nd drank. After that the woman opened a chest, and out of
it came a youth with curling yellow hair.

'It is a pity to hid him thus,' said Gwrhyr, 'for well I know that he
has done no evil.'

'Three and twenty of my sons has Yspaddaden slain, and I have no more
hope of saving this one,' replied she, and Kai was full of sorrow and
answered:

'Let him come with me and be my comrade, and he shall never be slain
unless I am slain also.' And so it was agreed.

'What is your errand here?' asked the woman.

'We seek Olwen the maiden for this youth,' answered Kai; 'does she ever
come hither so that she may be seen?'

'She comes every Saturday to wash her hair, and in the vessel where she
washes she leaves all her rings, and never does she so much as send a
messenger to fetch them.'

'Will she come if she is bidden?' asked Kai, pondering.

'She will come; but unless you pledge me your faith that you will not
harm her I will not fetch her.'

'We pledge it,' said they, and the maiden came.

A fair sight was she in a robe of flame-coloured silk, with a collar of
ruddy gold about her neck, bright with emeralds and rubies. More yellow
was her head than the flower of the broom, and her skin was whiter than
the foam of the wave, and fairer were her hands than the blossoms of
the wood anemone. Four white trefoils sprang up where she trod, and
therefore was she called Olwen.

She entered, and sat down on a bench beside Kilweh, and he spake to her:

'Ah, maiden, since first I heard thy name I have loved thee--wilt thou
not come away with me from this evil place?'

'That I cannot do,' answered she, 'for I have given my word to my father
not to go without his knowledge, for his life will only last till I am
betrothed. Whatever is, must be, but this counsel I will give you. Go,
and ask me of my father, and whatsoever he shall required of thee grant
it, and thou shalt win me; but if thou deny him anything thou wilt not
obtain me, and it will be well for thee if thou escape with thy life.'

'All this I promise,' said he.

So she returned to the castle, and all Arthur's men went after her, and
entered the hall.

'Greeting to thee, Yspaddaden Penkawr,' said they. 'We come to ask thy
daughter Olwen for Kilweh, son of Kilydd.'

'Come hither to-morrow and I will answer you,' replied Yspaddaden
Penkawr, and as they rose to leave the hall he caught up one of the
three poisoned darts that lay beside him and flung it in their midst.