"Then Elphin came with Taliessin to the house of his father, and Gwyddnoasked him if he had a good haul at the fish-weir. "I have something betterthan fish." "What is that?" asked the father. "I have a bard," saidElphin. "Alas, what will he profit thee?" said Gwyddno, to which Taliessinreplied, "He will profit him more than the weir ever profited thee." SaidGwyddno, "Art thou able to speak, and thou so little?" Then Taliessinsaid, "I am better able to speak than thou to question me."From this time Elphin always prospered, and he and his wife cared forTaliessin tenderly and lovingly, and the boy dwelt with him until he wasthirteen years old, when Elphin went to make a Christmas visit to hisuncle Maelgwyn, who was a great king and held open court. There were fourand twenty bards there, and all proclaimed that no king had a wife sobeautiful as the queen, or a bard so wise as the twenty-four, who allagreed upon this decision. Elphin said, on the contrary, that it was hehimself who had the most beautiful wife and the wisest bard, and for thishe was thrown into prison. Taliessin learning this, set forth from home tovisit the palace and free his adoptive father, Elphin.In those days it was the custom of kings to sit in the hall and dine inroyal state with lords and bards about them who should keep proclaimingthe greatness and glory of the king and his knights.
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