“My uncle, tell me a pretty story!”
Yes, my child. I will tell you two, and perhaps three, if you keep
very quiet. Listen to me. Once in Wales there was a great wizard named
Merlin. Many magic things he could do. He knew how to change one living
being into another, iron into silver, and silver into gold. A fine
thing that would be if it were mine. And afar from him lived a great
witch. Trinali was her name. A great witch was Trinali. Many men did
she enchant, many gentlemen did she change into asses and pigs, and
never cared a copper for all their sufferings.
One day Merlin took his magic rod, and went afar to find the witch,
and pay her severely for all her wickedness. And on that very [true]
day the lady Trinali heard how Merlin was [is] a great, powerful
wizard, and said, “What sort of a man is this? I will punish him or he
shall kill me, deuce help me! I will bewitch him. Let us see who has
the most cleverness and who is the most knowing.” And then Merlin went
on the road all day alone, always in sunshine; and Trinali went in the
forest, always in the shade, the darkness, the gloom, for she was a
black witch. Soon they found one another, but Merlin did not know
[that] she was Trinali, and Trinal, did not know that man was [is to
be] Merlin. And he was very pleasant to her, and she to him again. Very
soon the two began to love one another very much. When one knows that
and the other knows it, both will soon know it. Merlin and Trinali said
“I love thee” both together, and kissed one another, and sat down
wrapped in the same cloak, and conversed happily.
Then Merlin told her he was going to punish a very wicked witch; and
Trinali told him the same thing, how she was bold [daring] to do the
same thing to a great wizard. And the two began to beg one another to
let the thing go, and she and he were afraid of losing lover and
sweetheart. But Merlin said, “I swore by the sun to change her for her
whole life into another form” [body]; and she wept and said, “I swore
by the moon to change that wizard into another [person] even as you
did.” Then Merlin inquired, “What is his name?” She said, “Merlin.” He
replied, “I am he; what is your name?” She cried aloud, “Trinali.”
Now when witches swear anything on the sun or the moon, they must do
it or die. Then Merlin said, “Do you know how to make this business all
nice and right?” “Not at all, my dear love,” said the poor witch, as
she wept. “Then I am cleverer than you,” said Merlin. “An easy and nice
thing it is, my bride. For I will change you into me, and myself into
you. And when we are married we two will be one.”
So one man says nowadays that she conquered him, and another that he
conquered her. I do not know [which it was], my dear. Did you ever see
a two-headed halfpenny? Yes? Throw it up, and when it falls down
ask me which side is under. A Welsher told me that story. Welshers
always tell the truth.