108 Wayland the Smith After & Kyling Wayland the Smith was a god. But people all over England did not love him. They were afraid of him. He was sure he was the master of the people and all the time asked them to give him men, women and horses as sacrifice. But a time came when people didn't want to give him anything more So Wayland had no food. As he was too proud to beg and he was also too honest to steal, he had to work. The other gods said, "You'll come and live with us only if some man or woman truly wishes you well. But nobody did. So Wayland the Smith had to shoe people's horses. However nobody ever saw him at work Even now, living in the world, he didn't like to appear in the village. Men brought their horses to some place, where they tied them up, and went away, leaving their money there for the smith When they returned for their horses, they found them shod but they never saw the smith. One day a farmer brought his horse to the smith, put his money on the stone, tied his horse to a tree and called out "Smith, smith, here is work for you!" Then he sat down and fell asleep... Wayland shod his horse quickly and when the farmer woke up, he took his horse and rode away without one word of thanks. A little English elf, Puck, got very angry when he learned about it, and he decided to teach the farmer a lesson. So he made the farmer lose his way. A young man met the farmer and asked him what the matter was. When he heard the farmer's story, he was very angry, as angry as Puck was He said, "Go back to the smith and thank him or you'll be sorry!" The young man cried, "Ho! Smith of the Gods, I am ashamed of this farmer. But for everything you have done to him and to other of our people I thank you and truly wish you well!" Wayland was free! He could go away and live with other gods because a man had wished him well. He laughed and he cried with joy. Then he went away and since that time never appeare in England again, 1 Discuss the answers to the following questions. 1. Why did Wayland decide to work? 2. Why didn't people wish Wayland well? 3. Why didn't Wayland like to appear in the village? 4. Why did Puck decide to teach the farmer a lesson? 5. Why was the young man ashamed of the farmer?​