cy had
foretold that he was to win for his wife Olwen the daughter of
Yspaddaden Penkawr.

When he heard this Kilwch felt proud and happy. Surely he must be a man
now, he thought, or there would be no talk of a wife for him, and his
mind dwelt all day upon his promised bride, and what she would be like
when he beheld her.

'What aileth thee, my son?' asked his father at last, when Kilwch had
forgotten something he had been bidden to do, and Kilwch blushed red as
he answered:

'My stepmother says that none but Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden
Penkawr, shall be my wife.'

'That will be easily fulfilled,' replied his father. 'Arthur the king is
thy cousin. Go therefore unto him and beg him to cut thy hair, and to
grant thee this boon.'

[Illustration: Kilwch arrives at the Gate of Arthur's Palace]

Then the youth pricked forth upon a dapple grey horse of four years old,
with a bridle of linked gold, and gold upon his saddle. In his hand he
bore two spears of silver with heads of steel; a war-horn of ivory was
slung round his shoulder, and by his side hung a golden sword. Before
him were two brindled white-breasted greyhounds with collars of rubies
round their necks, and the one that was on the left side bounded across
to the right side, and the one on the right to the left, and like two
sea-swallows sported round him. And his horse cast up four sods with
his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air about his head, now above,
now below. About him was a robe of purple, and an apple of gold was at
each corner, and every one of the apples was of the value of a hundred
cows. And the blades of grass bent not beneath him, so light were his
horse's feet as he journeyed toward the gate of Arthur's palace.

* * * * *

'Is there a porter?' cried Kilwch, looking round for some one to open
the gate.

'There is; and I am Arthur's porter every first day of January,'
answered a man coming out to him. 'The rest of the year there are other
porters, and among them Pennpingyon, who goes upon his head to save his
feet.'

'Well, open the portal, I say.'

'No, that I may not do, for none can enter save the son of a king or a
pedlar who has goods to sell. But elsewhere there will be food for thy
dogs and hay for thy horse, and for thee collops cooked and peppered,
and sweet wine shall be served in the guest chamber.'

'That will not do for me,' answered Kilwch. 'If thou wilt not open the
gate I wi