bishop himself came towards him. And he
stayed his work. "Lord bishop," said he, "thy blessing." "Heaven's
blessing be unto thee," said he, "What work art thou upon?" "Hanging a
thief that I caught robbing me," said he. "Is not that a mouse that I
see in thy hand?" "Yes," answered he. "And she has robbed me." "Aye,"
said he, "since I have come at the doom of this reptile I will ransom it
of thee. I will give thee seven pounds for it, and that rather than see
a man of rank equal to thine destroying so vile a reptile as this. Let
it loose and thou shall have the money." "I declare to Heaven that I
will not set it loose." "If thou wilt not loose it for this, I will give
thee four and twenty pounds of ready money to set it free." "I will not
set it free, by Heaven, for as much again," said he. "If thou wilt not
set it free for this, I will give thee all the horses that thou seest in
this plain, and the seven loads of baggage, and the seven horses that
they are upon." "By Heaven, I will not," he replied. "Since for this
thou wilt not, do so at what price soever thou wilt." "I will do so,"
said he. "I will that Rhiannon and Pryderi be free," said he. "That
thou shall have," he answered. "Not yet will I loose the mouse, by
Heaven." "What then wouldst thou?" "That the charm and the illusion be
removed from the seven Cantrevs of Dyved." "This shall thou have also,
set therefore the mouse free." "I will not set it free, by Heaven," said
he. "I will know who the mouse may be." "She is my wife." "Even though
she be, I will not set her free. Wherefore came she to me?" "To despoil
thee," he answered. "I am Llwyd the son of Kilcoed, and I cast the charm
over the seven Cantrevs of Dyved. And it was to avenge Gwawl the son of
Clud, from the friendship I had towards him, that I cast the charm. And
upon Pryderi did I revenge Gwawl the son of Clud, for the game of Badger
in the Bag, that Pwyll Pen Annwn played upon him, which he did
unadvisedly in the court of Heveydd Hen. And when it was known that thou
wast come to dwell in the land, my household came and besought me to
transform them into mice, that they might destroy thy corn. And it was
my own household that went the first night. And the second night also
they went, and they destroyed thy two crofts. And the third night came
unto me my wife and the ladies of the court, and besought me to transform
them. And I transformed them. Now she is pregnant.