In the parish of Llanfabon there was a farmhouse called "Berth Gron" in which there lived a widow woman and her three year old son, Pryderi. Pryderi was all the woman had and she loved and cherished him dearly.

The parish was well known as a favourite haunt of fairies and the widow woman had heard many a tale of babies having been snatched, never to be heard of again. Mindful of these stories, she kept her son very close to her as she could not imagine a life without him.

One morning, while preparing the boy's breakfast, the widow heard a commotion in the farmyard. The cattle were lowing in the byre and the widow rushed out of the house to see what could be the matter. When she reached the byre she saw nothing but the cattle contentedly chewing the cud. Immediately, the widow woman grew afraid for Pryderi and ran back to the house as fast as she could. Throwing open the door, she ran to where the child was sleeping and looked into his crib. "My son," she cried "you look like my dear, sweet Pryderi but yet you are somehow different. I fear it is not really you I see before me". Awakened, the child replied "of course it is I mother, who else could it be?"

Unconvinced, the widow decided to seek counsel from the wise man who lived at Castell-y-Nos and was renowned as being a sage and knowledgeable of "other-world" matters. The widow told the sage of her concerns to which he replied " Fear not widow, heed my advice to the letter and all will be well. At midday tomorrow take an eggshell and prepare to brew ale within it to give to the harvestmen. When the child questions your actions, as he is bound to do, make note of his exact words. Come to me in two days and relay his words to me".

The widow returned home and set about doing as she was bid by the sage. She went to the barn and took a freshly laid egg, broke it and commenced to brew beer in it's shell, whereupon the child enquired as to her actions. "Why I am brewing beer in this eggshell for the harvestmen" she replied, whereupon she heard the child say:

I am very old this day,
I was living before my birth,
I remember yonder oak,
An acorn in the earth,
but never saw the egg of a hen,
brewing beer for harvestmen.

The widow noted the child's exact words and reported them to the sage at the time specified. The sage told the woman, "four eves from tonight the moon will be full. At the nights high noon you must go to where the four roads meet at the ford of the bell. Hide yourself there and do not reveal your presence, no matter what occurs. Then return to me and report what you witnessed".

The widow did as she was instructed and hid within the bushes. Before long she spied a train of fairies and there in their midst, her own dear son. Though she was tempted to call out to Pryderi, she recalled the sages instructions not to reveal herself.

The next morning the widow sought the counsel of the sage once more. "It is as I anticipated" he told her. "Find a hen, black as night and with not one single white feather. Close and secure every window and door of your cottage blocking every aperture except the chimney which you are to leave open. Make a fire within the hearth and over it you must bake the hen. Watch her closely until the last of her feathers fall but do not cast your eyes upon the boy".

The widow went home, puzzled by the strange instructions but as the sage had given her good counsel until now, she did as she was instructed. Watching the hen, the widow heard the child cry out to her time and time again and yet she never diverted her eyes from the hen. All of a sudden, she fell into a swoon and when she recovered she could see the hen's feathers strewn about the floor. Hearing her child calling "mother" from outside the cottage. Rushing out she saw a child and at once knew that it was indeed Pryderi, returned to her. The widow showered the boy with hugs and kisses and loved him dearly and it was with love that they spent the rest of their days.

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