In the village of Llanwydd, there stood an oak so vast its branches shadowed the riverbank and its roots sank deeper than any well. The people called it Hen Dderwen, the Old Oak.
They said it had stood there since Arthur wore a crown, since druids sang in moonlight. Its bark held charms, its leaves healed fevers, and its acorns brought luck to newborns. But it had one strange habit.
On certain dusks, when the mist rolled in from the valley, the tree was not where it had been in the morning. Its roots shifted. Its shadow lengthened across fields. And if you swore an oath beneath it, you might find the tree standing at your door the next night, waiting.
The Oath Beneath the Oak
One autumn, a shepherd named Iwan lost three sheep to the marshes. In anger, he swore beneath Hen Dderwen:
“If I find them, I’ll bring the oak a gift greater than gold.”
The sheep returned the next day, bleating at his gate. Iwan laughed off his oath, thinking no more of it.
But at dusk, he saw something in the corner of his eye, branches swaying though there was no wind, roots trailing through the grass like searching fingers.
By nightfall, Hen Dderwen stood at the edge of his pasture. Its bark groaned as if it breathed.
The Walking at Dusk
Iwan fled to the village hall, where the elders paled at his story. “You made a promise to the Old Oak,” said Eira the midwife. “It walks to claim what’s owed.”
That night, he dreamt of roots tightening around his house, of leaves tapping at his shutters like knuckles. In the dream, the oak whispered, “A gift greater than gold.”
The next day, Iwan offered bread, cider, even his best sheep. The oak did not move. It only stood, shadow stretching toward his door.
The Gift Given
On the third night, the roots reached his doorstep. Iwan, desperate, went to the midwife. She told him, “Gold feeds greed, but life feeds the land.”
So Iwan took the smallest acorn from the oak’s branches, planted it in the marsh where his sheep had been lost, and watered it with his own tears.
When the morning came, Hen Dderwen was gone, returned to its riverbank. And in the marsh, a sapling stood, already tall as a man.
They say that to this day, there are two great oaks in Llanwydd, the old and the young. And if you pass them at dusk, you might see one swaying as if about to take a step.
Moral of the Tale
An oath is a seed, you plant it with words, but it grows with your honor. Ignore it, and its roots will find you. Keep it, and it will shelter you for life.
Knowledge Check
What is the moral of the folktale “The Oak Tree That Walked at Dusk”?
The story teaches that promises must be honored, for words root deeply and will seek fulfillment.
What cultural group does the tale “The Oak Tree That Walked at Dusk” come from?
This folktale originates from the Welsh tradition of Europe.
Why did Iwan plant the acorn?
He planted it to fulfill his oath to the Old Oak, offering new life rather than gold.
How does the folktale “The Oak Tree That Walked at Dusk” explain moving trees?
It suggests that ancient oaks can walk at dusk to claim oaths sworn beneath their branches.
Is “The Oak Tree That Walked at Dusk” considered a trickster tale, ghost story, or moral fable?
It is a moral fable with magical elements, rooted in Welsh reverence for trees.
How is this folktale relevant to modern readers?
It reminds us that commitments, once made, carry weight, and breaking them can have unexpected consequences.
Origin: This story comes from the Welsh tradition of Europe.
