of the _Gwahoddwr_. Here the boy was in the height of his happiness, and soon bedecked himself as a mock _Gwahoddwr_; having cut and peeled a willow wand, and attached to the end of it a bunch of rush flags and carpenter’s shavings, in the place of ribbons, thus grotesquely accoutred, he sallied forth with his protector, and winking to his companions who were lookers on, burlesqued every action and peculiarity of the mole-snarer. It was on this occasion that he sported the first effusions of his virgin muse, as it is said, to the following effect, although it has been suspected that the delivery only was his own. Like a little clown mimicking the adroit performances of the harlequin, his speech each time followed the more important oration of Wat. Who’ll come to the wedding of Catti my mother? Come mother, come daughter, son, father, and brother, And bring all your cousins, and uncles, and aunts, To revel and feast at our jolly courants, Haste, haste to the Bidding ye stingy scrubs! And out with your purses, and down with your dubs. Come Gwenny and Griffith, and Roger and Sal, Morgan, Meredith, and Peggy and Pal; Come one, come all, with your best on your back, To see mother married to spoon-making Jack; He’s a spoon for his pains! as ye all shall see soon. But lucky in finding a bowl to his spoon. Haste, haste, to the bidding! and friends, if ye please, For lack of white money bring good yellow cheese, And butter, but not in your pockets alack, Bring bacon or mutton well dried on the rack; So endeth my story; come, haste we friend Watty, Now God save the king, and his friend Twm Shôn Catti. Twm’s delivery of these lines excited much mirth and laughter, and, added to those of the real _Gwahoddwr_, drew more than ordinary attention to this Bidding. Many of the children of the different houses had been Twm’s school-fellows, and the pupils of his mother, which had the effect of influencing them, and became a sort of tie, to claim their presence at her Bidding. As Jack’s friends were in Carmarthenshire, another _Gwahoddwr_ was appointed by his master to go with him to call on his friends at his own native place; and so liberal was the squire on this occasion, that he sent them both, mounted, on horses of his own.