A tale from the valleys
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:49 amDai, who had just turned 20, one day informed his father that he wanted to marry Mari the girl next door.
"I'm sorry, boyo," said his father, "but you can't marry her, you see as it happens she's your sister."
Dai was downcast but within a week he came back to see his father again.
"Dad", he said, "I've made up my mind to marry Morfydd."
"Isn't that the girl behind the counter in Morgan's dairy?" asked his father . . . and it turned out she was his sister too.
Gradually one after another the girls of the village were excluded from matrimonial alliance with Dai on the grounds of consanguinity until none was left.
One evening after the last girl had fallen under his father's interdict Dai was sitting in the front room looking sadly at the grate.
"What's wrong with you, Dai?" asked his mother, "girl trouble is it?"
"Yes, Mam," Dai replied, "every time I want to marry a girl, father makes out she's my sister."
"Oh, don't listen to that old fool", said his mother,
"I'm sorry, boyo," said his father, "but you can't marry her, you see as it happens she's your sister."
Dai was downcast but within a week he came back to see his father again.
"Dad", he said, "I've made up my mind to marry Morfydd."
"Isn't that the girl behind the counter in Morgan's dairy?" asked his father . . . and it turned out she was his sister too.
Gradually one after another the girls of the village were excluded from matrimonial alliance with Dai on the grounds of consanguinity until none was left.
One evening after the last girl had fallen under his father's interdict Dai was sitting in the front room looking sadly at the grate.
"What's wrong with you, Dai?" asked his mother, "girl trouble is it?"
"Yes, Mam," Dai replied, "every time I want to marry a girl, father makes out she's my sister."
"Oh, don't listen to that old fool", said his mother,
Spoiler: