Beth Gellert
by Joseph Jacobs · from Collected Folk Tales
Adapted Version
Once, there was a prince named Llewelyn. He had a very loyal dog named Gellert. Gellert was brave and kind. Llewelyn loved his dog very much. They played together every day. Gellert followed Llewelyn everywhere.
One day, Llewelyn went for a walk. He called for Gellert. "Come, Gellert!" he called. Gellert did not come. Llewelyn called again. The dog still did not come. Llewelyn was confused. He looked for his dog. Gellert was nowhere to be seen. Llewelyn went on his walk alone. He felt sad without his friend.
Later, Llewelyn came home. He was upset with Gellert. Gellert ran to meet him. The dog had red stains on his mouth.
A worried thought came to Llewelyn. He ran to his baby's room. He ran very fast. His heart beat quickly.
The room was messy. There were red spots on the floor. The baby's bed was turned over. Things were on the ground.
Llewelyn thought Gellert hurt the baby. He was very angry. Llewelyn acted in anger. He hurt Gellert badly.
Gellert made a sad sound. Then, a baby cried. Llewelyn heard the cry. It came from the corner.
Llewelyn found his baby. The baby was safe and sleeping. A big wolf lay hurt and still nearby. It could not move.
Llewelyn understood. Gellert saved the baby from the wolf. Gellert was a hero. He fought the bad wolf.
Llewelyn felt very sad and sorry. He buried Gellert with care. He cried for his loyal friend. He missed his brave dog.
People put stones to remember Gellert. The place is called Beth Gellert. It reminds us to think before we act.
We should always think carefully before we act. This way, we avoid sad mistakes like Llewelyn's.
Original Story
BETH GELLERT
rince Llewelyn had a favourite greyhound named Gellert that had been given to him by his father-in-law, King John. He was as gentle as a lamb at home but a lion in the chase. One day Llewelyn went to the chase and blew his horn in front of his castle. All his other dogs came to the call but Gellert never answered it. So he blew a louder blast on his horn and called Gellert by name, but still the greyhound did not come. At last Prince Llewelyn could wait no longer and went off to the hunt without Gellert. He had little sport that day because Gellert was not there, the swiftest and boldest of his hounds.
He turned back in a rage to his castle, and as he came to the gate, who should he see but Gellert come bounding out to meet him. But when the hound came near him, the Prince was startled to see that his lips and fangs were dripping with blood. Llewelyn started back and the greyhound crouched down at his feet as if surprised or afraid at the way his master greeted him.
Now Prince Llewelyn had a little son a year old [210] with whom Gellert used to play, and a terrible thought crossed the Prince's mind that made him rush towards the child's nursery. And the nearer he came the more blood and disorder he found about the rooms. He rushed into it and found the child's cradle overturned and daubed with blood.
Prince Llewelyn grew more and more terrified, and sought for his little son everywhere. He could find him nowhere but only signs of some terrible conflict in which much blood had been shed. At last he felt sure the dog had destroyed his child, and shouting to Gellert, "Monster, thou hast devoured my child," he drew out his sword and plunged it in the greyhound's side, who fell with a deep yell and still gazing in his master's eyes.
As Gellert raised his dying yell, a little child's cry [211] answered it from beneath the cradle, and there Llewelyn found his child unharmed and just awakened from sleep. But just beside him lay the body of a great gaunt wolf all torn to pieces and covered with blood. Too late, Llewelyn learned what had happened while he was away. Gellert had stayed behind to guard the child and had fought and slain the wolf that had tried to destroy Llewelyn's heir.
In vain was all Llewelyn's grief; he could not bring his faithful dog to life again. So he buried him outside the castle walls within sight of the great mountain of Snowdon, where every passer-by might see his grave, and raised over it a great cairn of stones. And to this day the place is called Beth Gellert, or the Grave of Gellert, and men say, "I repent me as much as the man that slew his greyhound."
[212]
Story DNA
Moral
Do not act on impulse or judge without knowing all the facts, for hasty actions can lead to irreparable regret.
Plot Summary
Prince Llewelyn, returning from a hunt, finds his beloved greyhound, Gellert, covered in blood. Fearing Gellert has harmed his infant son, Llewelyn rushes to the nursery, finds it in disarray, and, in a fit of rage, slays the dog. Immediately, his son cries out from beneath the cradle, and Llewelyn discovers the child unharmed, beside the body of a wolf Gellert had killed to protect the baby. Overcome with grief and regret for his hasty judgment, Llewelyn buries Gellert with honor, and the site becomes a lasting memorial.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anger to terror to profound grief and regret
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
While featuring a historical figure, the tale of Beth Gellert is a folk legend, likely originating from a local innkeeper in the late 18th century to attract tourists, rather than a true historical event. It taps into the Welsh reverence for dogs and the dramatic landscape.
Plot Beats (11)
- Prince Llewelyn has a cherished greyhound, Gellert, gifted by King John, known for gentleness at home and ferocity in the hunt.
- One day, Llewelyn goes hunting, but Gellert fails to appear despite repeated calls, causing Llewelyn to leave without him.
- Llewelyn returns from an unsuccessful hunt, enraged, and encounters Gellert, whose mouth and fangs are dripping with blood.
- A terrible suspicion about his infant son crosses Llewelyn's mind, and he rushes to the child's nursery.
- He finds the nursery in disarray, with blood and an overturned, blood-stained cradle.
- Convinced Gellert has devoured his child, Llewelyn, in a fit of rage, draws his sword and plunges it into Gellert.
- As Gellert lets out a dying yell, a child's cry is heard from beneath the cradle.
- Llewelyn discovers his son unharmed, and beside him, the torn body of a large wolf.
- Llewelyn realizes Gellert had stayed behind to protect the child and had fought and killed the wolf.
- Overwhelmed with grief and regret, Llewelyn buries Gellert outside the castle walls.
- A cairn of stones is raised over Gellert's grave, visible from Snowdon, and the place is named Beth Gellert, serving as a perpetual reminder of Llewelyn's tragic mistake.
Characters
Prince Llewelyn ★ protagonist
Implied to be a strong and capable leader, given his hunting prowess and ownership of a castle.
Attire: Hunting attire, including a horn, and likely regal clothing befitting a prince.
Impetuous, loving (towards his son), prone to rage, regretful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young prince in his early twenties with determined blue eyes and windswept golden hair. He wears a fitted white tunic with intricate gold embroidery, dark leather trousers, and polished brown boots. A rich, deep blue fur-lined cloak is fastened at his shoulder with a silver brooch. He stands tall with a confident posture, one hand resting on the hilt of a sheathed sword at his hip. His expression is noble and resolved, gazing forward. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Gellert ◆ supporting
A greyhound, described as 'gentle as a lamb at home but a lion in the chase', 'swiftest and boldest of his hounds'. His lips and fangs are later seen dripping with blood.
Attire: None, as a dog.
Loyal, brave, protective, gentle.
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with a kind, round face, soft brown eyes, and a gentle smile. He has short, neatly combed gray hair and a short, trimmed beard. He wears a simple, long-sleeved tunic of undyed wool over brown trousers and sturdy leather boots. His posture is relaxed but attentive, standing with his hands clasped loosely in front of him. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Llewelyn's Son ○ minor
A year old, found unharmed beneath an overturned cradle.
Attire: Infant's swaddling clothes or simple garments.
Innocent, vulnerable.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young boy of about ten years old, with messy chestnut hair and bright, curious eyes. He wears a simple, earth-toned tunic belted at the waist over brown trousers, with bare feet. He sits on a mossy stone in a sun-dappled forest clearing, his posture relaxed but attentive, as if listening to the sounds of the woods. His expression is one of quiet wonder. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Wolf ⚔ antagonist
A 'great gaunt wolf all torn to pieces and covered with blood'.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Predatory, aggressive.
Image Prompt & Upload
A mature, wolf-like humanoid with sharp yellow eyes and grizzled dark fur, wearing a tattered black cloak over rugged medieval clothing. He stands in a shadowy forest at night, leaning forward with a menacing sneer, one clawed hand extended as if reaching. Moonlight filters through the trees, casting dramatic shadows. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Castle Gate
The entrance to Prince Llewelyn's castle, where Gellert bounds out to meet him.
Mood: Initially expectant, then quickly turns ominous and tense.
Prince Llewelyn returns from the hunt and encounters Gellert, whose bloody appearance sparks his terrible suspicion.
Image Prompt & Upload
A grand stone castle gate at dusk, massive wooden doors slightly ajar, warm torchlight glowing from iron sconces on either side. The arched gateway is framed by intricately carved stone lions and ivy-covered walls. Beyond the gate, a cobblestone courtyard stretches into the distance, flanked by tall towers with blue and gold banners fluttering in the gentle breeze. The sky is a deep purple and orange gradient, with the first stars appearing. Lush green moss grows between the cobblestones, and wildflowers bloom along the base of the walls. The atmosphere is welcoming yet majestic, with a soft mist hovering near the ground. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Child's Nursery
A room within the castle, initially a place of play for the child and Gellert, later found in disarray with blood and an overturned cradle.
Mood: Initially innocent, then becomes horrifying, chaotic, and filled with dread.
Prince Llewelyn discovers the apparent scene of conflict, believes his child is dead, and slays Gellert, only to then find his child and the dead wolf.
Image Prompt & Upload
A late afternoon gloom fills the abandoned castle nursery. Dusty, slanting light from tall, arched windows illuminates the disarray: an overturned wooden cradle lies on its side, scattered wooden blocks, and faded, peeling murals of whimsical forests on the stone walls. The air is still and heavy with dust motes. Muted colors of pale blue and cream are stained with ominous, dark patches on the floorboards and a threadbare rug. A single, forgotten stuffed bear sits in the shadowed corner. The atmosphere is profoundly silent and sorrowful. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Gellert's Grave (Beth Gellert)
A burial site outside the castle walls, within sight of the great mountain of Snowdon, marked by a great cairn of stones.
Mood: Sorrowful, commemorative, a place of lasting regret and remembrance.
The final resting place of Gellert, established by Llewelyn in his grief and repentance, becoming a landmark and a cautionary tale.
Image Prompt & Upload
Dusk settles over a windswept hillside outside ancient stone castle walls. A great, solemn cairn of grey stones rises from the grassy mound, the central feature of the scene. In the distance, the majestic, mist-shrouded peak of Mount Snowdon dominates the horizon under a vast, dusky sky painted in deep blues and soft purples. The last golden rays of the setting sun cast long shadows and highlight the textures of the rough-hewn stones. The atmosphere is quiet, somber, and reverent, with a cool, misty breeze suggested by the swaying grasses. Muted earth tones, cool mountain blues, and the warm glow of fading light define the palette. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
