ected by a lion whose
mane is formed of vipers. I must pluck that flower, and go on to the
lake of the dragons and fight the black man who holds in his hand the
iron ball which never misses its mark and returns of its own accord to
its master. After that, I enter the valley of pleasure, where some who
conquered all the other obstacles have left their bones. If I can win
through this, I shall reach a river with only one ford, where a lady in
black will be seated. She will mount my horse behind me, and tell me
what I am to do next.'

He paused, and the woman shook her head.

'You will never be able to do all that,' said she, but he bade her
remember that these were only matters for men, and galloped away down
the path she pointed out.

* * * * *

The farmer's wife sighed and, giving Peronnik some more food, bade him
good-night. The idiot rose and was opening the gate which led into the
forest when the farmer himself came up.

'I want a boy to tend my cattle,' he said abruptly, 'as the one I had
has run away. Will you stay and do it?' and Peronnik, though he loved
his liberty and hated work, recollected the good food he had eaten, and
agreed to stop.

At sunrise he collected his herd carefully and led them to the rich
pasture which lay along the borders of the forest, cutting himself a
hazel wand with which to keep them in order.

His task was not quite so easy as it looked, for the cows had a way of
straying into the wood, and by the time he had brought one back another
was off. He had gone some distance into the trees, after a naughty black
cow which gave him more trouble than all the rest, when he heard the
noise of horse's feet, and peeping through the leaves he beheld the
giant Rogear seated on his mare, with the colt trotting behind. Round
the giant's neck hung the golden bowl suspended from a chain, and in his
hand he grasped the diamond lance, which gleamed like fire. But as soon
as he was out of sight the idiot sought in vain for traces of the path
he had taken.

This happened not only once but many times, till Peronnik grew so used
to him that he never troubled to hide. But on each occasion he saw him
the desire to possess the bowl and the lance became stronger.

* * * * *

One evening the boy was sitting alone on the edge of the forest, when a
man with a white beard stopped beside him. 'Do you want to know the way
to Kerglas?' asked the i