"Greeting unto thee, also," said Arthur. "Sit thou between two of my warriors, and thou shalt have minstrels before thee; and thou shalt enjoy the privileges of a king born to a throne, as long as thou remainest here."
Said the youth, "I came not here to consume meat and drink; but, if I obtain the boon that I seek, I will requite it thee, and extol thee. And, if I have it not, I will bear forth thy dispraise to the four quarters of the world, as far as thy renown has extended."
Then said Arthur, "Since thou wilt not remain here, chieftain, thou shalt receive the boon whatsoever thy tongue may name, as far as the wind dries, and the rain moistens, and the sun revolves, and the sea encircles, and the earth extends; save only my ship, and my mantle, and Caledvwlch, my sword, and Rhongomyant, my lance, and Wynebgwrthucher, my shield, and Carnwenhau, my dagger, and Gwenhwyvar, my wife. Name what thou wilt."
"I would that thou bless my hair."
"That shall be granted thee."
And Arthur took a golden comb, and scissors whereof the loops were of silver, and he combed his hair. And Arthur inquired of him who he was. "For my heart warms unto thee, and I know that thou art come of my blood. Tell me, therefore, who thou art."
"I will tell thee," said the youth. "I am Kilhwch, the son of Kilydd, the son of Prince Kelyddon by Goleuddydd my mother, the daughter of Prince Anlawdd."
"That is true," said Arthur. "Thou art my cousin. Whatsoever boon thou mayest ask, thou shalt receive, be it what it may that thy tongue shall name."
"I crave of thee, then, that thou obtain for me Olwen, the daughter of Yspaddaden Penkawr; and this boon I likewise seek at the hands of thy warriors. I seek it from Kai, and Geraint the son of Erbin, and Osla Gylleillvawr (who bore a short, broad dagger: when Arthur and his hosts came before a torrent, they would seek for a narrow place where they might pass the water, and would lay the sheathed dagger across the torrent, and it would form a bridge sufficient for the armies of the three islands of Britain, and of the three islands adjacent, with their spoil); and Gilla Coes Hydd (he would clear three hundred acres at one bound: the chief leaper of Ireland was he); Sol, and Gwadyn Ossol, and Gwadyn Odyeith (Sol could stand all day upon one foot; Gwadyn Ossol, if he stood upon the top of the highest mountain in the world, it would become a level plain under his feet; Gwadyn Odyeith, the soles of his feet emitted sparks of fire when they struck upon things hard, like the heated mass when drawn out of the forge: he cleared the way for Arthur when he came to any stoppage); and Gwevyl, the son of Gwestad (on the day that he was sad, he would let one of his lips drop below his waist, while he turned up the other like a cap upon his head); Uchtryd Varyf Draws (who spread his red untrimmed beard over the eight and forty rafters which were in Arthur's hall); Brys, the son of Bryssethach (from the Hill of the Black Fernbrake in North Britain); Clust, the son of Clustveinad (though he were buried seven cubits beneath the earth, he would hear the ant fifty miles off rise from her nest in the morning), Medyr, the son of Methredydd (from Gelli Wic he could, in a twinkling, shoot the wren through the two legs upon Esgeir Oervel in Ireland); and Henwas Adeinawg, the son of Erim; and Henbedestyr, the son of Erim; and Sgilti Yscawndroed, the son of Erim (unto these three men belonged these three qualities: with Henbedestyr there was not any one who could keep pace, either on horseback or on foot; with Henwas Adeinawg, no four-footed beast could run the distance of an acre, much less could go beyond it; and as to Sgilti Yscawndroed, when he intended to go upon a message for his lord, he never sought to find a path, but knowing whither he was to go, if his way lay through a wood, he went along the tops of the trees); and Hueil, the son of Kaw (he never yet made a request at the hand of any lord); and Taliesin, the chief of the bards; and Manawyddan, the son of Llyr; Bwlch and Kyfwlch and Sefwlch, the sons of Cleddyf Kyfwlch (their three shields were three gleaming glitterers; their three spears were three pointed piercers; their three swords were three griding gashers,—Glas, Glessic, and Gleisad; their three dogs, Call, Cuall, and Cavall; their three horses, Hwyrdyddwd and Drwgdyddwd and Llwyrdyddwg; their three wives, Och and Garym and Diaspad; their three grandchildren, Lluched and Neved and Eissiwed; their three daughters, Drwg and Gwaeth and Gwaethav Oll; their three handmaids, Eheubryd the daughter of Kyfwlch, Gorascwrn the daughter of Nerth, Ewaedan the daughter of Kynvelyn Keudawd Pwyll the half-man); and Morvran, the son of Tegid (no one struck him in the battle of Camlan by reason of his ugliness; all thought he was an auxiliary devil; hair had he upon him like the hair of a stag); and Sandde Bryd Angel (no one touched him with a spear in the battle of Camlan, because of his beauty; all thought he was a ministering angel); and Glwyddyn Saer (who constructed Ehangwen, Arthur's hall); for the sake of the golden-chained daughters of this island—for the sake of Gwenhwyvar, its chief lady, and Gwennhwyach, her sister, and Rathtyeu, the only daughter of Clemenhill, and Rhelemon, the daughter of Kai; Morvudd, the daughter of Urien Rheged; Gwenllian Deg, the majestic maiden; Creiddylad,[12] the daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint (she was the most splendid maiden in the three islands of the mighty, and in the three islands adjacent; and for her, Gwythyr the son of Greidawl, and Gwynn the son of Nudd, fight every first of May until the day of doom)."