and the two were as playmates together.

Now it chanced, the man had heard the tale of Queen Rhiannon, wife of
Powell, Prince of Dyfed. She had become the mother of a baby boy, but
it was stolen from her at night.

The six serving women, whose duty it was to attend to the Queen, and
guard her child, were lazy and had neglected their duty. They were
asleep when the baby was stolen away. To excuse themselves and be
saved from punishment, they invented a lying story. They declared that
Rhiannon had devoured the child, her own baby.

The wise men of the Court believed the story which the six wicked
women had told, and Rhiannon, the Queen, though innocent, was
condemned to do penance. She was to serve as a porter to carry
visitors and their baggage from out doors into the castle.

Every day, for many months, through the hours of daylight, she stood
in public disgrace in front of the castle of Narberth, at the stone
block, on which riders on horses dismounted from the saddle. When
anyone got off at the gate, she had to carry him or her on her back
into the hall.

As the boy grew up, his foster father scanned his features closely,
and it was not long before he made up his mind that Powell was his
father and Rhiannon was his mother.

One day, with the boy riding on his colt, and with two knights keeping
him company, the owner of the Co-ed mare came near the castle of
Narberth.