a first-rate one,
to attempt to compete with a shepherd on his own, or indeed any hill;
should he do so, the conceit would soon be taken out of him.

After a little time we saw a rivulet running from the west.

"This ffrwd," said my guide, "is called Frennig. It here divides shire
Trefaldwyn from Cardiganshire, one in North and the other in South
Wales."

Shortly afterwards we came to a hillock of rather a singular shape.

"This place, sir," said he, "is called Eisteddfa."

"Why is it called so?" said I. "Eisteddfa means the place where people
sit down."

"It does so," said the guide, "and it is called the place of sitting
because three men from different quarters of the world once met here, and
one proposed that they should sit down."

"And did they?" said I.

"They did, sir; and when they had sat down they told each other their
histories."

"I should be glad to know what their histories were," said I.

"I can't exactly tell you what they were, but I have heard say that there
was a great deal in them about the Tylwyth Teg or fairies."

"Do you believe in fairies?" said I.

"I do, sir; but they are very seldom seen, and when they are they do no
harm to anybody. I only wish there were as few corpse-candles as there
are Tylwith Teg, and that they did as little harm."

"They foreshow people's deaths, don't they?" said I.

"They do, sir; but that's not all the harm they do. They are very
dangerous for anybody to meet with. If they come bump up against you
when you are walking carelessly it's generally all over with you in this
world. I'll give you an example: A man returning from market from Llan
Eglos to Llan Curig, not far from Plynlimmon, was struck down dead as a
horse not long ago by a corpse-candle. It was a rainy, windy night, and
the wind and rain were blowing in his face, so that he could not see it,
or get out of its way. And yet the candle was not abroad on purpose to
kill the man. The business that it was about was to prognosticate the
death of a woman who lived near the spot, and whose husband dealt in
wool--poor thing! she was dead and buried in less than a fortnight. Ah,
master, I wish that corpse-candles were as few and as little dangerous as
the Tylwith Teg or fairies."

We returned to the inn, where I settled with the honest fellow, adding a
trifle to what I had agreed to give him. Then sitting down, I called for
a large measure of ale, and invited him to partake of it. He acc