It throve and grew, and when the time of harvestcame it was most promising, so that Manawydan resolved to reap it on themorrow. At break of day he came back to begin; but found nothing left butstraw. Every stalk had been cut close to the ground and carried away.Going to another field, he found it ripe, but on coming in the morning hefound but the straw. "Some one has contrived my ruin," he said; "I willwatch the third field to see what happens. He who stole the first willcome to steal this."He remained through the evening to watch the grain, and at midnight heheard loud thunder. He looked and saw coming a host of mice such as no mancould number; each mouse took a stalk of the wheat and climbed it, so thatit bent to the ground; then each mouse cut off the ear and ran away withit. They all did this, leaving the stalk bare, and there was not a singlestraw for which there was not a mouse. He struck among them, but could nomore fix his sight on any of them, the legend says, than on flies andbirds in the air, except one which seemed heavier than the rest, and movedslowly. This one he pursued and caught, put it in his glove and tied itwith a string. Taking it home, he showed it to Kigva, and told her that hewas going to hang the mouse next day. She advised against it, but hepersisted, and on the next morning took the animal to the top of the Moundof Arberth, where he placed two wooden forks in the ground, and set up asmall gallows.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48