of the country then comprised the kingdoms of
Castile, Leon, Aragon and others.

[Illustration: THE GATE OF THE SUN AT TOLEDO]

The Cid was a subject of Fernando of Castile. Fernando had a dispute
with the king of Aragon about a city which each claimed. They agreed
to decide the matter by a combat. Each was to choose a champion.
The champions were to fight, and the king whose champion won was
to have the city. Fernando chose the Cid, and though the other
champion was called the bravest knight in Spain, the youthful warrior
vanquished him.

When Alfonzo, a son of Fernando, succeeded to the throne, he became
angry with the Cid without just cause and banished him from Christian
Spain.

The Cid was in need of some money, so he filled two chests with
sand and sent word to two wealthy money lenders that he wished
to borrow six hundred Spanish marks (about $2,000), and would put
into their hands his treasures of silver and gold which were packed
in two chests, but the money lenders must solemnly swear not to
open the chests until a full year had passed. To this they gladly
agreed. They took the chests and loaned him six hundred marks.

The Cid was now ready for his journey. Three hundred of his knights
went into banishment with him. They crossed the mountains and entered
the land of the Moors. Soon they reached the town of Alcocer, and
after a siege captured it and lived in it.

Then the Moorish king of Valencia ordered two chiefs to take three
thousand horsemen, recapture the town and bring the Cid alive to
him.

So the Cid and his men were shut up in Alcocer and besieged. Famine
threatened them and they determined to cut their way through the
army of the Moors. Suddenly and swiftly they poured from the gate
of Alcocer, and a terrible battle was fought. The two Moorish chiefs
were taken prisoners and thirteen hundred of their men were killed
in the battle. The Cid then became a vassal of the Moorish king
of Saragossa.

After a while Alfonzo recalled the Cid from banishment and gave
him seven castles and the lands adjoining them. He needed the Cid's
help in the greatest of all his plans against the Moors. He was
determined to capture Toledo. He attacked it with a large army
in which there were soldiers from many foreign lands. The Cid is
said to have been the commander. After a long siege the city fell
and the victorious army marched across the great bridge built by
the Moors, which you would cross to-day if you w