Read Online The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) by Sioned Davies - Free Book Online

Bring him food,’ he said. A great number of servants got up and began to fill the bag. But no matter what was thrown into it, it was no fuller than before.
    ‘Friend,’ said Gwawl, ‘will your bag ever be full?’
    ‘Never, between me and God,’ he said, ‘no matter what is put in it, unless a nobleman endowed with land and territory and power gets up and treads down the food in the bag with both feet and says, “Enough has been put in here”.’
    ‘My hero!’ said Rhiannon to Gwawl son of Clud. ‘Get up quickly.’
    ‘I will, gladly,’ he said.
    He gets up and puts both feet in the bag, and Pwyll turns the bag so that Gwawl is head over heels in it, and quickly he closes the bag and ties a knot in the strings and sounds his horn. And immediately the retinue descends on the court, and then they seize the entire company that had come with Gwawl and tie each man up separately. And Pwyll throws off the rags and the rag boots and the untidy clothes.
    As each one of Pwyll’s men entered, he struck the bag a blow and asked, ‘What’s in here?’
    ‘A badger,’ the others said.
    This is how they played: each one would strike the bag a blow either with his foot or with a stick; and that is how they played with the bag. Each one as he entered would ask, ‘So what game are you playing?’ ‘Badger in the Bag’, the others would say. And that was the first time that Badger in the Bag * was played.
    ‘Lord,’ said the man from the bag, ‘if you would only listen to me, killing me in a bag is no fitting death for me.’
    ‘Lord,’ said Hyfaidd Hen, ‘what he says is true. You should listen to him; that is not the death for him.’
    ‘I agree,’ said Pwyll; ‘I shall follow your advice on the matter.’
    ‘This is what I advise,’ said Rhiannon. ‘You are in a position where it is expected of you to satisfy suppliants and musicians. Let Gwawl give to everyone on your behalf,’ she said, ‘and let him promise that no claim or vengeance shall be sought; that is punishment enough for him.’
    ‘He accepts that gladly,’ said the man from the bag.
    ‘And I, too, accept it gladly,’ said Pwyll, ‘on the advice of Hyfaidd and Rhiannon.’
    ‘That is our advice,’ they said.
    ‘Then I accept it,’ said Pwyll. ‘Find guarantors for yourself.’
    ‘We will answer for him,’ said Hyfaidd, ‘until his men are free to stand bail for him.’
    Then Gwawl was released from the bag, and his chief followers set free.
    ‘Now ask Gwawl for guarantors,’ said Hyfaidd. ‘We know who should be taken from him.’
    Hyfaidd listed the guarantors.
    ‘Draw up your own conditions,’ said Gwawl.
    ‘I am satisfied with what Rhiannon has drawn up,’ said Pwyll.
    The guarantors stood bail on those conditions.
    ‘Lord,’ said Gwawl, ‘I am injured and have received many wounds, and I need to bathe, and with your permission I will depart. And I will leave noblemen here on my behalf to answer all those who may make requests of you.’
    ‘Gladly,’ said Pwyll; ‘do as you propose.’ Gwawl set off for his realm.
    Then the hall was prepared for Pwyll and his company, and for the men of the court as well. They went to sit down at the tables, and just as they had sat the year before, each one sat that night. They ate and caroused, and time came to go to sleep. Pwyll and Rhiannon went to the chamber, and spent that night in pleasure and contentment.
    Early the next day, ‘Lord,’ said Rhiannon, ‘get up and begin satisfying the musicians, and do not refuse anyone who requests a gift today.’
    ‘I will do that gladly,’ said Pwyll, ‘today and every day while this feast lasts.’
    Pwyll got up, and called for silence, asking all the suppliants and musicians to present themselves, and telling them that each one would be satisfied according to his wish and whim; and that was done. They consumed the feast, and no one was refused while it lasted. When the feast came to an end,
    ‘Lord,’ said Pwyll to Hyfaidd,