Ella Wheeler Wilcox - "Poems of Power"

Charles Kingsley - "Hypatia"

Oscar Wilde - "Lady Windermere's Fan"

Anthony Trollope - "The American Senator"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: The Mabinogion

U >> Unknown >> The Mabinogion




And he took a horse and went forward. And he came to an open level
plain, and put spurs to his horse; and the more he urged his horse,
the further was she from him. Yet she held the same pace as at
first. And his horse began to fail; and when his horse's feet failed
him, he returned to the place where Pwyll was. "Lord," said he, "it
will avail nothing for any one to follow yonder lady. I know of no
horse in these realms swifter than this, and it availed me not to
pursue her." "Of a truth," said Pwyll, "there must be some illusion
here. Let us go towards the palace." So to the palace they went,
and they spent that day. And the next day they arose, and that also
they spent until it was time to go to meat. And after the first
meal, "Verily," said Pwyll, "we will go the same party as yesterday
to the top of the mound. And do thou," said he to one of his young
men, "take the swiftest horse that thou knowest in the field." And
thus did the young man. And they went towards the mound, taking the
horse with them. And as they were sitting down they beheld the lady
on the same horse, and in the same apparel, coming along the same
road. "Behold," said Pwyll, "here is the lady of yesterday. Make
ready, youth, to learn who she is." "My lord," said he, "that will I
gladly do." And thereupon the lady came opposite to them. So the
youth mounted his horse; and before he had settled himself in his
saddle, she passed by, and there was a clear space between them. But
her speed was no greater than it had been the day before. Then he
put his horse into an amble, and thought that notwithstanding the
gentle pace at which his horse went, he should soon overtake her.
But this availed him not; so he gave his horse the reins. And still
he came no nearer to her than when he went at a foot's pace. And the
more he urged his horse, the further was she from him. Yet she rode
not faster than before. When he saw that it availed not to follow
her, he returned to the place where Pwyll was. "Lord," said he, "the
horse can no more than thou hast seen." "I see indeed that it avails
not that any one should follow her. And by Heaven," said he, "she
must needs have an errand to some one in this plain, if her haste
would allow her to declare it. Let us go back to the palace." And
to the palace they went, and they spent that night in songs and
feasting, as it pleased them.

And the next day they amused themselves until it was time to go to
meat. And when meat was ended, Pwyll said, "Where are the hosts that
went yesterday and the day before to the top of the mound?" "Behold,
Lord, we are here," said they. "Let us go," said he, "to the mound,
to sit there. And do thou," said he to the page who tended his
horse, "saddle my horse well, and hasten with him to the road, and
bring also my spurs with thee." And the youth did thus. And they
went and sat upon the mound; and ere they had been there but a short
time, they beheld the lady coming by the same road, and in the same
manner, and at the same pace. "Young man," said Pwyll, "I see the
lady coming; give me my horse." And no sooner had he mounted his
horse than she passed him. And he turned after her and followed her.
And he let his horse go bounding playfully, and thought that at the
second step or the third he should come up with her. But he came no
nearer to her than at first. Then he urged his horse to his utmost
speed, yet he found that it availed nothing to follow her. Then said
Pwyll, "O maiden, for the sake of him whom thou best lovest, stay for
me." "I will stay gladly," said she, "and it were better for thy
horse hadst thou asked it long since." So the maiden stopped, and
she threw back that part of her headdress which covered her face.
And she fixed her eyes upon him, and began to talk with him. "Lady,"
asked he, "whence comest thou, and whereunto dost thou journey?" "I
journey on mine own errand," said she, "and right glad am I to see
thee." "My greeting be unto thee," said he. Then he thought that
the beauty of all the maidens, and all the ladies that he had ever
seen, was as nothing compared to her beauty. "Lady," he said, "wilt
thou tell me aught concerning thy purpose?" "I will tell thee," said
she. "My chief quest was to seek thee." "Behold," said Pwyll, "this
is to me the most pleasing quest on which thou couldst have come; and
wilt thou tell me who thou art?" "I will tell thee, Lord," said she.
"I am Rhiannon, the daughter of Heveydd Hen, and they sought to give
me to a husband against my will. But no husband would I have, and
that because of my love for thee, neither will I yet have one unless
thou reject me. And hither have I come to hear thy answer." "By
Heaven," said Pwyll, "behold this is my answer. If I might choose
among all the ladies and damsels in the world, thee would I choose."
"Verily," said she, "if thou art thus minded, make a pledge to meet
me ere I am given to another." "The sooner I may do so, the more
pleasing will it be unto me," said Pwyll, "and wheresoever thou wilt,
there will I meet with thee." "I will that thou meet me this day
twelvemonth at the palace of Heveydd. And I will cause a feast to be
prepared, so that it be ready against thou come." "Gladly," said he,
"will I keep this tryst." "Lord," said she, "remain in health, and
be mindful that thou keep thy promise; and now I will go hence." So
they parted, and he went back to his hosts and to them of his
household. And whatsoever questions they asked him respecting the
damsel, he always turned the discourse upon other matters. And when
a year from that time was gone, he caused a hundred knights to equip
themselves and to go with him to the palace of Heveydd Hen. And he
came to the palace, and there was great joy concerning him, with much
concourse of people and great rejoicing, and vast preparations for
his coming. And the whole Court was placed under his orders.

And the hall was garnished and they went to meat, and thus did they
sit; Heveydd Hen was on one side of Pwyll, and Rhiannon on the other.
And all the rest according to their rank. And they ate and feasted
and talked one with another, and at the beginning of the carousal
after the meat, there entered a tall auburn-haired youth, of royal
bearing, clothed in a garment of satin. And when he came into the
hall, he saluted Pwyll and his companions. "The greeting of Heaven
be unto thee, my soul," said Pwyll, "come thou and sit down." "Nay,"
said he, "a suitor am I, and I will do mine errand." "Do so
willingly," said Pwyll. "Lord," said he, "my errand is unto thee,
and it is to crave a boon of thee that I come." "What boon soever
thou mayest ask of me, as far as I am able, thou shalt have." "Ah,"
said Rhiannon, "wherefore didst thou give that answer?" "Has he not
given it before the presence of these nobles?" asked the youth. "My
soul," said Pwyll, "what is the boon thou askest?" "The lady whom
best I love is to be thy bride this night; I come to ask her of thee,
with the feast and the banquet that are in this place." And Pwyll
was silent because of the answer which he had given. "Be silent as
long as thou wilt," said Rhiannon. "Never did man make worse use of
his wits than thou hast done." "Lady," said he, "I knew not who he
was." "Behold this is the man to whom they would have given me
against my will," said she. "And he is Gwawl the son of Clud, a man
of great power and wealth, and because of the word thou hast spoken,
bestow me upon him lest shame befall thee." "Lady," said he, "I
understand not thine answer. Never can I do as thou sayest."
"Bestow me upon him," said she, "and I will cause that I shall never
be his." "By what means will that be?" asked Pwyll. "In thy hand
will I give thee a small bag," said she. "See that thou keep it
well, and he will ask of thee the banquet, and the feast, and the
preparations which are not in thy power. Unto the hosts and the
household will I give the feast. And such will be thy answer
respecting this. And as concerns myself, I will engage to become his
bride this night twelvemonth. And at the end of the year be thou
here," said she, "and bring this bag with thee, and let thy hundred
knights be in the orchard up yonder. And when he is in the midst of
joy and feasting, come thou in by thyself, clad in ragged garments,
and holding thy bag in thy hand, and ask nothing but a bagful of
food, and I will cause that if all the meat and liquor that are in
these seven Cantrevs were put into it, it would be no fuller than
before. And after a great deal has been put therein, he will ask
thee whether thy bag will ever be full. Say thou then that it never
will, until a man of noble birth and of great wealth arise and press
the food in the bag with both his feet, saying, 'Enough has been put
therein;' and I will cause him to go and tread down the food in the
bag, and when he does so, turn thou the bag, so that he shall be up
over his head in it, and then slip a knot upon the thongs of the bag.
Let there be also a good bugle horn about thy neck, and as soon as
thou hast bound him in the bag, wind thy horn, and let it be a signal
between thee and thy knights. And when they hear the sound of the
horn, let them come down upon the palace." "Lord," said Gwawl, "it
is meet that I have an answer to my request." "As much of that thou
hast asked as it is in my power to give, thou shalt have," replied
Pwyll. "My soul," said Rhiannon unto him, "as for the feast and the
banquet that are here, I have bestowed them upon the men of Dyved,
and the household, and the warriors that are with us. These can I
not suffer to be given to any. In a year from to-night a banquet
shall be prepared for thee in this palace, that I may become thy
bride."

So Gwawl went forth to his possessions, and Pwyll went also back to
Dyved. And they both spent that year until it was the time for the
feast at the palace of Heveydd Hen. Then Gwawl the son of Clud set
out to the feast that was prepared for him, and he came to the
palace, and was received there with rejoicing. Pwyll, also, the
Chief of Annwvyn, came to the orchard with his hundred knights, as
Rhiannon had commanded him, having the bag with him. And Pwyll was
clad in coarse and ragged garments, and wore large clumsy old shoes
upon his feet. And when he knew that the carousal after the meat had
begun, he went towards the hall, and when he came into the hall, he
saluted Gwawl the son of Clud, and his company, both men and women.
"Heaven prosper thee," said Gwawl, "and the greeting of Heaven be
unto thee." "Lord," said he, "may Heaven reward thee, I have an
errand unto thee." "Welcome be thine errand, and if thou ask of me
that which is just, thou shalt have it gladly." "It is fitting,"
answered he. "I crave but from want, and the boon that I ask is to
have this small bag that thou seest filled with meat." "A request
within reason is this," said he, "and gladly shalt thou have it.
Bring him food." A great number of attendants arose and began to
fill the bag, but for all that they put into it, it was no fuller
than at first. "My soul," said Gwawl, "will thy bag be ever full?"
"It will not, I declare to Heaven," said he, "for all that may be put
into it, unless one possessed of lands, and domains, and treasure,
shall arise and tread down with both his feet the food that is within
the bag, and shall say, 'Enough has been put therein.'" Then said
Rhiannon unto Gwawl the son of Clud, "Rise up quickly." "I will
willingly arise," said he. So he rose up, and put his two feet into
the bag. And Pwyll turned up the sides of the bag, so that Gwawl was
over his head in it. And he shut it up quickly and slipped a knot
upon the thongs, and blew his horn. And thereupon behold his
household came down upon the palace. And they seized all the host
that had come with Gwawl, and cast them into his own prison. And
Pwyll threw off his rags, and his old shoes, and his tattered array;
and as they came in, every one of Pwyll's knights struck a blow upon
the bag, and asked, "What is here?" "A Badger," said they. And in
this manner they played, each of them striking the bag, either with
his foot or with a staff. And thus played they with the bag. Every
one as he came in asked, "What game are you playing at thus?" "The
game of Badger in the Bag," said they. And then was the game of
Badger in the Bag first played.

"Lord," said the man in the bag, "if thou wouldest but hear me, I
merit not to be slain in a bag." Said Heveydd Hen, "Lord, he speaks
truth. It were fitting that thou listen to him, for he deserves not
this." "Verily," said Pwyll, "I will do thy counsel concerning him."
"Behold this is my counsel then," said Rhiannon; "thou art now in a
position in which it behoves thee to satisfy suitors and minstrels;
let him give unto them in thy stead, and take a pledge from him that
he will never seek to revenge that which has been done to him. And
this will be punishment enough." "I will do this gladly," said the
man in the bag. "And gladly will I accept it," said Pwyll, "since it
is the counsel of Heveydd and Rhiannon." "Such then is our counsel,"
answered they. "I accept it," said Pwyll. "Seek thyself sureties."
"We will be for him," said Heveydd, "until his men be free to answer
for him." And upon this he was let out of the bag, and his liegemen
were liberated. "Demand now of Gwawl his sureties," said Heveydd,
"we know which should be taken for him." And Heveydd numbered the
sureties. Said Gwawl, "Do thou thyself draw up the covenant." "It
will suffice me that it be as Rhiannon said," answered Pwyll. So
unto that covenant were the sureties pledged. "Verily, Lord," said
Gwawl, "I am greatly hurt, and I have many bruises. I have need to
be anointed; with thy leave I will go forth. I will leave nobles in
my stead, to answer for me in all that thou shalt require."
"Willingly," said Pwyll, "mayest thou do thus." So Gwawl went
towards his own possessions.

And the hall was set in order for Pwyll and the men of his host, and
for them also of the palace, and they went to the tables and sat
down. And as they had sat that time twelvemonth, so sat they that
night. And they ate, and feasted, and spent the night in mirth and
tranquillity. And the time came that they should sleep, and Pwyll
and Rhiannon went to their chamber.

And next morning at the break of day, "My Lord," said Rhiannon,
"arise and begin to give thy gifts unto the minstrels. Refuse no one
to-day that may claim thy bounty." "Thus shall it be gladly," said
Pwyll, "both to-day and every day while the feast shall last." So
Pwyll arose, and he caused silence to be proclaimed, and desired all
the suitors and the minstrels to show and to point out what gifts
were to their wish and desire. And this being done, the feast went
on, and he denied no one while it lasted. And when the feast was
ended, Pwyll said unto Heveydd, "My Lord, with thy permission I will
set out for Dyved to-morrow." "Certainly," said Heveydd, "may Heaven
prosper thee. Fix also a time when Rhiannon may follow thee." "By
Heaven," said Pwyll, "we will go hence together." "Willest thou
this, Lord?" said Heveydd. "Yes, by Heaven," answered Pwyll.

And the next day, they set forward towards Dyved, and journeyed to
the palace of Narberth, where a feast was made ready for them. And
there came to them great numbers of the chief men and the most noble
ladies of the land, and of these there was none to whom Rhiannon did
not give some rich gift, either a bracelet, or a ring, or a precious
stone. And they ruled the land prosperously both that year and the
next.

And in the third year the nobles of the land began to be sorrowful at
seeing a man whom they loved so much, and who was moreover their lord
and their foster-brother, without an heir. And they came to him.
And the place where they met was Preseleu, in Dyved. "Lord," said
they, "we know that thou art not so young as some of the men of this
country, and we fear that thou mayest not have an heir of the wife
whom thou hast taken. Take therefore another wife of whom thou
mayest have heirs. Thou canst not always continue with us, and
though thou desire to remain as thou art, we will not suffer thee."
"Truly," said Pwyll, "we have not long been joined together, and many
things may yet befall. Grant me a year from this time, and for the
space of a year we will abide together, and after that I will do
according to your wishes. So they granted it. And before the end of
a year a son was born unto him. And in Narberth was he born; and on
the night that he was born, women were brought to watch the mother
and the boy. And the women slept, as did also Rhiannon, the mother
of the boy. And the number of the women that were brought into the
chamber was six. And they watched for a good portion of the night,
and before midnight every one of them fell asleep, and towards break
of day they awoke; and when they awoke, they looked where they had
put the boy, and behold he was not there. "Oh," said one of the
women, "the boy is lost?" "Yes," said another, "and it will be small
vengeance if we are burnt or put to death because of the child."
Said one of the women, "Is there any counsel for us in the world in
this matter?" "There is," answered another, "I offer you good
counsel." "What is that?" asked they. "There is here a stag-hound
bitch, and she has a litter of whelps. Let us kill some of the cubs,
and rub the blood on the face and hands of Rhiannon, and lay the
bones before her, and assert that she herself hath devoured her son,
and she alone will not be able to gainsay us six." And according to
this counsel it was settled. And towards morning Rhiannon awoke, and
she said, "Women, where is my son?" "Lady," said they, "ask us not
concerning thy son, we have nought but the blows and the bruises we
got by struggling with thee, and of a truth we never saw any woman so
violent as thou, for it was of no avail to contend with thee. Hast
thou not thyself devoured thy son? Claim him not therefore of us."
"For pity's sake," said Rhiannon; "the Lord God knows all things.
Charge me not falsely. If you tell me this from fear, I assert
before Heaven that I will defend you." "Truly," said they, "we would
not bring evil on ourselves for any one in the world." "For pity's
sake," said Rhiannon, "you will receive no evil by telling the
truth." But for all her words, whether fair or harsh, she received
but the same answer from the women.

And Pwyll the chief of Annwvyn arose, and his household, and his
hosts. And this occurrence could not be concealed, but the story
went forth throughout the land, and all the nobles heard it. Then
the nobles came to Pwyll, and besought him to put away his wife,
because of the great crime which she had done. But Pwyll answered
them, that they had no cause wherefore they might ask him to put away
his wife, save for her having no children. "But children has she now
had, therefore will I not put her away; if she has done wrong, let
her do penance for it."

So Rhiannon sent for the teachers and the wise men, and as she
preferred doing penance to contending with the women, she took upon
her a penance. And the penance that was imposed upon her was, that
she should remain in that palace of Narberth until the end of seven
years, and that she should sit every day near unto a horseblock that
was without the gate. And that she should relate the story to all
who should come there, whom she might suppose not to know it already;
and that she should offer the guests and strangers, if they would
permit her, to carry them upon her back into the palace. But it
rarely happened that any would permit. And thus did she spend part
of the year.

Now at that time Teirnyon Twryv Vliant was Lord of Gwent Is Coed, and
he was the best man in the world. And unto his house there belonged
a mare, than which neither mare nor horse in the kingdom was more
beautiful. And on the night of every first of May she foaled, and no
one ever knew what became of the colt. And one night Teirnyon talked
with his wife: "Wife," said he, "it is very simple of us that our
mare should foal every year, and that we should have none of her
colts." "What can be done in the matter?" said she. "This is the
night of the first of May," said he. "The vengeance of Heaven be
upon me, if I learn not what it is that takes away the colts." So he
caused the mare to be brought into a house, and he armed himself, and
began to watch that night. And in the beginning of the night, the
mare foaled a large and beautiful colt. And it was standing up in
the place. And Teirnyon rose up and looked at the size of the colt,
and as he did so he heard a great tumult, and after the tumult behold
a claw came through the window into the house, and it seized the colt
by the mane. Then Teirnyon drew his sword, and struck off the arm at
the elbow, so that portion of the arm together with the colt was in
the house with him. And then did he hear a tumult and wailing, both
at once. And he opened the door, and rushed out in the direction of
the noise, and he could not see the cause of the tumult because of
the darkness of the night, but he rushed after it and followed it.
Then he remembered that he had left the door open, and he returned.
And at the door behold there was an infant boy in swaddling-clothes,
wrapped around in a mantle of satin. And he took up the boy, and
behold he was very strong for the age that he was of.

Then he shut the door, and went into the chamber where his wife was.
"Lady," said he, "art thou sleeping?" "No, lord," said she, "I was
asleep, but as thou camest in I did awake." "Behold, here is a boy
for thee if thou wilt," said he, "since thou hast never had one."
"My lord," said she, "what adventure is this?" "It was thus," said
Teirnyon; and he told her how it all befell. "Verily, lord," said
she, "what sort of garments are there upon the boy?" "A mantle of
satin," said he. "He is then a boy of gentle lineage," she replied.
"My lord," she said, "if thou wilt, I shall have great diversion and
mirth. I will call my women unto me, and tell them that I have been
pregnant." "I will readily grant thee to do this," he answered. And
thus did they, and they caused the boy to be baptized, and the
ceremony was performed there; and the name which they gave unto him
was Gwri Wallt Euryn, because what hair was upon his head was as
yellow as gold. And they had the boy nursed in the Court until he
was a year old. And before the year was over he could walk stoutly.
And he was larger than a boy of three years old, even one of great
growth and size. And the boy was nursed the second year, and then he
was as large as a child six years old. And before the end of the
fourth year, he would bribe the grooms to allow him to take the
horses to water. "My lord," said his wife unto Teirnyon, "where is
the colt which thou didst save on the night that thou didst find the
boy?" "I have commanded the grooms of the horses," said he, "that
they take care of him." "Would it not be well, lord," said she, "if
thou wert to cause him to be broken in, and given to the boy, seeing
that on the same night that thou didst find the boy, the colt was
foaled and thou didst save him?" "I will not oppose thee in this
matter," said Teirnyon. "I will allow thee to give him the colt."
"Lord," said she, "may Heaven reward thee; I will give it him." So
the horse was given to the boy. Then she went to the grooms and
those who tended the horses, and commanded them to be careful of the
horse, so that he might be broken in by the time that the boy could
ride him.

And while these things were going forward, they heard tidings of
Rhiannon and her punishment. And Teirnyon Twryv Vliant, by reason of
the pity that he felt on hearing this story of Rhiannon and her
punishment, inquired closely concerning it, until he had heard from
many of those who came to his court. Then did Teirnyon, often
lamenting the sad history, ponder within himself, and he looked
steadfastly on the boy, and as he looked upon him, it seemed to him
that he had never beheld so great a likeness between father and son,
as between the boy and Pwyll the Chief of Annwvyn. Now the semblance
of Pwyll was well known to him, for he had of yore been one of his
followers. And thereupon he became grieved for the wrong that he
did, in keeping with him a boy whom he knew to be the son of another
man. And the first time that he was alone with his wife, he told her
that it was not right that they should keep the boy with them, and
suffer so excellent a lady as Rhiannon to be punished so greatly on
his account, whereas the boy was the son of Pwyll the Chief of
Annwvyn. And Teirnyon's wife agreed with him, that they should send
the boy to Pwyll. "And three things, lord," said she, "shall we gain
thereby. Thanks and gifts for releasing Rhiannon from her
punishment; and thanks from Pwyll for nursing his son and restoring
him unto him; and thirdly, if the boy is of gentle nature, he will be
our foster-son, and he will do for us all the good in his power." So
it was settled according to this counsel.