The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
So they went into England, and went as far as Hereford; and they
betook themselves to making shoes. He began by buying the best
cordwain that could be had in the town, and associated himself with
the best goldsmith in the town, and caused him to make clasps for the
shoes, and to gild the clasps; and he marked how it was done until he
learned the method. When they could be had from him, not a shoe nor
hose was bought of any of the cordwainers in the town. When the
cordwainers perceived that their gains were failing they came together
and took counsel, and agreed that they would slay them. And he had
warning thereof, and it was told him how the cordwainers had agreed
together to slay him.
"Lord," said Kieva, "wherefore should this be borne from these boors?"
"Nay," said he, "we will go back unto Dyved." So towards Dyved they
set forth.
Now Manawyddan, when he set out to return to Dyved, took with him a
burden of wheat. And he proceeded towards Narberth, and there he
dwelt. Never was he better pleased than when he saw Narberth again,
and the lands where he had been wont to hunt with Pryderi and with
Rhiannon. And he accustomed himself to fish, and to hunt the deer in
their covert. He began to prepare some ground, and he sowed a croft,
and a second, and a third. And no wheat in the world ever sprung up
better. The three crofts prospered with perfect growth, and no man
ever saw fairer wheat.
Thus passed the seasons of the year until the harvest came. And he
went to look at one of his crofts, and, behold, it was ripe. "I will
reap this to-morrow," said he. On the morrow, when he came there, he
found nothing but the bare straw. Every one of the ears of the wheat
was cut off from the stalk, and all the ears carried entirely
away. And at this he marvelled greatly.
Then he went to look at another croft, and, behold, that also was
ripe. "Verily," said he, "this will I reap to-morrow." And on the
morrow he came with the intent to reap it; and when he came there, he
found nothing but the bare straw.
"O gracious Heaven!" he exclaimed. "I know that whosoever has begun
my ruin is completing it, and has also destroyed the country with me."
Then he went to look at the third croft; and when he came there, finer
wheat had there never been seen, and this also was ripe. "Evil betide
me," said he, "if I watch not here to-night. Whoever carried off the
other corn will come in like manner to take this, and I will know who
it is." And he told Kieva all that had befallen. "Verily," said she,
"what thinkest thou to do?" "I will watch the croft to-night," said
he. And he went to watch the croft.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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