Observations About Wales:

From Travel To Business & Politics

first published in   November 1997

A Cautionary Tale

A legend or a folkloric tale is often popular because the story offers a lesson that people can use. In that spirit I’d like to contribute the following cautionary tale as a friendly reminder to Americans visiting Wales (and to the Welsh receiving us) that Wales and the U.S. are both united and divided by our common language, English.

While visiting North Wales last spring, I telephoned a new, dear friend to let her know my husband and I had arrived. Alice was not at home so her eldest took my message and said he would pass it along to his mam.

A few days later, we caught up with the very busy Alice and arranged to meet for lunch in Porthmadog.

“Randy had told me you were coming over Tuesday,” Alice began as we sat down to our cawl cennin.

“Coming over?” I asked puzzled. I pictured poor Alice getting this obviously confused message and going into a scramble on Monday night to clean up her spotless parlor to await these aggressive Americans who had imperiously announced their intention to visit, by hook or by crook! Only I’d never said it.

I began protesting my innocence, but before the words were out of my mouth I started to chuckle. To be sure, I’d told Randy to tell his mam that we would “call” the following day. Fortunately, though my Americanism was lost on the youngster it was not lost on his mother. She, having the good sense not to clean house, thumped Randy on his provincial head and awaited our ring.