A Conjuror And Robbers
: STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.: Welsh Folk-lore
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
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.
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