Dai and the Young Lord.
This story isn't one I can claim any ownership over. We might name 'anon' or 'trad' as its author. But this is my retelling of it.
Well truth be known its my retelling of my Grandfathers telling of the story.
It all takes place in south Wales. Steel workers walk to work, from their houses to the Steel Mill every day, and have for at least three generations. They use a footpath that takes the shortest rout between two points, and cuts right across the lord of the manors land. This has never caused any problems, not least because the Lord of the manor is English and has been for many generations, and rarely visits his lands in Wales.
Well one day the old lord of the manor dies, and his son John, raised in london society, educated privately, becomes the new lord, and discovering he has land in Wales decides to visit. So one day shortly after arriving in Wales, he is out riding on his horse in the evening light and he sees the burly figure of Dai, walking bold as brass, home from work across what young Lord John knows is his land. Well young Lord John is incensed, and immediately gallops over to where Dai is walking. Shouting "Hey you there! What do you think your doing?"
"Walking home from work." says Dai matter of factly.
"How dare you walk here, this is my land you know?" says young lord John.
"Really?" says Dai.
"Yes really." says Young Lord John indignantly.
"And where did you get it from?" asks Dai.
"I inherited it from my father." Says young Lord John.
"And where did he get it from?" asks Dai.
"Well from his father of course." says Young Lord John.
"And where did your family get it in the first place?" asks Dai.
"Well I suppose an ancestor of mine fought someone for it." says Young Lord John.
Dai puts down his bag of tools, and his canteen. takes of his coat, rolls up his shirt sleeves and says, "OK get down off that horse, come over here, and I will fight you for it."
Well truth be known its my retelling of my Grandfathers telling of the story.
It all takes place in south Wales. Steel workers walk to work, from their houses to the Steel Mill every day, and have for at least three generations. They use a footpath that takes the shortest rout between two points, and cuts right across the lord of the manors land. This has never caused any problems, not least because the Lord of the manor is English and has been for many generations, and rarely visits his lands in Wales.
Well one day the old lord of the manor dies, and his son John, raised in london society, educated privately, becomes the new lord, and discovering he has land in Wales decides to visit. So one day shortly after arriving in Wales, he is out riding on his horse in the evening light and he sees the burly figure of Dai, walking bold as brass, home from work across what young Lord John knows is his land. Well young Lord John is incensed, and immediately gallops over to where Dai is walking. Shouting "Hey you there! What do you think your doing?"
"Walking home from work." says Dai matter of factly.
"How dare you walk here, this is my land you know?" says young lord John.
"Really?" says Dai.
"Yes really." says Young Lord John indignantly.
"And where did you get it from?" asks Dai.
"I inherited it from my father." Says young Lord John.
"And where did he get it from?" asks Dai.
"Well from his father of course." says Young Lord John.
"And where did your family get it in the first place?" asks Dai.
"Well I suppose an ancestor of mine fought someone for it." says Young Lord John.
Dai puts down his bag of tools, and his canteen. takes of his coat, rolls up his shirt sleeves and says, "OK get down off that horse, come over here, and I will fight you for it."
Comments
Post a Comment