The Two-Cat Witches.
In old days it was believed that the seventh son in a family of sons was a conjurer by nature.
That is,
He could work wonders like the fairies and exile the doctors in curing diseases.
If he were the seventh son of a seventh son,
He was himself a wonder of wonders.
The story ran that he could even cure the shingles,
Which is a very troublesome disease.
It is also called by a Latin name,
Which means a snake,
Because as it gets worse,
It coils itself around the body.
Now the eagle can attack the serpent and conquer and kill this poisonous creature.
To secure such power,
The conjurer ate the flesh of eagles.
When he wished to cure the serpent disease,
He uttered words in the form of a charm,
Which acted as a talisman and cure.
After wetting the red rash which had broken out over the sick person's body,
He muttered,
She eagle,
I sent you over nine seas,
And over nine mountains,
And over nine acres of moor and fen,
Where no dog shall bark,
No cow low,
And no eagle shall hire rice.
After that the patient was sure that he felt better.
There was always a great rivalry between these conjurers and those who made money from pilgrims at holy wells and visitors to the relic shrines,
But this fellow,
Named Hugh,
And the monks kept on mutually good terms.
They often ate dinner together,
For Hugh was a great traveller over the whole country,
And always had news to tell to the holy brothers who lived in cells.
One night as he was eating supper at an inn,
Four men came in and sat down at the table with him.
By his magical power,
Hugh knew that they were robbers and meant to kill him that night in order to get his money.
So to divert their attention,
Hugh made something like a horn to grow up out of the table,
And then laid a spell on the robbers,
So that they were kept gazing at the curious thing all night long,
While he went to bed and slept soundly.
When he rose the morning,
He paid his bill and went away.
While the robbers were still gazing at the horn,
Only when the officers arrived to take them to prison did they come to themselves.
Now at Betsy Coed,
That pretty place which has a name that sounds so funny to non-Welsh people and suggests a girl named Betty they co-wed at college,
There was a hotel named the Inn of Three Cakes.
The shop sign hung out in the front.
It was a bunch of grapes and girded and set below three small barrels.
This inn was kept by two respectable ladies,
Who were sisters.
Yet in that very hotel,
Several travellers,
While they were asleep,
They had been robbed of their money.
They could not blame anyone,
Or to tell,
How the mid-chief was done.
With the key in the keyhole,
They had kept their doors locked during the night.
They were sure that no one had entered the room.
There were no signs of men's boots or of anyone's footsteps in the garden,
While nothing was visible on the lock or door to show that either had been tampered with.
Everything was in order,
As when they went to bed.
Some people doubted their stories,
But when they applied Hugh the Conjurer,
He believed them and volunteered to solve the mystery.
His motto was,
Go anywhere and everywhere,
But catch the thief.
When Hugh applied one night for lodging at the inn,
Nothing could be more agreeable than the welcome and fine manner of his two hostess.
At supper time and during the evening,
They all chatted together merrily.
Hugh who was never at a loss for news or stories,
Told about the various kinds of people and the many countries he had visited,
In imagination,
Just as if he had seen them all,
Though he had never set foot outside of Wales.
When he was ready to go to bed,
He said to the ladies,
It is my custom to keep a light burning in my room all night,
But I will not ask for candles,
For I have enough to last me until sunrise.
So saying,
He bid them good night.
Entering his room and locking the door he undressed,
But laid his clothes near a tand,
He drew his trusty sword out of its seat and laid it upon the bed beside him,
Where he could quickly grasp it.
Then he pretended to be asleep and even snored.
It was not long before,
Peeping between his eyelids,
Only half closed,
He saw two cats come steadily glee down the chimney.
When in the room the animals frisked about and then gambolled and rumbled in the most lively way,
Then they chased each other around the bed,
As if they were trying to find out whether Hugh was asleep.
Meanwhile,
The supposed sleeper kept perfectly motionless.
Soon the two cats came over to his clothes and one of them put her paw into the pocket that contained his purse.
At this,
With one sweep of his hand,
Hugh took his sword and struck at the cat's paw.
The beast howled frightfully and both animals ran for the chimney and disappeared.
After that,
Everything was quiet until breakfast time.
At the table only one of the sisters was present.
Hugh politely inquired after the other one.
He was told that she was not well,
For which Hugh said he was very sorry.
After the meal,
Hugh declared he must say goodbye to both of the sisters,
Whose company he had so enjoyed the night before.
In spite of the other lady's many excuses,
He was admitted to the sick lady's room.
After polite greetings and mutual compliments,
Hugh offered his hand to say goodbye.
The sick lady smiled at once and put out her hand,
But it was her left one.
Oh no,
Said Hugh with a laugh,
I never in my life have taken anyone's left hand,
And beautiful as yours is,
I won't break my habit by beginning now and here.
Reluctantly as if in pain,
The sick lady put out her hand.
It was bandaged.
The mystery was now cleared up.
The two sisters were cats.
By the help of bad fairies they had changed their forms and were the real robbers.
Hugh sized the hand of the other sister and made a little cut in it,
From which a few drops of blood flowed,
But the spell was over.
Henceforth,
Said Hugh,
You are both harmless,
And I trust you will both be honest women.
And they were.
From that day they were like other women and kept one of the best of those inns,
Clean,
Tidy,
Comfortable,
And at modest prices for which well is and was noted.
Neither as cats with paws nor landladies with soaring bills did they ever rob travelers again.
