They also drew up all their boats on the shore forthree years, that she might not send for her brother. But she reared astarling in the cover of the kneading-trough, taught it to speak, and toldit how to find her brother; and then she wrote a letter describing hersorrows and bound it to the bird's wing, and it flew to the island andalighted on Bran's shoulder, "ruffling its feathers" (says the Welshlegend) "so that the letter was seen, and they knew that the bird had beenreared in a domestic manner." Then Bran resolved to cross the sea, but hehad to wade through the water, as no ship had yet been built large enoughto hold him; and he carried all his musicians (pipers) on his shoulders.As he approached the Irish shore, men ran to the king, saying that theyhad seen a forest on the sea, where there never before had been a tree,and that they had also seen a mountain which moved. Then the king askedBranwen, the queen, what it could be. She answered, "These are the men ofthe Island of the Mighty, who have come hither to protect me." "What isthe forest?" they asked. "The yards and masts of ships." "What mountain isthat by the side of the ships?" "It is Bran my brother, coming to theshoal water and rising." "What is the lofty ridge with the lake on eachside?" "That is his nose," she said, "and the two lakes are his fierceeyes.
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