Folk Tales

Robin y Llongwr ('Robin the Sailor') had been at sea a great deal and used to get rid of all his money in the public house, the Brown Cow, near his home. And things had been very bad with Robin on Saturday night, and on Sunday he hadn't a copper left. He had a room in the Brown Cow, and the woman of the public house came by as they were making dinner. And the smell of the dinner reached Robin.

'There's a good smell coming from that room', said Robin to the woman.

'Yes', she said, 'but you shall have nothing except its smell today.'

Well, Monday arrived and Robin joined his ship. He wandered from port to port for about two years, or more, and at last he reached the port of the town of the Brown Cow, and he landed. And the first thing he did was go to the Brown Cow. He had kept all his money, every halfpenny, and had worked. And there was a big welcome for him, of course - a great reception.

And the first thing he did was ask the woman of the public house could he borrow two plates. She brought two plates for him, and he took out a handful of sovereigns and put them on the plate and shook them, and he put another plate over them and shook them close by the old woman's ear.

'They have a very nice sound', said the woman.

'Yes', he said, 'but you shall have nothing but their sound.'

And out he went. And he bade farewell to the Brown Cow and to every other Brown Cow forever.