Hywel the Carter lived halfway between the coal mine and the village where the railway came to pick up the coal and take it slowly down to the merchants who would load it onto ships or the big freight trains. Everyday he would load his wagon with coal at the Bryn Glo mine and Zeus, the huge black carthorse, would haul the load along the rutted track that followed the stream along the valley till they reached the yard next to the railway. Here he would have the cart weighed and then shovel the coal, sometimes straight into a railway wagon and sometimes onto a big pile of coal. Then he would turn the wagon around and head back up the valley back to the mine. Three times a day he would load and unload his wagon. Dirty and backbreaking work it was. But Hywel was glad he didn’t work down the mine, where the only light came from a smelly tallow candle, and some terrible accidents happened.

In the summer it wasn’t such a bad job, but as winter approached Hywel would have to wrap up warm, and it would be dark when he left his home, and dark when he got home. And one year Hywel got to thinking that if he loaded more coal onto his wagon he need only make two journeys a day. Zeus was a big strong horse and could easily pull more coal, especially as it was downhill from the mine to the railway yard. By only making two return trips a day Hywel reckoned that he would save nearly two hours a day. He could get up a bit later and get home a bit earlier and get the job done.

So Monday morning he hitched Zeus up to the wagon, and headed to the colliery. Taking his coat off and picking up his shovel he started filling his wagon with the coal heaped up in huge piles. Next to him was Bryn, another carter who also took the coal down to the railway. They chatted as they shovelled, but when Bryn stopped Hywel carried on. “Whoa there Hywel’ cried Bryn, “You have a full load there already boyo”. Hwyel told him that he was only going to make two trips a day by piling the coal high in his wagon. “Will Zeus be able to pull that weight?” asked Bryn. “He’s the strongest horse in the valley” replied Hywel. “Will your wagon be able to take the extra load?” asked Bryn. “It’s the biggest wagon in the valley” replied Hywel, and he continued shovelling. Bryn set off saying “See you down at the railway yard then”.

Hywel shovelled and shovelled and the coal was piled high. “Just one more shovelful” thought Hywel. But disaster struck. The wooden side of his started creaking and then the planks cracked and all the coal Hywel had loaded on came tumbling off the wagon. With a broken wagon Hywel couldn’t work and wouldn’t be paid, so he had to take it down to the village and Dai would have to repair it for him. Well, Dai said it would take the rest of the day to repair the wagon and it would cost an entire day’s pay for Hywel. Hywel unhitched Zeus, and sadly led him home for the night.

The next day Hywel was up bright and early and determined to make up, not only for lost pay the day before, but also for the cost of repairs. He hitched Zeus up to his repaired wagon and off they went to the mine, and set to work shovelling coal onto the wagon. Soon Bryn joined him and asked why he hadn’t seen Hywel again yesterday. Hywel said about the broken side to the wagon, and continued shovelling coal long after Bryn had his load complete. “Whoa there boyo, you’ll have the same trouble again!” “Not this time”, replied Hywel, “those planks that broke must have been a bit rotten, and anyway I have a new strong side to my wagon. And I do need to make up my losses from yesterday”. Bryn started down the valley while Hywel piled it high.

When he couldn’t get another lump of coal on the wagon, he set off for the railway yard. But that wagon was now heavy and Zeus had a bit of trouble getting going. Hywell knew, though, that Zeus was plenty strong enough to pull the load. But then disaster! One of Zeus’s hoofs slipped trying to get a grip, and off flew his horseshoe. Well Hywel couldn’t let Zeus pull that load with a missing horseshoe, could he? So he unhitched the horse, and led him back down to the village to Morty, the local farrier and blacksmith. Morty said he could re-shoe Zeus but not until late afternoon, as he had a very important piece of work for the pit to finish. So Hywel had to wait and wait, and by the time Zeus was re-shoed it was too late to make a trip down to the yard with a load of coal.

On Wednesday morning Hywel was determined to make up for his lost wages, and the cost of repairs to the wagon and for re-shoeing Zeus. He was in good spirits though. He already had his wagon full of coal and could perhaps make three journeys that day, with large loads, if he worked hard enough. He got Zeus ready and made his way up to the coal mine, leading the horse. He hitched Zeus to the wagon, and set off, even before Bryn had arrived for the day. But then disaster struck again. The track down the railway yard was rutted and bumpy, and going over one bump a wheel broke. Snapped just like that. Worst of all, his wagon was now blocking the track, and Bryn and anybody else would not be able to get past. He would have to unload all that coal so that with the help of others his wagon could be moved to the side. And that would have to be done before he could get the wheelwright to come up and fix things for him. Well, the others did help him, but all felt the need to tell him they though his wagon was overloaded with coal. It was well into the evening before his wheel had been replaced, and Hywel got home late, cold and hungry, and went straight to bed.

You would have thought by now that Hywel had learned his lesson, but no. He was up early on Thursday and set to loading his wagon with all the coal he had had to leave at the trackside the day before. Every last piece. Again he set off down the hill with his large load. Zeus was well capable of pulling this weight, so Hywel thought at last his luck would change. Alas no. Zeus was indeed a strong horse; so strong in fact that he pulled the wagon shafts off the wagon. Yet again Hywel had to unhitch Zeus, unload all the coal, leave it by the side of the track, and see about getting his wagon mended. Bryn went by and just ‘tut-tutted’. Yet another day lost to bad luck, or so Hywel thought. Not only had he not earned any money that week but he now had no savings in the little tin he kept on the mantelpiece at home. He now owed money to the carpenter and the wheelwright, but they would know he was good for that. All he needed to do was take a few big loads down to the railway yard, and he could start to clear his debts.

Next morning, as early as he could, Hywel was out loading up his wagon again. As he did so Bryn passed by. “You really should do that in two journeys”, advised Bryn. “I would, but I need to make up my lost earnings. I have no food in the house, no hay for Zeus, and I owe money in the village for repairs. I just need to get a few of large loads down there and then I should be okay. When the wagon was full again, he hitched up Zeus, who had been left to nibble the scant grass by the side of the track. Would he be able to complete the journey? I think you will have guessed by now that this was not to be. He had barely gone 300 yards down the hill when his front axle snapped, clean in two. Yet again he had to unload the coal, ask for help to move his wagon to the side of the road, and go down to the village to arrange repairs. By now though word had got around the village that not only had Hywel not completed any work to be paid, but he also owed money to others. It took a lot of convincing the wainwright that he would be able to pay him for fixing the axle soon. But another day had been lost.

Saturday came and Hywel WAS going to make some money. He and Zeus were hungry, and it was a matter of honour that he pay off some of his debts. Leaving Zeus to nibble the grass, so that at least one of them wouldn’t be hungry, he set to filing up his wagon with every last piece of coal. Just this once he told himself. “Get this lot out of the way and I shall do normal sized loads” he told himself. Bryn passed by. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet Hywel?” he asked. “Yes,” he replied, “Just this once and I’ll be moving normal loads from now on.” The coal was nearly loaded, and Hywel stopped for a breather. Unfortunately, with Zeus not hitched up, with the coal mounded up at the back of the wagon, and the slope on which it was parked, the wagon was no longer stable. Slowly at first it started to tip backwards, getting faster all the time. By the time Hywel heard the wagon creaking and the coal shifting it was too late. All of a sudden a wagon load of coal tipped over Hywel, half burying him.

He lay there, unable to move, waiting for help. Eventually Bryn came down the mountain, saw what had happened, and started to dig Hywel out, saying over and over “You wouldn’t listen to common sense, would you now”. Hywel barely heard him, he hurt all over. When Hywel was finally freed there was the worst news of all. Hywel had broken his right arm in several places. It was a right mess with a sharp piece of broken bone projecting out of his forearm and the arm below at a rather nasty angle. By now more folk using the road had arrived and Hywel was taken down to the village doctor, for patching up. “No work for you for a while”, the doctor told Hywel, “and with a break like that I doubt you’ll be able to shovel coal anymore.”

Hywel of course had to sell his wagon and Zeus. He didn’t get the full market price of course. There was only one bidder at the auction; Bryn’s son, who would now be doing Hywel’s old job. Hywel did get a job, opening and shutting the gate to the railway yard. It wasn’t as well paid as being a wagonner, and he had to sit in a little shed all day, every day. Worst of all was seeing Zeus every day, leading Bryn’s son’s wagonload of coal, looking well fed and well groomed. Sometimes, even Bryn forgot to say “Bore da” to him as he came into the yard with his wagon load of coal.