UP in the Black Mountains in Caermarthenshire lies the lakeknown as Lyn y Van Vach. To the margin of this lake theshepherd of Myddvai once led his lambs, and lay there whilstthey sought pasture. Suddenly, from the dark waters of thelake, he saw three maidens rise. Shaking the bright dropsfrom their hair and gliding to the shore, they wanderedabout amongst his flock. They had more than mortal beauty,and he was filled with love for her that came nearest tohim. He offered her the [58] bread he had with him, and she tookit and tried it, but then sang to him:Hard-baked is thy bread,
'Tis not easy to catch me,
and then ran off laughing to the lake.
Next day he took with him bread not so well done, andwatched for the maidens. When they came ashore he offeredhis bread as before, and the maiden tasted it and sang:
Unbaked is thy bread,
I will not have thee,
and again disappeared in the waves.
A third time did the shepherd of Myddvai try to attract themaiden, and this time he offered her bread that he had foundfloating about near the shore. This pleased her, and shepromised to become his wife if he were able to pick her outfrom among her sisters on the following day. When the timecame the shepherd knew his love by the strap of her sandal.Then she told him she would be as good a wife to him as anyearthly maiden could be unless he should strike her threetimes without cause. Of course he deemed that this couldnever be; and she, summoning from the lake three cows, twooxen, and a bull, as her marriage portion, was led homewardby him as his bride.
The years passed happily, and three children were born tothe shepherd and the lake-maiden. But one day here weregoing to a christening, and she said to her husband it wasfar to walk, so he told her to go for the horses.
[59] "I will," said she, "if you bring me my gloves which I'veleft in the house."
But when he came back with the gloves, he found she had notgone for the horses; so he tapped her lightly on theshoulder with the gloves, and said, "Go, go."
"That's one," said she.
Another time they were at a wedding, when suddenly thelake-maiden fell a-sobbing and a-weeping, amid the joy andmirth of all around her.
Her husband tapped her on the shoulder, and asked her, "Whydo you weep?"
"Because they are entering into trouble; and trouble isupon you; for that is the second causeless blow you havegiven me. Be careful; the third is the last."
The husband was careful never to strike her again. But oneday at a funeral she suddenly burst out into fits oflaughter. Her husband forgot, and touched her rather roughlyon the shoulder, saying, "Is this a time for laughter?"
"I laugh," she said, "because those that die go out oftrouble, but your trouble has come. The last blow has beenstruck; our marriage is at an end, and so farewell."And with that she rose up and left the house and went totheir home.
Then she, looking round upon her home, called to the cattleshe had brought with her:
Brindle cow, white speckled,
Spotted cow, bold freckled,
Old white face, and gray Geringer,
And the white bull from the king's coast,
Grey ox, and black calf,
All, all, follow me home,
Now the black calf had just been slaughtered, and washanging on the hook; but it got off the hook alive and welland followed her; and the oxen, though they were ploughing,trailed the plough with them and did her bidding. So shefled to the lake again, they following her, and with themplunged into the dark waters. And to this day is the furrowseen which the plough left as it was dragged across themountains to the tarn.
Only once did she come again, when her sons were grown tomanhood, and then she gave them gifts of healing by whichthey won the name of Meddygon Myddvai, the physicians ofMyddvai.