o go out.

Then, as he looked across the moat, Sir Roland saw a wonderful thing.
The little old man threw off his black cloak, and as he did so he began
to grow bigger and bigger, until in a minute more he was a giant as tall
as any in the forest. At first Sir Roland could scarcely believe his
eyes. Then he realized that this must be one of their giant enemies, who
had changed himself to a little old man through some magic power, that
he might make his way into the castle while all the knights were away.
Sir Roland shuddered to think what might have happened if he had taken
the sword and left the gate unguarded. The giant shook his fist across
the moat that lay between them, and then, knowing that he could do
nothing more, he went angrily back into the forest.

Sir Roland now resolved not to open the gate again, and to pay no
attention to any other visitor. But it was not long before he heard a
sound that made him spring forward in joy. It was the bugle of the lord
of the castle, and there came sounding after it the bugles of many of
the knights that were with him, pealing so joyfully that Sir Roland was
sure they were safe and happy. As they came nearer, he could hear their
shouts of victory. So he gave the signal to let down the drawbridge
again, and went out to meet them. They were dusty and bloodstained and
weary, but they had won the battle with the giants; and it had been such
a great victory that there had never been a happier home-coming.

Sir Roland greeted them all as they passed in over the bridge, and then,
when he had closed the gate and fastened it, he followed them into the
great hall of the castle. The lord of the castle took his place on the
highest seat, with the other knights about him, and Sir Roland came
forward with the key of the gate, to give his account of what he had
done in the place to which the commander had appointed him. The lord of
the castle bowed to him as a sign for him to begin, but just as he
opened his mouth to speak, one of the knights cried out:

"The shield! the shield! Sir Roland's shield!"

Every one turned and looked at the shield which Sir Roland carried on
his left arm. He himself could see only the top of it and did not know
what they could mean. But what they saw was the golden star of
knighthood, shining brightly from the center of Sir Roland's shield.
There had never been such amazement in the castle before.

Sir Roland knelt before the lord of the castle to receive