my support and my aid."

His followers said unto Arthur, "Lord, go thou home, thou canst not
proceed with thy host in quest of such small adventures as these." Then
said Arthur, "It were well for thee, Gwrhyr Gwalstawd Iethoedd, to go
upon this quest, for thou knowest all languages, and art familiar with
{99b} those of the birds and the beasts. Thou Eidoel oughtest likewise
to go with my men in search of thy cousin. And as for you, Kai and
Bedwyr, I have hope of whatever adventure ye are in quest of, that ye
will achieve it. Achieve ye this adventure for me."

They went forward until they came to the Ousel of Cilgwri. And Gwrhyr
adjured her for the sake of Heaven, saying, "Tell me if thou knowest
aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken when three nights old
from between his mother and the wall." And the Ousel answered, "When I
first came here, there was a smith's anvil in this place, and I was then
a young bird; and from that time no work has been done upon it, save the
pecking of my beak every evening, and now there is not so much as the
size of a nut remaining thereof; yet the vengeance of Heaven be upon me,
if during all that time I have ever heard of the man for whom you
enquire. Nevertheless I will do that which is right, and that which it
is fitting that I should do for an embassy from Arthur. There is a race
of animals who were formed before me, and I will be your guide to them."

So they proceeded to the place where was the Stag of Redynvre. "Stag of
Redynvre, behold we are come to thee, an embassy from Arthur, for we have
not heard of any animal older than thou. Say, knowest thou aught of
Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken from his mother when three nights
old?" The Stag said, "When first I came hither, there was a plain all
around me, without any trees save one oak sapling, {100} which grew up to
be an oak with an hundred branches. And that oak has since perished, so
that now nothing remains of it but the withered stump; and from that day
to this I have been here, yet have I never heard of the man for whom you
enquire. Nevertheless, being an embassy from Arthur, I will be your
guide to the place where there is an animal which was formed before I
was."

So they proceeded to the place where was the Owl of Cwm Cawlwyd. "Owl of
Cwm Cawlwyd, here is an embassy from Arthur; knowest thou aught of Mabon
the son of Modron, who was taken after three nights from his mother?" "If
I knew I w