“Verily, lord,” said his men to Matholch, “forbid now the ships and the ferry-boats, and the coracles, that they go not into Wales, and such as come over from Wales hither, imprison them, that they go not back for this thing to be known there.”  And he did so; and it was thus for no less than three years.

And Branwen reared a starling in the cover of the kneading-trough, and she taught it to speak, and she taught the bird what manner of man her brother was.  And she wrote a letter of her woes, and the despite with which she was treated, and she bound the letter to the root of the bird’s wing, and sent it toward Wales.  And the bird came to that island; and one day it found Bendigeid Vran at Caer Seiont in Arvon, conferring there, and it alighted upon his shoulder, and ruffled its feathers, so that the letter was seen, and they knew that the bird had been reared in a domestic manner.

Then Bendigeid Vran took the letter and looked upon it.  And when he had read the letter, he grieved exceedingly at the tidings of Branwen’s woes.  And immediately he began sending messengers to summon the island together.  And he caused seven-score and four of his chief men to come unto him, and he complained to them of the grief that his sister endured.  So they took counsel.  And in the counsel they resolved to go to Ireland, and to leave seven men as princes at home, and Caradoc, [Footnote:  Caractacus.] the son of Bran, as the chief of them.

Bendigeid Vran, with the host of which we spoke, sailed towards Ireland; and it was not far across the sea, and he came to shoal water.  Now the swine-herds of Matholch were upon the sea-shore, and they came to Matholch.  “Lord,” said they, “greeting be unto thee.”  “Heaven protect you!” said he; “have you any news?” “Lord,” said they, “we have marvellous news.  A wood have we seen upon the sea, in a place where we never yet saw a single tree.”  “This is indeed a marvel,” said he; “saw you aught else?” “We saw, lord,” said they, “a vast mountain beside the wood, which moved, and there was a lofty ridge on the top of the mountain, and a lake on each side of the ridge.  And the wood and the mountain, and all these things, moved.”  “Verily,” said he, “there is none who can know aught concerning this unless it be Branwen.”

Messengers then went unto Branwen.  “Lady,” said they, “what thinkest thou that this is?” “The men of the Island of the Mighty, who have come hither on hearing of my ill-treatment and of my woes.”  “What is the forest that is seen upon the sea?” asked they.  “The yards and the masts of ships,” she answered.  “Alas!” said they; “what is the mountain that is seen by the side of the ships?” “Bendigeid Vran, my brother,” she replied, “coming to shoal water, and he is wading to the land.”  “What is the lofty ridge, with the lake on each side thereof?” “On looking towards this island he is wroth, and his two eyes on each side of his nose are the two lakes on each side of the ridge.”