The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
And upon the mound he sat. While he sat there they saw a lady, on a
pure white horse of large size, with a garment of shining gold around
her, coming along the highway that led from the mound. "My men," said
Pwyll, "is there any among you who knows yonder lady?" "There is not,
lord," said they. "Go one of you and meet her, that we may know who
she is." And one of them arose, and as he came upon the road to meet
her, she passed by; and he followed as fast as he could, being on
foot, and the greater was his speed, the further was she from him.
When he saw that it profited him nothing to follow her, he returned to
Pwyll, and said, "Lord, it is idle for any one in the world to follow
her on foot." "Verily," said Pwyll, "go unto the palace, and take the
fleetest horse that thou seest, and go after her."
So he took a horse and went forward. He came to an open, level plain,
and put spurs to his horse; and the more he urged his horse, the
further was she from him. And he returned to the place where Pwyll
was, and said, "Lord, it will avail nothing for any one to follow
yonder lady. I know of no horse in these realms swifter than this, and
it availed me not to pursue her." "Of a truth," said Pwyll, "there
must be some illusion here; let us go toward the palace." So to the
palace they went, and spent the day.
And the next day they amused themselves until it was time to go to
meat. And when meat was ended, Pwyll said, "Where are the hosts that
went yesterday to the top of the mound?" "Behold, lord, we are here,"
said they. "Let us go," said he, "to the mound, and sit there. And do
thou," said he to the page who tended his horse, "saddle my horse
well, and hasten with him to the road, and bring also my spurs with
thee." And the youth did thus. They went and sat upon the mound and
ere they had been there but a short time they beheld the lady coming
by the same road, "Young man," said Pwyll, "I see the lady coming;
give me my horse." Before he had mounted his horse she passed him. And
he turned after her and followed her. He let his horse go bounding
playfully, and thought that he should soon come up with her, but he
came no nearer to her than at first. Then he urged his horse to his
utmost speed, yet he found that it availed not. Then said Pwyll, "O
maiden, for the sake of him whom thou best lovest, stay for me." "I
will stay gladly," said she; "and it were better for thy horse hadst
thou asked it long since." So the maiden stopped; and she threw back
that part of her head-dress which covered her face. Then he thought
that the beauty of all the maidens and all the ladies that he had ever
seen was as nothing compared to her beauty. "Lady," he said, "wilt
thou tell me aught concerning thy purpose?" "I will tell thee," said
she; "my chief quest was to see thee." "Truly," said Pwyll, "this is
to me the most pleasing quest on which thou couldst have come; and
wilt thou tell me who thou art?" "I will tell thee, lord," said
she.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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