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022 - Beth Gellert · Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales

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  Speaker 1: Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales, edited by Joseph Jacob's Section
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  Speaker 1: twenty one Beth Gellert. Prince Lulin had a favorite greyhound
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  Speaker 1: named Gellar that had been given to him by his
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  Speaker 1: father in law, King John. He was as gentle as
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  Speaker 1: a lamb at home, but a lion in the chase.
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  Speaker 1: One day, Lulin went to the chase and blew his
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  Speaker 1: horn in front of the castle. All his other dogs
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  Speaker 1: came to call, but Gellert never answered it. So he
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  Speaker 1: blew a louder blast on his horn and called Geillard
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  Speaker 1: by name, but still the greyhound did not come. At last,
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  Speaker 1: Prince Lulin could wait no longer and went off to
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  Speaker 1: the hunt without Kellert. He had little sport that day
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  Speaker 1: because Gaillard was not there, the swiftest and boldest of
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  Speaker 1: his hounds. He turned back in rage to his castle,
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  Speaker 1: and as he came to the gate, who should he
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  Speaker 1: see but Gaillard come bounding out to meet him. But
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  Speaker 1: when the hound came near, the Prince was startled to
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  Speaker 1: see that his slips and fangs were dripping with blood.
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  Speaker 1: Lulin started back, and the greyhound crouched down at his feet,
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  Speaker 1: as if surprised or afrayed at the way his master
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  Speaker 1: greeted him. Now, Prince Lulan had had a little son,
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  Speaker 1: a year old, with whom Gellard used to play, and
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  Speaker 1: a terrible thought crossed the prince's mind that made him
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  Speaker 1: rush toward the child's nursery, and the nearer he came,
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  Speaker 1: the more blood and disorder he found about the rooms.
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  Speaker 1: He rushed into it and found the child's cradle overturned
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  Speaker 1: and dawned with blood. Prince Lulin grew more and more
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  Speaker 1: terrified and sought for his little son everywhere he could
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  Speaker 1: find him, nowhere but only signs of some terrible conflict
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  Speaker 1: in which much blood had been shed. And last he
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  Speaker 1: felt sure that the dog had destroyed his child, and,
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  Speaker 1: shouting to Gellard, monster, thou hast devoured my child, he
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  Speaker 1: drew out his sword and plunged it into the greyhounds side,
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  Speaker 1: who fell with a deep yell and still gazing in
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  Speaker 1: his master's eyes. As Gellert raised his dying yell, a
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  Speaker 1: little child's cry answered it from beneath the cradle, and
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  Speaker 1: there Lulan found his child, unharmed and just awakened from sleep,
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  Speaker 1: But just beside him lay the body of a great
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  Speaker 1: gaunt wolf, all torn to pieces and covered with blood.
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  Speaker 1: Too late, Lulan learned what had happened while he was away.
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  Speaker 1: Gaillard had stayed behind to guard the child and fought
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  Speaker 1: and slain the wolf that had tried to destroy Lulin's heir.
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  Speaker 1: In Vain was all Lulin's grief. He could not bring
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  Speaker 1: his faithful dog to life again, so he buried him
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  Speaker 1: outside the castle walls, within sight of the great mountain
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  Speaker 1: of Snowdon, where every passer by might see his grave,
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  Speaker 1: and raised over it a great current of stones. And
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  Speaker 1: to this day the place is called Beth Gellert, or
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  Speaker 1: the Grave of Gellert, and men say I repent me
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  Speaker 1: as much as the man that slew his greyhound and
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  Speaker 1: of Section twenty one recording by Kevin Holmes, West Bend, Wisconsin,