over thy lands, to avenge Gwawl the son of Clud my friend. And it was I
who threw the spell upon Pryderi to avenge Gwawl for the trick that had
been played on him in the game of Badger in the Bag. And not only was I
wroth, but my people likewise, and when it was known that thou wast come
to dwell in the land, they besought me much to change them into mice,
that they might eat thy corn. The first and the second nights it was the
men of my own house that destroyed thy two fields, but on the third
night my wife and her ladies came to me and begged me to change them
also into the shape of mice, that they might take part in avenging
Gwawl. Therefore I changed them. Yet had she not been ill and slow of
foot, thou couldst not have overtaken her. Still, since she was caught,
I will restore thee Pryderi and Rhiannon, and will take the charm from
off thy lands. I have told thee who she is; so now set her free.'

'I will not set her free,' answered Manawyddan, 'till thou swear that no
vengeance shall be taken for this, either upon Pryderi, or upon
Rhiannon, or on me.'

'I grant thee this boon; and thou hast done wisely to ask it, for on thy
head would have lit all the trouble. Set now my wife free.'

'I will not set her free till Pryderi and Rhiannon are with me.'

'Behold, here they come,' said the bishop.

* * * * *

Then Manawyddan held out his hands and greeted Pryderi and Rhiannon, and
they seated themselves joyfully on the grass.

'Ah, lord, hast thou not received all thou didst ask?' said the bishop.
'Set now my wife free!'

'That I will gladly,' answered Manawyddan, unloosing the cord from her
neck, and as he did so the bishop struck her with his staff, and she
turned into a young woman, the fairest that ever was seen.

'Look around upon thy land,' said he, 'and thou wilt see it all tilled
and peopled, as it was long ago.' And Manawyddan looked, and saw corn
growing in the fields, and cows and sheep grazing on the hill-side, and
huts for the people to dwell in. And he was satisfied in his soul, but
one more question he put to the bishop.

'What spell didst thou lay upon Pryderi and Rhiannon?'

'Pryderi has had the knockers of the gate of my palace hung about him,
and Rhiannon has carried the collars of my asses around her neck,' said
the bishop with a smile.

From the 'Mabinogion.'

_THE BELIEVING HUSBANDS_

ONCE upon a time there dwelt in the land of Erin a yo