Dino Kids
Taliesin
A kitchen boy tastes three magic drops, races away in many shapes, and grows up to be the finest singer in Wales.
Long ago in Wales, beside a deep lake, there lived a wise woman named Ceridwen. She knew every herb in the hills and every secret of the stars. Ceridwen had a son named Morfran, and more than anything, she wanted him to grow up wise.
So she filled a great iron cauldron with water and herbs, and she lit a fire under it. “This brew must bubble for a year and a day,” she said. “Then the first three drops will make my son the wisest person in the world.” She asked a little boy named Gwion Bach to stir the cauldron and keep the fire going. Gwion stirred through rainy days and snowy nights, and the year was almost over.
On the very last day, the cauldron gave a big bubble, and three hot drops jumped out onto Gwion’s thumb. “Ouch!” he cried, and he put his thumb in his mouth to cool it. At once, Gwion understood everything, from the songs of the birds to the paths of the stars. He also knew that Ceridwen would be very cross, so he ran away as fast as he could.
When Ceridwen saw what had happened, she hurried after him. Gwion changed himself into a hare, but Ceridwen changed herself into a quick gray hound. He jumped into the river as a little fish, and she dived in after him as an otter. He flew up into the sky as a small bird, and she flew after him as a hawk. Then Gwion saw a barn full of wheat, and he became one tiny grain in the big golden pile. Ceridwen turned into a black hen and searched and searched, but she could not tell which grain was Gwion.
The little grain rolled away into a leather bag by the barn door. There the magic of the three drops changed it into a baby boy. When Ceridwen found the bag, the baby smiled up at her, and all her anger melted away. She set the bag gently on the river, and it floated away to the sea.
Far along the coast, a young prince named Elffin went to his father’s fish trap by the shore. He hoped for salmon, but all he found was a leather bag caught in the wooden fence. Inside was a baby with a forehead that shone like the morning sun. “What a shining brow!” said Elffin, and so the baby was named Taliesin, which means “shining brow.” Then the baby sang a sweet song, and Elffin forgot all about the fish.
Elffin took him home, and Taliesin grew up to be the wisest and most wonderful singer in all of Wales.
A traditional tale, retold for young children by Dino Kids (CC0).
Hear this story read aloud
In the Dino Kids app, “Taliesin” is read aloud, the sentence being read lights up, and there are three reading speeds for little ears. Parents can also record it in their own voice. Free, no ads, no in-app purchases.
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