Corgis are Created and Introduced to Mortals
It all begins with the faerie folk. They lived in the woodlands of Wales and spent a happy time wandering the forests. Though their delicate wings could not take them very fast, and they became lazy about traveling long distance, so they decided to create a fast steed of which they could ride upon. So after much hard work and deep thinking, they came upon a perfect solution, the dwarf dog. The dwarf dog had the physical characteristics of a fox, but not it's sly personality, for later the faerie folk found out that this dog could not only travel by fast speed, but was also a loyal, and pleasant creature. When the faeries weren't riding their dwarf dogs, they would send them among the children to play, and even watch over them.
One day while riding upon their dwarf dogs, the Queen and the King of the Faeries spotted mortal humans, doing hard and rough work just to keep themselves and their families alive, for the people they spotted were poor farm hands, working on the land. Distracted by this, the King of the Faeries fell off his steed, and the Queen rushed off hers to save him. The dwarf dogs, which were actually puppies, not knowing that the royalty had fallen, ran off, thinking everything was fine. By the time the Queen had revived her fallen husband, the puppies were out of sight, and the king and queen had not the speed to catch up to them. "What shall we do? Our dwarf dogs will certainly get lost among the land. We must organize a search at once!" Announced the king. But the Queen comforted him, saying, "You must not worry. We have lost but two dwarf dogs, which we only used for our pleasure, but these dogs will soon be lost no longer, for they will be found by mortals more needing of them than us."
After awhile the pups became lost, and wandered into a hollow. Not having a care in the world, the working dogs started to play together, and had a delightful time. They did not even notice two poor mortal children watching them play. After awhile of watching, the children picked them up, and carried them home, happy with what they found. When the farmer men came home and saw the dwarf dogs the children found, they smiled. One man explained to the children that these were gifts given to them by the faeries. The people did not know a proper name for these creatures, so they called them Corgis, the ancient Welsh word for dwarf dogs. The Corgis worked on the farm land with such means, herding cows and the like, that they became loved and cherished among the folk of Wales, and hundreds of years later loved by the world. Do you doubt this tale? Just look on our backs, and you'll see the faerie saddle from which the Woodland Faeries rode. The End.
The Gallant Corgi and his Good Deed
A long time ago a gallant Corgi was trotting up a mountain track when he spotted a fair maiden, fallen on the ground. She cried to him for help. She told him what had happened, that she had fallen off her horse, and asked him nicely whether he would be so kind as to take her back home. The Corgi told her that of course he would help her home, so she got on his back. She told him to go North along the trail, to where they would find a castle, and so he took her on his back to her castle. She thanked him dearly for his kindness and told him what she forgot to mention before, explaining that she was a faerie princess, and then she gave him a gift for his deed. She placed upon his back a faerie saddle. And the saddle still remains on all Corgis to this day, reminding them of the deed the gallant Corgi did. The End.
Wales is a fairy tale country, with castles around every corner and elves or fairies behind every standing stone. It stands to reason, then, that Wales would have fairy tale dogs. Here, then, is the tale of how the Corgi came to be.
Queen Mab clapped her hands. "I am bored," she cried. "Let us take our steeds and go for a ride."
Instantly before the fairy queen appeared a small red-and-white dog wearing a gold collar and bell. On his back was a tiny saddle made of the finest leather and chased in silver. Similar dogs appeared to the other members of the fairy court. They each mounted their enchanted dogs, and led by Queen Mab and her huntsman, Dark Edric, they rode out of the hollow hills. By the light of the moon, they flew through the forests of Wales.
Suddenly, one of the fairies gave a cry. His steed had brushed against a trap set by poachers. Made of iron, its touch was deadly to fairy folk, and both the courtier and his little dog were laid low by its power. The other fairies gathered round, yet keeping their distance lest they too be struck down by the cold bite of iron. "What shall we do?" said Queen Mab. "We cannot leave them here to die."
A small, hesitant voice broke the silence that followed her question. A human boy peered from behind a tree, his frightened sister at his side. "If you please, your majesty, I can move the trap away so that it won't be touching them anymore," he said. "And my sister knows herbs. She may be able to ease their pain."
"What are you doing out at this time of night, boy?" the queen demanded. "Do you not know that the night holds many dangers for mortals?"
"My father is a shepherd," the boy replied. "Our best ewe is lost, and without her we shall surely starve."
"Heal my friends," the queen said, "and I shall repay you many times over."
The boy and his sister tugged at the heavy trap until it was far enough away to do no harm. Then the girl gathered white oak bark and blackberry leaves. Wetting them in the stream, she made a soothing compress. With their rapid healing powers, the fairy and his dog steed were soon well again.
"I promised you a reward, boy," Queen Mab said. Twice she rang the golden bell that hung around her dog's neck. Two red-and-white puppies appeared. They were low-set, strong and sturdy, with dark eyes that gleamed with intelligence. "These are fairy dogs," Queen Mab said. "They are swift and clever and true, and they can herd cattle, as well as sheep. Treat them well, and you shall never lose your livestock again." Then she clapped her hands and the entire fairy court disappeared, leaving behind only the two pups.
The shepherd's family prospered, and the fairy dogs gave birth to puppies. The Corgis as they became known--from the Welsh words cor meaning "dwarf" and gi meaning "dog"--were highly prized throughout the land for their herding ability. As a mark of their fairy steed origin, they all bore saddle or harness marks behind their shoulders.
And on Midsummer's Day, if the dogs were a little tired for once—as they so rarely were—the shepherds simply nodded their heads wisely. They knew that every Midsummer's Eve, the fairies returned to ride the Corgis so they would never forget where they came from.
- by Anne G. Biddlecombe