Folk Tales

There was a man and he had three sons. He lived in Tan y Bwlch and he made a will. He had a cockerel and a cat and a ladder. And he gave the cat to one of them - John, and the cockerel to William, and the ladder to Robert. That's it.

Then John set out with the cat on his back to a country where there were no cats. And when he arrived he found a place to lodge. And they were asking before going to their beds:

'Who will stay up to watch the mice tonight?'

'Oh!' said John, 'there's no need for anyone to stay up to watch the mice. I have a little thing in this sack that will catch every mouse.'

Oh! they went to their beds all comfortable! By the time they came downstairs from their beds, mice had been killed everywhere all over the floor.

'Dear God!' they said, 'how much will you take for it?'

'Well, they're a hundred pounds in my own country', he said.

Well, they were quite pleased; he had a hundred pounds. Then he went home.

When he arrived home William took the cockerel to a country where there were no cockerels. He found a place to lodge. And before going to their beds, they asked:

'Who will stay up to watch the dawn today?'

'Oh', he said, 'there's no need for anyone to watch the dawn today, I have a little thing in this sack that will crow when day breaks.'

Well, they were very pleased. They had started fighting amongst each other over who would be staying up to watch the dawn. And they all went to their beds. And in the morning, when dawn broke, the cock crowed, and they all woke up. How they marvelled!

'How much will you take for it?' they asked.

'Well, they're a hundred pounds in my own country', he said.

They were well pleased; he had a hundred pounds. Then he came home.

Well! the other then set out to a country where there were no ladders. He set it against the wall of this mansion, climbed it, and listened to the people talking in one of the rooms.

'We don't know what on earth we shall do.'

The gentleman's wife was dreadfully ill and they were expecting a specialist. And he knocked on the door and said he was a specialist. He went to look at the woman and examined her a little.

'Oh, she's all right, she'll be alright in such-and-such a time.'

'And what's the cost?' said the gentleman.

'A hundred pounds, if you please', said he.

They were quite satisfied; they paid him one hundred pounds. And that's that story.