Collective Worship
Title: The Golden Harp
Theme: Not being spiteful
School: Primary
Term: All terms
Summary: The Welsh folk tale of The Golden Harp.
Teachers’ Notes
Recommended hymn:
Peace Perfect Peace (Come and Praise no. 53)
Recommended reading:
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your friends, hate your enemies.’ But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on good and bad people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Matthew 5: 43-45
Instructions:
The pictures should be shown on PowerPoint as the story is told. The ( ) show when the slide should be changed. To attract the pupils’ attention, we recommend the first slide is already on display as they enter.
The Main Text
(Picture 1)
Our story today is an old Welsh folk tale. It is about a man called Morgan Preece and his wife Anna who lived in a pretty little white cottage near Dolgellau.
(Picture 2)
It was said that you could not find a happier couple in the whole of Wales. They were always telling jokes and laughing. Morgan made Anna laugh when he tried to sing because he had a voice like a crow. He also made her laugh when he tried to play the harp because he had such clumsy fingers that he could not pluck the strings properly. But Morgan didn’t mind Anna making fun of him. In fact he joined in the fun himself!
But he wasn’t so pleased when his neighbour Evan Jones, who lived down the lane, walked by and sneered at his terrible playing and singing,
(Picture 3)
‘Huh! You think you can play the harp, Morgan Preece?’ he shouted through the open window, ‘I’ve never heard such a dreadful din in all my life!’
(Picture 4)
One evening Morgan was sitting by the fire waiting for Anna to come home from a day at the market. There was a knock on the door, and when he opened it he found three small men in green cloaks standing outside.
‘We have walked a long way and we are tired and hungry,’ said one of the men. ’Would you be kind enough to give us some food and a drink before we continue our journey?’
‘Come in! You are welcome,’ said Morgan. ‘Eat and drink as much as you want, my friends - for no-one goes away hungry from my house.’
(Picture 5)
He gave the men some bread and cheese and a drink of milk. When they had finished, the smallest man spoke, ‘You have been very kind and we would like to repay you. Ask for whatever you want and it will be yours.’
Morgan was sure that this was a joke. Surely these men couldn’t give him anything he asked for! So he replied, ‘Well, in that case I would like a harp that will play any tune,’ he said.
‘Very well, here it is!’ they said.
(Picture 6)
Morgan looked and saw to his surprise, standing in the fireplace, the most beautiful harp he had ever seen. It was made of gold and shone with jewels that sparkled in the firelight. He turned around to thank the travellers - only to find that they had vanished, leaving only their crumbs on the table. Then he realised that he had been entertaining three fairies. Local people said that there were fairies with magic powers living in the rocks of the nearby Cader Idris Mountain, but Morgan had never believed them before.
He cautiously picked up the harp and placed his clumsy fingers on the strings. As he did so, the harp began to play. It played and played until Anna came home.
(Picture 7)
The moment she came through the door Anna began to dance. She danced around the table, in and out of the garden and up and down the stairs.
‘Stop playing!’ she cried after she was getting out of breath.
‘No, you stop dancing first’ replied Morgan.
‘I can’t stop!’ she panted. So Morgan put the harp down and at once Anna stopped dancing.
(Picture 8)
The news about Morgan’s harp soon spread around the area and people from near and far came in night after night to dance to the music. Sometimes, Morgan would have fun by keeping them dancing when they wanted to stop; but he never went on long enough to make anyone annoyed or too tired. There was only one time when he did that. Can you guess when that might have been?
(Picture 9)
When Anna went out one day, Evan Jones knocked the door. He said nastily,
‘I only called by to say that I know you can’t really play the harp. I don’t believe a word that people are saying. Goodbye.’
But as Evan was about to leave, Morgan called out, ‘Just a minute! I’ll show you my harp’
As Morgan started to play, Evan Jones could not help but dance around the room. He danced and danced until he was red in the face. He begged Morgan to stop, but he played on. Evan swore at Morgan and called him names - but still he played on and on.
(Picture 10)
He made Evan dance until his face was pale and his legs were so tired that he collapsed on the floor.
‘That’ll teach you, Evan Jones!’ said Morgan when he finally put the harp down. ‘That’ll teach you for calling me names and making fun of me.’
Evan staggered from the house as quickly as his aching legs could carry him. But as the door slammed, Morgan turned around and saw that the golden harp had disappeared.
When Anna came back, he told her what had happened. ‘It’s your fault Morgan, you shouldn’t have used the fairies’ gift to be spiteful to someone. But don’t worry,’ she said, ‘I can still sing and play.’
(Picture 11)
And as she sang, Morgan soon forgot his sadness at losing the harp. After that, Morgan was never spiteful to anyone again, not even to Evan Jones.
Do you think this story is true? Folk stories often started off as true stories many years ago, but were exaggerated and changed as they were passed down the generations. But it doesn’t matter whether or not you believe that there was a man called Morgan who was given a golden harp. Or whether he really made his neighbour dance until he dropped. The important thing is that you understand the message of the story – that being spiteful to others is not the right way to behave.
Jesus teaches us that if someone does something wrong to us we must not try to get our own back. There will always be times when someone does something wrong to us, or when someone says something hurtful. We should not repay them by doing or saying something wrong back to them. Most of the time it makes the problem an even bigger one. It’s far better to follow Jesus’ example and react with kindness.
Prayer
Dear Lord
Help us not to let other people’s words and actions upset us. Help us to be tolerant and not try to get our own back. Help us not to be spiteful and react with anger, but instead to react with kindness and understanding.
Amen