I am always eager to see young readers discovering legends and mythologies from throughout the world, and I am thrilled whenever I find good examples of rich stories from the past that have been preserved, retold and reinterpreted for a new generation. The Mountain of Marvels: A Celtic Tale of Magic, a short adaptation from the Welsh Mabinogion by Aaron Shepard, is a very good place to start tapping into the rich vein of Welsh and Celtic lore.

The Mountain of Marvels is less than 50 pages long, and the typeface is large enough to make this a swift read. The story is divided into three parts, beginning with the meeting of Pwyll, the king of Dyfed, and Rhiannon, the beautiful young woman who wins his heart. She seeks him out to save her from an unwanted marriage, but the course of their romance doesn't run smoothly; the scorned suitor, Lord Gwawl, has a trick up his sleeve to try and win back his lost bride. It will take a bit of cleverness -- and a magic bag -- to win the day.

The second part tells the story of Pwyll and Rhiannon's son, Pryderi, whose birth was much heralded but who vanished mysteriously while he was still an infant. His caretakers, frightened that they will be blamed for his loss, butcher a piglet and use its bones and blood to convince the lords that Rhiannon, in a somnambulistic fit, killed and devoured her son. She is forced to bear a terrible punishment for the deed, even though she knows (and Pwyll suspects) her innocence, until they and Pryderi are eventually reunited.

Finally, the third tale tells the story of a mysterious spell that makes the population of Dyfed disappear and, later, ensorcels into Pwyll and Rhiannon into stone. Only the quick thinking of their good friend Manawydan, son of Llyr, saves them from the evil magic of Lord Llewyd.

A brief afterword by Shepard puts the stories into their historical context.

With so many legends sprouting from the neighboring lands of England, Scotland and Ireland, Welsh lore sometimes is overlooked by casual readers. But the Welsh told some great stories, with mighty characters and memorable events.

The Mountain of Marvels just might inspire a young reader to explore the mythology further and, let's be honest, even adult readers will probably enjoy this brief excursion into Wales. I certainly did.