Earl Evrawc owned the Earldom of the North. And he had seven sons.
And Evrawc maintained himself not so much by his own possessions as
by attending tournaments, and wars, and combats. And, as it often
befalls those who join in encounters and wars, he was slain, and six
of his sons likewise. Now the name of his seventh son was Peredur,
and he was the youngest of them. And he was not of an age to go to
wars and encounters, otherwise he might have been slain as well as
his father and brothers. His mother was a scheming and thoughtful
woman, and she was very solicitous concerning this her only son and
his possessions. So she took counsel with herself to leave the
inhabited country, and to flee to the deserts and unfrequented
wildernesses. And she permitted none to bear her company thither but
women and boys, and spiritless men, who were both unaccustomed and
unequal to war and fighting. And none dared to bring either horses
or arms where her son was, lest he should set his mind upon them.
And the youth went daily to divert himself in the forest, by flinging
sticks and staves. And one day he saw his mother's flock of goats,
and near the goats two hinds were standing. And he marvelled greatly
that these two should be without horns, while the others had them.
And he thought they had long run wild, and on that account they had
lost their horns. And by activity and swiftness of foot, he drove
the hinds and the goats together into the house which there was for
the goats at the extremity of the forest. Then Peredur returned to
his mother. "Ah, mother," said he, "a marvellous thing have I seen
in the wood; two of thy goats have run wild, and lost their horns,
through their having been so long missing in the wood. And no man
had ever more trouble than I had to drive them in." Then they all
arose and went to see. And when they beheld the hinds they were