THE BETONY. 281 



port themselves on its silent shores. Attracted, as 

 well as astonished, by the sight, the farmer endea- 

 voured to catch the enchantresses, who, however, 

 instantly disappeared beneath the waters, singing 

 as they sank, the words : 

 " Cras dy fara, 

 Anhawdd em dala ;" 



that is, "eater of hard-baked bread, it is difficult for 

 thee to catch us/' Baffled in his attempt, and un- 

 able to solve the meaning of the words, the "eater 

 of hard-baked bread" determined to return to the 

 Llyn on the following day, in the hope of obtaining 

 the object of his wishes. While gazing on the 

 dark waters, he observed a soft and dough-like sub- 

 stance floating on their surface ; and instinctively 

 tasting a portion which was cast on shore, he was 

 instantly rejoiced by the re-appearance of the water- 

 nymphs, who no longer retained the power of es- 

 caping from one who had eaten of their own magical 

 bread. The farmer seized the most beautiful of the 

 three, who immediately calling from the waters a 

 bull, two oxen, and seven cows, followed her captor 

 to his home, telling him that she would be a true 

 and dutiful wife to him until such time as he should 

 strike her three times, " without a cause/' Happy 

 in the society of his docile, beautiful, and richly- 

 dowered wife, and rejoicing in the birth of three 

 fair sons, there appeared to be no risk of the master 

 of Esgair Llaethdy breaking the spell which alone 

 secured to him his present happiness ; but, alas ! for 

 human forgetfulness, the luckless husband one day 

 having sent his wife to the field to catch his horse, 



