In the meantime his wife and Taliesin remained joyful at Elphin’s dwelling.  And Taliesin showed his mistress how that Elphin was in prison because of them; but he bade her be glad, for that he would go to Maelgan’s court to free his master.  So he took leave of his mistress, and came to the court of Maelgan, who was going to sit in his hall, and dine in his royal state, as it was the custom in those days for kings and princes to do at every chief feast.  As soon as Taliesin entered the hall he placed himself in a quiet corner, near the place where the bards and the minstrels were wont to come, in doing their service and duty to the king, as is the custom at the high festivals, when the bounty is proclaimed.  So, when the bards and the heralds came to cry largess, and to proclaim the power of the king, and his strength, at the moment when they passed by the corner wherein he was crouching, Taliesin pouted out his lips after them, and played “Blerwm, blerwm!” with his finger upon his lips.  Neither took they much notice of him as they went by but proceeded forward till they came before the king, unto whom they made their obeisance with their bodies, as they were wont, without speaking a single word, but pouting out their lips, and making mouths at the king, playing, “Blerwm, blerwm!” upon their lips with their fingers, as they had seen the boy do.  This sight caused the king to wonder, and to deem within himself that they were drunk with many liquors.  Wherefore he commanded one of his lords, who served at the board, to go to them and desire them to collect their wits, and to consider where they stood, and what it was fitting for them to do.  And this lord did so gladly.  But they ceased not from their folly any more than before.  Whereupon he sent to them a second time, and a third, desiring them to go forth from the hall.  At the last the king ordered one of his squires to give a blow to the chief of them, named Heinin Vardd; and the squire took a broom and struck him on the head, so that he fell back in his seat.  Then he arose, and went on his knees, and besought leave of the king’s grace to show that this their fault was not through want of knowledge, neither through drunkenness, but by the influence of some spirit that was in the hall.  And he spoke on this wise:  “O honorable king, be it known to your grace that not from the strength of drink, or of too much liquor, are we dumb, but through the influence of a spirit that sits in the corner yonder, in the form of a child.”  Forthwith the king commanded the squire to fetch him; and he went to the nook where Taliesin sat, and brought him before the king, who asked him what he was, and whence he came.  And he answered the king in verse: 

    “Primary chief bard am I to Elphin,
     And my native country is the region of the summer stars;
     I have been in Asia with Noah in the ark,
     I have seen the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
     I was in India when Rome was built,
     I have now come here to the remnant of Troia.”