Page:Celtic Stories by Edward Thomas.djvu/106

 'Receive from us the blessing of Heaven, and what no man can give we will give thee.' They sprinkled themselves over the red land opposite Uspathadden's castle and gathered up the nine bushels of seed all but one, and before night the lame ant came in carrying that one. Thus the ants provided a snowy bridal wimple for the head of Olwen.

The men travelled far in search of Dillus Varvawc to make a leash out of his beard for the hound Dridwyn. They were divided into many parties, and in one of these were Kay and Bedwyr. They were sitting one day on one of the cairns on the summit of Plinlimmon in a mighty wind, when they saw far off to the southward a huge column of smoke unbent by the wind. 'That is a robber's fire,' said Kay. As they hastened towards it, they saw at length a giant singeing the bristles of a wild boar before skinning it, and both knew that it was Dillus Varvawc. They hid themselves while Dillus flayed and cleaned and cooked the boar and while he ate gigantically. Then he fell asleep beside the embers. At his feet Kay dug a pit, and when it was very deep he struck the giant a fierce blow. Sleepily awaking, Dillus made efforts to rise, but fell instead into the pit. There he stuck fast like a frog in a snake's throat, and Bedwyr uprooted the hairs of his beard. When he was smooth they slew him altogether. They had now the leash for Dridwyn and hastened with it to Arthur at Gelli Wic in Cornwall.

'It is best now', said Arthur, 'to seek Dridwyn, whelp of Greid the son of Eri.' But though they set out to capture Dridwyn most men forgot the hound because of the quarrel in the north between Gwythyr and Gwynn the son of Nudd, who carried off Gwythyr's bride. Only Arthur could make peace between them.