Listen:
A Faithful Hound
The Legend of Gelert is a very famous story that has been told for hundreds of years. Beddgelert is a small village in North Wales.
The name Beddgelert means Gelert’s Grave. People can still visit the grave of Gelert today. The story above has been adapted from the story on the sign next to the grave.
Stories of faithful hounds have been told time and time again in different countries and cultures. Our special relationship with dogs – man’s best friend – can be seen in stories like this.
Gelert’s Grave Beddgelert
Vocabulary:
- faithful – loyal, reliable and trusted.
- hound – dog.
- unaccountably – not able to explain.
- truant – a person absent from their duty.
- stained – covered in a coloured, usually liquid, substance.
- hastened – hurried.
- frantic – desperate.
- plunge – to push something suddenly into something else.
- heir – a person set to inherit the position, possessions and property of another.
- slain – killed violently.
- remorse – painful regret.
Discuss:
- What is the moral or lesson of this story? What can we learn from this?
- How does this make you feel?
- Why do you think the Prince reacted in the way he did?
- Different versions of this story are told in different parts of the world. Have you heard a similar story before?
- Can you think of 3 adjectives to describe Gelert?