The Wise Old Woman and Peredur  

Deep within an ancient forest lived a wise old woman known as the Lady of the Forest. She dwelt in an ivy-clad cottage among towering trees and tended to the plants that grew around her. From them, she drew healing powers to aid travellers who crossed her threshold.  

One day, while gathering herbs, she saw a young man approaching. He wore simple clothes, yet his eyes shone with curiosity and resolve. At once, she knew him to be Peredur, son of Evrawc, and sensed that his path was bound to great deeds.  

“Greetings,” she said. “What brings you to this part of the forest?” 
“I seek to become a knight,” Peredur replied.  

Sensing his sincerity, the Lady of the Forest welcomed him into her cosy cottage and sat with him by the fire. There, she shared the wisdom she had gathered.  

She taught him first about compassion and humility. “A true knight must put others before himself,” she said. “Strength means little without kindness.” She showed him how to tend the injured, using plants to make healing salves. She also taught him patience and perseverance. Together they walked through the forest, tracking animals and learning to observe the natural world. “Often,” she told him, “the answers we seek come only to those who watch and wait.”  

Peredur listened closely, asking questions and learning quickly. Over time, he grew not only in skill, but in character; he was more thoughtful, more considerate, and wiser than before.  One evening, as the sun sank behind the trees, the Lady of the Forest knew it was time for him to leave. “You have learned much here,” she said. “Now you must carry these lessons into the wider world.”  

Peredur thanked her and set out from the cottage, ready to face what lay ahead with wisdom and courage. The Lady of the Forest watched him disappear into the trees, knowing his story would live on in legend. 

The End