The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
After that Lludd had shown his brother the cause of his errand,
Llevelys said that he himself knew the cause of the coming to those
lands. And they took counsel together to discourse on the matter
otherwise than thus, in order that the wind might not catch their
words, nor the Coranians know what they might say. Then Llevelys
caused a long horn to be made of brass, and through this horn they
discoursed. But whatsoever words they spoke through this horn, one to
the other, neither of them could hear any other but harsh and hostile
words. And when Llevelys saw this and that there was a demon
thwarting them and disturbing through this horn, he caused wine to be
put therein to wash it. And through the virtue of the wine the demon
was driven out of the horn. And when their discourse was unobstructed,
Llevelys told his brother that he would give him some insects whereof
he should keep some to breed, lest by chance the like affliction might
come a second time. And other of these insects he should take and
bruise in water. And he assured him that he would have power to
destroy the race of Coranians. That is to say, that when he came home
to his kingdom he should call together all the people both of his own
race and of the race of the Coranians for a conference, as though with
the intent of making peace between them; and that when they were all
together, he should take this charmed water, and cast it over all
alike. And he assured him that the water would poison the race of the
Coranians, but that it would not slay or harm those of his own race.
"And the second plague," said he, "that is in thy dominion, behold it
is a dragon. And another dragon of foreign race is fighting with it,
and striving to overcome it. And therefore does your dragon make a
fearful outcry. And on this wise mayest thou come to know this. After
thou hast returned home, cause the island to be measured in its length
and breadth, and in the place where thou dost find the exact central
point, there cause a pit to be dug, and cause a cauldron full of the
best mead that can be made to be put in the pit with a covering of
satin over the face of the cauldron. And then in thine own person do
thou remain there watching, and thou wilt see the dragons fighting in
the form of terrific animals. And at length they will take the form of
dragons in the air. And last of all, after wearying themselves with
fierce and furious fighting, they will fall in the form of two pigs
upon the covering, and they will sink in and the covering with them,
and they will draw it down to the very bottom of the cauldron. And
they will drink up the whole of the mead; and after that they will
sleep. Thereupon do thou immediately fold the covering round them, and
bury them in a kistvaen, in the strongest place thou hast in thy
dominions, and hide them in the earth. And as long as they shall bide
in that strong place, no plague shall come to the island of Britain
from elsewhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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