Gelertandthewolf

1.chapter

AlongtimeagoinNorthWales,thereliveda
PrinceandaPrincess.ThePrincesswasvery
beautifulwithlong,goldenhair,finerthanthe
finestsilk.Hereyeswereasblueastheskyon
asummerdayandhersmilemadeeveryone
happy.PrinceLlywelynwastallandstrong
andbrave.Hewaskindandgentleandloved
thePrincessverydearly.Hewasveryproud
whenthePrincesspresentedhimwithababy
son.Whenthebabywasborn,Gelertdecided
thatitshouldbehisspecialresponsibilityto
lookafterthelittlePrince.Atnight,heleptin
thenurseryatthefootofthecradle.Gelert
hadbeengiventoPrinceLlywelynwhenhe
wasapuppy,sosmallthatthePrincehadbeenabletoholdhiminthethepalm
ofhishand.

ThePrincesshadputabasketforthelittle
doginfrontofthefireintheGreatHall
buthehadsoongrowntoobigforit.
WhenthePrincewenthunting,Gelert
wenttoo,runningaheadfollowingsecret
trailsinsearchofprey.Hebarked
excitedlywhenhedisturbedan
unsuspectingpartridgeorrabbitand
theyalwaysescaped.

Oneday,thePrinceandhisfamilystayed
atthehuntinglodgewhichnestledinthe
forestatthefootofSnowdon.Thekill
fromthehuntwascookedoverthefire,fillingthelodgewithmouthwatering
smells.Gelertstretchedoutinfrontofthefire,justoutofreachofthefatthat
sizzledandsplutteredasitfellontheburninglogs.Lately,hehaddetecteda
heavyscentnearthelodgewhichmadehimuneasy.

Therehadbeenrumoursthatalargewolf
hadbeenseennearthelodge.ThePrince
shruggedhisshoulders,tellingthePrincess
thatGelertwouldsoonseeoffanydanger
thatcamenearthelodge.

Onemorningthelodgewasstrangelyquiet.
Theservants,usuallylaughingand
chattering,weresilentandonemaidseemed
tohavebeencrying.Someoneorsomething
hadleftmuddypawmarksalloverthefloor.
Aswellthebonesandmeatfromthepreviousdayweremissing.Cookwas
angrybecausehehadbeengoingtomakesoupfromthemandthemaidwas
upsetbecausethefloorwassodirty.

SoonGelertrealisedthathewasbeingblamed.Themaidwipedhereyesand
lookedathimreproachfully.EventhePrincesswascrosswithhim.Gelert
sniffedthemarksandgrowleddeepwithin
histhroat,recognisingthescent.Thewolf
hadbeeninsidethelodge.Gelertbarked,
tryingtomakethemunderstandthedanger
butnooneseemedtocare.

Afterbreakfast,theguestswenthunting.
ThePrincessdecidedtojointheparty
leavingthelittlePrinceinthechargeofhis
nanny.Gelertwantedtostaybehindand
lookafterthebabybutPrinceLlywelyn
calledhimandobedientlyhefollowedhismaster.

Forawhile,Gelertforgotaboutthewolfashelookedforpreytochase.A
butterflylandedonhisnosemakinghimsneeze.
Thenherealisedsomethingwasmissing.
Therewasnotraceofthescentofthewolf.

Gelertrememberedthepawmarksonthe
floorandturnedtorunbacktothelodge.
ThePrincecalledtohimtostopbutfor
once,Gelertwouldnotobey.Nearthe
lodgethescentofthewolfwas
everywhere.Crawlingalongthefloor,
Gelertpushedopenthedoorofthelodge.

Itwaslateintheeveningbeforethe
huntersreturnedtothelodge.ThePrince
andPrincesshurriedahead.ThePrince
waspuzzledbyGelert'sbehaviourand
thePrincesswasanxioustoseeher
son.Itwasduskandthelodgewasfull
ofstrangeshadows.ThePrincecalled
forthenannybuttherewasno
answer.Thenhesawthebloodonthe
wall.HecalledagainandGelert
crawledweaklytowardshim.The
dog'sfurwassoakedwithblood.

"You'vekilledmyson,"thePrincecried
inhorror.Withoneswiftmovement,heraisedhisswordandplungeditdeep
intothedog.Gelertwhimperedthenlayverystill.Hewasdead.

ThePrincehurriedtothenursery.ThelittlePrince'scotwasupturnedandfrom
itcameatinycry.Quickly,thePrincebentdownandliftedthecradle.

Hisbabysonpushedhisarmsoutofhis
shawlandraisedthemtohisfather.
Tenderly,thePrincecradledthechild
inhisarms.

Thenhesawthebodyofthewolf.The
Princerealisedthatthewolfhadcome
intothelodgeandthatGelerthadkilled
ittosavethebabyPrince.Silently,he
handedthebabytothePrincess.
Gently,thePrincewithdrewhissword
fromthedog'sbodyandpickedup
Gelert.Weeping,hecarriedGelertto
theplacewheretheyhadoftensattogetherinthesunandlaidhisfriendtorest.
HecalledtheplaceBeddgelert,theGraveofGelert,andmarkeditwithastone.
ThestonestillmarksthegraveofbraveGelerttoday.

Verkefni
Spurningar

1. Wheredoesthestorytakeplace?
2. Whatcolourwastheprincesshair?
3. Whatwasthenameofthedoginthestory?
4. Whokilledthewolf?
5. WhathappenedtoGelert?

Svr
Spurningar

1. InWales.
2. Golden.
3. Gelert.
4. Gelert.
5. ThePrincekilledhim.