Mythology, Celtic -- Wales; Tales -- Wales; Welsh literature -- 1100-1400 -- Translations into English
“What craft shall we take?” said Pryderi. “We will make shields,” said
Manawyddan. “Do we know anything about that craft?” said Pryderi. “We
will try,” answered he. There they began to make shields, and fashioned
them after the shape of the good shields they had seen; and they
enamelled they, as them had done the saddles. And they prospered in that
place, so that not a shield was asked for in the whole town, but such as
was had of them. Rapid therefore was their work, and numberless were the
shields they made. But at last they were marked by the craftsmen, who
came together in haste, and their fellow-townsmen with them, and agreed
that they should seek to slay them. But they received warning, and heard
how the men had resolved on their destruction. “Pryderi,” said
Manawyddan, “these men desire to slay us.” “Let us not endure this from
these boors, but let us rather fall upon them and slay them.” “Not so,”
he answered; “Caswallawn and his men will hear of it, and we shall be
undone. Let us go to another town.” So to another town they went.
“What craft shall we take?” said Manawyddan. “Whatsoever thou wilt that
we know,” said Pryderi. “Not so,” he replied, “but let us take to making
shoes, for there is not courage enough among cordwainers either to fight
with us or to molest us.” “I know nothing thereof,” said Pryderi. “But
I know,” answered Manawyddan; “and I will teach thee to stitch. We will
not attempt to dress the leather, but we will buy it ready dressed and
will make the shoes from it.”
So he began by buying the best cordwal that could be had in the town, and
none other would he buy except the leather for the soles; and he
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 learnt the method. And therefore was he called one of
the three makers of Gold Shoes; and, when they could be had from him, not
a shoe nor hose was bought of any of the cordwainers in the town. But
when the cordwainers perceived that their gains were failing (for as
Manawyddan shaped the work, so Pryderi stitched it), they came together
and took counsel, and agreed that they would slay them.
“Pryderi,” said Manawyddan, “these men are minded to slay us.”
“Wherefore should we bear this from the boorish thieves?” said Pryderi.
“Rather let us slay them all.” “Not so,” said Manawyddan, “we will not
slay them, neither will we remain in Lloegyr any longer. Let us set
forth to Dyved and go to see it.”
So they journeyed along until they came to Dyved, and they went forward
to Narberth. And there they kindled fire and supported themselves by
hunting. And thus they spent a month. And they gathered their dogs
around them, and tarried there one year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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