A Conjuror and Robbers.
A conjuror, or Gwr Cyfarwydd, was travelling over the Denbighshire hills to Carnarvonshire; being weary, he entered a house that he saw on his way, and he requested refreshments, which were given him by a young woman. “But,” said she, “you must make haste and depart, for my brothers will soon be here, and they are desperate men, and they will kill you.” But no, the stranger was in no hurry to move on, and though repeatedly besought to depart, he would not do so. To the great dread and fear of the young woman, her brothers came in, and, in anger at finding a stranger there, bade him prepare for death. He requested a few minutes’ respite, and took out a book and commenced reading it. When he was thus engaged a horn began growing in the centre of the table, and on this the robbers were obliged to gaze, and they were unable even to move. The stranger went to bed, and found the robbers in the morning still gazing at the horn, as he knew they would be, and he departed leaving them thus engaged, and the tale goes, that they were arrested in that position, being unable to offer any resistance to their captors.
There are several versions of the Horn Tale afloat; instead of being made to grow out of a table, it was made to grow out of a person’s head or forehead. There is a tradition
that Huw Llwyd was able to do this wonderful thing, and that he actually did it.