[Ill.u.s.tration: Kilwch arrives at the Gate of Arthur"s Palace]
Then the youth p.r.i.c.ked forth upon a dapple grey horse of four years old, with a bridle of linked gold, and gold upon his saddle. In his hand he bore two spears of silver with heads of steel; a war-horn of ivory was slung round his shoulder, and by his side hung a golden sword. Before him were two brindled white-breasted greyhounds with collars of rubies round their necks, and the one that was on the left side bounded across to the right side, and the one on the right to the left, and like two sea-swallows sported round him. And his horse cast up four sods with his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air about his head, now above, now below. About him was a robe of purple, and an apple of gold was at each corner, and every one of the apples was of the value of a hundred cows. And the blades of gra.s.s bent not beneath him, so light were his horse"s feet as he journeyed toward the gate of Arthur"s palace.
"Is there a porter?" cried Kilwch, looking round for some one to open the gate.
"There is; and I am Arthur"s porter every first day of January,"
answered a man coming out to him. "The rest of the year there are other porters, and among them Pennpingyon, who goes upon his head to save his feet."
"Well, open the portal, I say."
"No, that I may not do, for none can enter save the son of a king or a pedlar who has goods to sell. But elsewhere there will be food for thy dogs and hay for thy horse, and for thee collops cooked and peppered, and sweet wine shall be served in the guest chamber."
"That will not do for me," answered Kilwch. "If thou wilt not open the gate I will send up three shouts that shall be heard from Cornwall unto the north, and yet again to Ireland."
"Whatsoever clamour thou mayest make," spake Glewlwyd the porter, "thou shalt not enter until I first go and speak with Arthur."
Then Glewlwyd went into the hall, and Arthur said to him:
"Hast thou news from the gate?" and the porter answered:
"Far have I travelled, both in this island and elsewhere, and many kingly men have I seen; but never yet have I beheld one equal in majesty to him who now stands at the door."
"If walking thou didst enter here, return thou running," replied Arthur, "and let every one that opens and shuts the eye show him respect and serve him, for it is not meet to keep such a man in the wind and rain." So Glewlwyd unbarred the gate and Kilwch rode in upon his charger.
"Greeting unto thee, O ruler of this land," cried he, "and greeting no less to the lowest than to the highest."
"Greeting to thee also," answered Arthur. "Sit thou between two of my warriors, and thou shalt have minstrels before thee and all that belongs to one born to be a king, while thou remainest in my palace."
"I am not come," replied Kilwch, "for meat and drink, but to obtain a boon, and if thou grant it me I will pay it back, and will carry thy praise to the four winds of heaven. But if thou wilt not grant it to me, then I will proclaim thy discourtesy wherever thy name is known."
"What thou askest that shalt thou receive," said Arthur, "as far as the wind dries and the rain moistens, and the sun revolves and the sea encircles and the earth extends. Save only my ship and my mantle, my sword and my lance, my shield and my dagger, and Guinevere my wife."
"I would that thou bless my hair," spake Kilwch, and Arthur answered:
"That shall be granted thee."
Forthwith he bade his men fetch him a comb of gold and a scissors with loops of silver, and he combed the hair of Kilwch his guest.
"Tell me who thou art," he said, "for my heart warms to thee, and I feel thou art come of my blood."
"I am Kilwch, son of Kilydd," replied the youth.
"Then my cousin thou art in truth," replied Arthur, "and whatsoever boon thou mayest ask thou shalt receive."
"The boon I crave is that thou mayest win for me Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr, and this boon I seek likewise at the hands of thy warriors. From Sol, who can stand all day upon one foot; from Ossol, who, if he were to find himself on the top of the highest mountain in the world, could make it into a level plain in the beat of a bird"s wing; from Cl.u.s.t, who, though he were buried under the earth, could yet hear the ant leave her nest fifty miles away: from these and from Kai and from Bedwyr and from all thy mighty men I crave this boon."
"O Kilwch," said Arthur, "never have I heard of the maiden of whom thou speakest, nor of her kindred, but I will send messengers to seek her if thou wilt give me time."
"From this night to the end of the year right willingly will I grant thee," replied Kilwch; but when the end of the year came and the messengers returned Kilwch was wroth, and spoke rough words to Arthur.
It was Kai, the boldest of the warriors and the swiftest of foot--he who could pa.s.s nine nights without sleep, and nine days beneath the water--that answered him:
"Rash youth that thou art, darest thou speak thus to Arthur? Come with us, and we will not part company till we have won that maiden, or till thou confess that there is none such in the world."
Then Arthur summoned his five best men and bade them go with Kilwch.
There was Bedwyr the one-handed, Kai"s comrade and brother in arms, the swiftest man in Britain save Arthur; there was Kynddelig, who knew the paths in a land where he had never been as surely as he did those of his own country; there was Gwrhyr, that could speak all tongues; and Gwalchmai the son of Gwyar, who never returned till he had gained what he sought; and last of all there was Menw, who could weave a spell over them so that none might see them, while they could see every one.
So these seven journeyed together till they reached a vast open plain in which was a fair castle. But though it seemed so close it was not until the evening of the third day that they really drew near to it, and in front of it a flock of sheep was spread, so many in number that there seemed no end to them. A shepherd stood on a mound watching over them, and by his side was a dog, as large as a horse nine winters old.
"Whose is this castle, O herdsman?" asked the knights.
"Stupid are ye truly," answered the herdsman. "All the world knows that this is the castle of Yspaddaden Penkawr."
"And who art thou?"
"I am called Custennin, brother of Yspaddaden, and ill has he treated me. And who are you, and what do you here?"
"We come from Arthur the king, to seek Olwen the daughter of Yspaddaden," but at this news the shepherd gave a cry:
"O men, be warned and turn back while there is yet time. Others have gone on that quest, but none have escaped to tell the tale," and he rose to his feet as if to leave them. Then Kilwch held out to him a ring of gold, and he tried to put it on his finger, but it was too small, so he placed it in his glove, and went home and gave it to his wife.
"Whence came this ring?" asked she, "for such good luck is not wont to befall thee."
"The man to whom this ring belonged thou shalt see here in the evening,"
answered the shepherd; "he is Kilwch, son of Kilydd, cousin to king Arthur, and he has come to seek Olwen." And when the wife heard that she knew that Kilwch was her nephew, and her heart yearned after him, half with joy at the thought of seeing him, and half with sorrow for the doom she feared.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FAIR OLWEN ARRIVES]
Soon they heard steps approaching, and Kai and the rest entered into the house and ate and drank. After that the woman opened a chest, and out of it came a youth with curling yellow hair.
"It is a pity to hide him thus," said Gwrhyr, "for well I know that he has done no evil."
"Three and twenty of my sons has Yspaddaden slain, and I have no more hope of saving this one," replied she, and Kai was full of sorrow and answered:
"Let him come with me and be my comrade, and he shall never be slain unless I am slain also." And so it was agreed.
"What is your errand here?" asked the woman.
"We seek Olwen the maiden for this youth," answered Kai; "does she ever come hither so that she may be seen?"
"She comes every Sat.u.r.day to wash her hair, and in the vessel where she washes she leaves all her rings, and never does she so much as send a messenger to fetch them."
"Will she come if she is bidden?" asked Kai, pondering.
"She will come; but unless you pledge me your faith that you will not harm her I will not fetch her."