Cusp of the Moon: young lion…

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…It was not long before Aggafdu, Prince of Annwn, got to hear about the marvellous sun shoes of Sow Hill:

            “You must bring me a pair of blue and gold shoes from the master cobblers of Sow Hill,” he said to his henchmen, Ma-Mull and Mu-Mall.

            So off the two henchman sailed to Sow Hill, with their Lord’s shoe size to hand, and with their brawn set to persuade the master cobblers of that region to cobble shoes for their Lord, Aggafdu, Prince of Annwn…

            …“Why certainly,” said Greidyawl-the-Wise taking the measurements from them, “that will be no trouble at all,” and he cobbled a pair of shoes too big for Aggafdu.

“But these shoes are too big!” said Aggafdu, when Ma-Mull  and Mu-Mall returned to his castle. “The price of them to the master cobblers of Sow Hill, none the less, but when you return to that place do you see that you ask for a smaller pair.”

…“Too big eh!” said Greidyawl-the-Wise. “Let’s see now that will be no trouble at all,” and he cobbled a pair of shoes too small for Aggafdu, Prince of Annwn.

            “But these shoes are too small !” said Aggafdu, when Ma-Mull and Mu-Mall returned to his castle. “The price of them to the master cobblers of Sow Hill none the less but when you return to that place, do you see that you ask for a larger pair of shoes.”

            … “It’s no good,” said Greidyawl, “these measurements are next to useless.

We master cobblers work best by eye, I must see your master’s feet.”

So it was that Greidyawl-the-Wise and Gwythyr-the-Bright were taken to the mighty keep of Aggafdu, Prince of Annwn.

*

Aggafdu was sitting in the main hall of his castle contemplating the blue and gold shoes. ‘One pair too big, one pair too small, and a third just right for me,’ he thought to himself, and that thought soothed him as he waited for the arrival of the master cobblers from Sow Hill…

                …Before long the master cobblers of Sow Hill stood before Aggafdu, Prince of Annwn, fidgeting in their aprons, with the tools of their trade to hand.

                “One pair too big, one pair too small,” said Aggafdu, “now the third, just right for me.”

            He tossed the redundant shoes on the floor of the hall before them and eyed the master cobblers from Sow Hill.

            So Greidyawl-the-Wise sent Gwythyr-the-Bright to measure Aggafdu’s feet and then handed him a stretch of blue leather along with his knife.

            And Gwythyr cut, and he stitched, and then, he cobbled…

            “Marvellous!” said Greidyawl holding up the third pair of  blue and gold shoes, and he passed them to Aggafdu, Prince of Annwn.

            Aggafdu put them on and they were a perfect fit.

“But look!” said the delighted Prince of Annwn, to Ma-Mull and Mu-Mall, “Of the two of them, it is the ‘young lion’ who has the defter hand! What is your name lad?”

            “Why my name, since you ask,” replied Gwythyr, “is Lleu Llaw Gyffes.”

            “And a right fitting name it is too,” laughed Greidyawl-the-Wise.

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