Reading Notes, Celtic Tales, Part B: Beth Gellert

An illustration by John D. Batten of the prince's son and the wolf.

(Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Prince Llewelyn had a greyhound that he loved so much. that was a gift from his father-in-law and named Gellert. The greyhound was gentle as a lamb but fierce as lion. One day, the Prince went to the chase and he blew his horn to call all of the dogs, but Gellert did not come to him. He called Gellert's name but he did not return. Llewelyn got tired of waiting for Gellert so he went to go hunt without his strongest and fasted do, barely catching anything.

He went back to his castle, seeing Gellert waiting by the front entrance with blood dripping down his face. The Prince got super nervous, thinking about how the blood could have been of his toddler son's so he went to his nursery to check if he was okay and his son's cradle was turned upside down and it was covered in blood. The Prince freaked out and kept looking for his son but he could not find him. "He killed my son!", the Prince said, taking out his sun and stabbing his favorite dog. As Gellert screamed while he died, the Prince heard his son crying back from under his cradle. He turned the cradle over and saw his on lying next to the body of a bloodied and torn up wolf. The wold had came and tried to kill the Prince's son and Gellert had stayed behind from th ehunt to protect him.The Prince Buried Gellert's body outside of his castle walls so everybody would see his grace in a place that is called Beth Gellert, or the Grave of Gellert, today.

Story source: Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten: Beth Gellert (1892).