Ray’s Thought for the Day - Manawyddan Son of Llyr

A while back the Welsh and the Irish may have had a great war. Fortunately, a survivor of that terrible tussle was Manawyddan. Manawyddan’s survival was fortunate because Manawyddan possessed useful abilities. Among those useful abilities Manawyddan possessed is cobbling. Cobbling, or shoemaking or bootmaking is useful.

Many require a sturdy pair of boots. That is why Manawyddan, the greatest of all the boot makers, passed along the secrets of quality bootmaking to Pryderi. Pryderi, once he got bootmaking down, was better equipped, intellectually, to take on swine herding. Sturdy boots are essential to the swine herder.

Yepper, after a while, Pryderi got to be King Pryderi, the greatest of all the Welsh swineherds. All Pryderi’s swine herders were provided with official swine herding boots. Those boots, many still in use today, are remarkable. No swineherd adorned in a pair of King Pryderi’s boots, shall slip and fall on the swine poop. Moreover, should a swineherd wearing those boots step in the swine poop, that swine poop shall not stick to the soles of those boots. Happily, since the soles of those boots repel swine poop, the swine poop does not get tracked into the house.

Badgemagus! I am leaving you, fer sure.

No, no, no Darling. What have I done to discomfit you so? Please, don’t leave me. Please!

Yes, I am leaving you Badgemagus. I love you somewhat, but every day, you track swine poop into the house. The odour of that swine poop discomfits me. Plus, I have to clean it up. I weary of cleaning up the swine poop. So I am leaving. Out of my way, Badgemagus.

No, no, no dear. Er. I know. I shall go to King Pryderi. King Pryderi's boots are reputed to repel the swine poop. Once I have a pair of those boots, I shall never track any more swine poop into the house. Then we shall live happily ever after.

All righty then, Badgemagus, but you must set out this very nonce. When you return, you better have on swine poop repellant boots, or I shall leave you. Either that, or I may change the locks while you are gone. Then I shall stay here and never, ever, let you back in. You shall wander the wilderness with your swine. Yes Badgemagus, you shall wander the wilderness, with no place to call home.

So then Badgemagus had to adventure off from his happy home, shopping for genuine, swine poop repelling, Pryderi boots.

Dang it!

Badgemagus had to take his swine along on the shopping adventure. A good swineherd knows better than to leave his charges unsupervised. Off went Badgemagus with his pigs.

Pigs, that some call swine, may travel along at brisk pace but seldom in a straight line, for long. So even though Badgemagus kept up a general heading for King Pryderi’s place, the pace, while good, was not straight. The shopping trip outbound took a while. Finally though, after suffering nearly too much, in accordance with the will of the Great White Goddess, Badgemagus arrived at King Pryderi’s Shoe and Boot Outlet Mall. Out front, the sign read, Attention!!!! Swineherds and Charges Trend, then an arrow pointing to the left.

Badgemagus herded his pigs off to the left. Pretty soon Badgemagus and his pigs fetched up at a corral. Yet the gate was shut.

Dang It! Come forth somebody, and help me get my pigs safely ensconced in the swine corral.

In a jiffy, because Badgemagus had already suffered enough, a bunch of Pryderi’s retired swineherds appeared. The way that worked is, when King Pryderi’s swineherds got to old to traipse about with the swine, they got retirement jobs at the Outlet Mall Swine Corral. There, in that capacity, they played 42 and told lies about their swine adventuring days.

Anon, a great many of the retired swineherds had Badgemagus’ swine safely ensconced in the swine corral.

How much do I owe ye fer the safe keeping of my swine?

Nary a red cent. This here is a free service provided fer shoppers. Only thing is, ye must make a purchase at King Pryderi’s Shoe and Boot Outlet Mall. Then, once ye have yer purchase, a token shall be provided ye, along with yer purchase. Bring that token back here, and ye may retrieve yer swine, free of charge.

What is the nature of the token?

That token shall be a coin of small value. On one side of that particular token is struck an image of good King Pryderi. On the flip side is struck an image of Tyrch Trwyth, the great boar.

Off went Badgemagus retracing his previous journey from the Outlet Mall entrance, minus the swine led meanderings.

Sir! You may not enter with those boots. Those boots reflect the swine droppings.

Dang it! Badgemagus had to take his boots off.

Yet Badgemagus had suffered enough. Anon, there he stood, adorned in a pair of King Pryderi’s special boots that do repel the swine poop. Anon, token in hand, Badgemagus retrieved his swine. All those swine looked swell. Plus those swine were fatter and better behaved than ever.

Off they all went, Badgmagus together with his swine. Anon, Badgmagus arrived at home. Yet the door was locked.

Dang it! My key don’t werk. Lemme in Darling, please. I have on the official King Pryderi swine poop repellant boots.

Then, Badgmagus’ Darling, espying through the peephole, did espy that the feet of Badgemagus were adorned in new boots. Plus those new boots reflected not the swine droppings. So Darling let Badgemagus in the house. Those twain, Darling and Badgemagus, plus all the swine, lived happily ever after.