“Pwyll sat down and the man vanished, and he saw a woman mounted on a magnificent white horse, pale as the moon as it rises over the harvest fields. The woman was dressed in fine linen and silk of shining gold and was riding toward him at a slow and steady pace.

“He went down from the mound to meet her, but when he reached the road at the bottom of the hill, she had gone far away from him. He pursued her as quickly as he could on foot, but the more he pursued the further away she got. He gave up in misery and returned to his caer.

“But he thought about this woman all night long and he said to himself, ‘Tomorrow evening I will sit once more upon the mound and I will bring the fastest horse in my kingdom.’ He did that, and once more as he sat on the mound he saw the woman approaching. Pwyll leaped into the saddle and spurred the horse to meet her. Yet, even though the lady held her great steed to a slow and stately amble, when Pwyll reached the bottom of the hill she was already far away. The king’s horse gave chase, and though it flew like the wind it did not avail him. For the faster he pursued her, the more distance lay between them.

“Pwyll marvelled at this and said, ‘By Lieu, it does no good to follow the lady. I know of no horse in the realm swifter than this one, yet I am no closer than when I began. There must be some mystery here.’ And his heart filled with such misery that he cried out as one in pain, ‘Maiden, for the sake of the man you love most, wait for me!’

“Instantly the horsewoman stopped and turned to him, removing the silken veil from before her face. And she was the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld in mortal flesh, more fair than a whole spring full of flowers, than winter’s first snow, than the sky of high summer, than the gold of autumn.

“ ‘Gladly will I wait for you,’ she said, ‘and it were better for your horse if you had asked it long ago.’

“ ‘My lady,’ Pwyll said respectfully, ‘whence do you come, and tell me, if you can, the nature of your journey.’

“ ‘Lord,’ she replied in a most gentle manner, ‘I journey on my errand and I am pleased to see you.’

“ ‘Then welcome to you,’ Pwyll said, thinking that the beauty of all the maidens and ladies he had ever seen was ugliness next to her beauty. ‘What, may I ask, is your errand?’

“ ‘Well you might ask. My principal quest was seeking you.’

“Pwyll’s heart leapt inside him. ‘That is a most excellent quest in my estimation. But can you tell me who you are?’

“ ‘Can and will,’ she said. ‘I am Rhiannon, daughter of Hyfiadd Hen, and I am being given to a man against my will. For I have never desired any man until meeting you. And if you reject me now, I will never love anyone.’

“Pwyll could not Believe his ears. ‘Fair creature,’ he said, ‘if I could choose from all the women in this world and any other, I would choose you always.’

“The maiden smiled, and her eyes shone with such happiness that Pwyll thought his heart would break. ‘Well, if that is your answer, let us make a tryst before I am given to this other man.’

“ ‘I will pledge whatever you want,’ said Pwyll, ‘and the sooner the better, I say.’

“ ‘Very well, lord,’ the maiden replied, ‘come to my father’s court where there is to be a feast, and you can claim me there.’

“ ‘I will do it,’ he promised, and returned to his court where he called his warband and together they rode out, reaching the court of Hyfiadd Hen just as night came on. Pwyll greeted Rhiannon and her father and said, ‘Lord, let this be a wedding feast, for as king of this realm I claim your daughter for my wife if she will have me.’

“Hyfiadd Hen frowned mightily, but said, ‘Very well, so be it. I put this court at your disposal.’

“ ‘Let the feast begin,’ said Pwyll, and he sat down with Rhiannon by his side.

‘ ‘But no sooner had they sat down than there arose a commotion outside and into the hall came a large, noble-looking fellow dressed in rich clothing. He came directly up to Pwyll and saluted him. ‘Welcome to you, friend; find a place to sit.’

“ ‘I cannot,’ replied the man. ‘I am a suppliant and must do my business first.’

“ ‘You had better do it then.’

“ ‘As you say, lord, my business is with you; I have come for a request.’

“ ‘Ask it then, and if it is in my power I will grant it gladly, for this is a joyous day for me.’

“ ‘No!’ shouted Rhiannon. ‘Oh, why did you respond so?’

“ ‘Och, he has already done so, and in the presence of the whole court,’ said the stranger. ‘He is honor-bound to grant my request.’

“ ‘Friend, if friend you are, tell me your request,’ said Pwyll, feeling sick at heart.

“ ‘You, sire, are sleeping tonight with the woman I love most, and I ask for her to be my wife and for this feast to be my wedding feast!’

“Pwyll fell silent. There was no answer he could give that would not break his heart.

“ ‘Be silent as long as you like, my lord,’ snapped Rhiannon angrily, ‘there is only one answer to be given.’

“ ‘Lady,” cried Pwyll piteously, ‘I did not know who he was.’

“ ‘He is the man to whom they wanted to give me against my will,’ she said. ‘His name is Gwawl, son of Clud, and now you must honor your word lest some worse misfortune befall you.’

“ ‘How can I honor my word when it will kill me?’

“ ‘Perhaps there is a way,’ she said and bent to whisper in his ear.

“ ‘I am growing old with waiting,’ said Gwawl.

“Pwyll’s countenance brightened and he said, ‘Wait no longer. Though it grieves me deeply, you shall have what you ask.’ And he got up and left the hall with his, host.

“Gwawl laughed loudly and bragged, ‘Surely, never has a man been more feeble-witted than him.’ And he took Pwyll’s place beside the fair Rhiannon saying, ‘Let my wedding feast be served. Tonight I sleep with my bride.’

“But before the feast could be served, a commotion arose in the back of the hall. ‘Who is making such a disturbance?’ demanded Gwawl. ‘Bring him here so that I may deal with him.’ And a man dressed all in wretched rags was dragged forward. ‘Ha! Look at him,’ said Gwawl. ‘What are you doing here, beggar?’

“ ‘If if pleases you, lord, I have business with you,’ replied the unfortunate one.

“ ‘What business can you have with me that the toe of my boot cannot discharge?’

“ ‘It is a reasonable request,’ replied the ragged man, ‘and one you can easily grant if you will: one small bag of food. I ask only from want.’

“ ‘You shall have it,” replied Gwawl haughtily. And he spied a small leather bag at Rhiannon’s Belt and snatched it up. ‘Here is the bag,’ he laughed, ‘fill it as you will.’

“Pwyll took the bag and began filling it. But no matter how much he put into the bag it grew no more full than before. Gwawl signaled impatiently to his servers, who arose and began stuffing food into the little bag, but it remained just as empty.

“ ‘Beggar, will your bag never be full?’ asked Gwawl angrily.

“ ‘Never, until a lord rises up and tramples it down and cries, “Enough!” ‘

“ ‘Do it, Gwawl, and you will be finished with this business,’ said Rhiannon.

“ ‘Gladly, if it will rid me of him.’ Gwawl rose up and put his feet into the bag, and the beggar twisted it so that Gwawl fell head over heels into the bag, then closed it and tied the strings. Then from beneath his rags he produced a horn which he blew. Instantly the hall was filled with a fierce warband. The beggar threw off his rags and there stood Pwyll Pen Annwfn.

“ ‘Help me!’ cried the man in the bag. ‘What is this game you are playing?’

“ ‘The game of badger-in-the-bag,’ answered Pwyll, whereupon his men began striking the bag with kicks and blows.

“ ‘Lord,’ said Gwawl, ‘if you would listen to me, killing me inside this bag is no death for me.’

“Hyfiadd Hen stepped forward much chagrined and said, ‘He speaks the truth, lord; killing him inside a bag is no death for a man. Listen to him.’