chevalier,
and the other was for his friend Claberinde. Then he poured a few drops
of a yellow liquid into a glass and drank it, wishing, as he did so,
that he was in Babylon. Before the glass fell from his hand he found
himself there. Very early after the youth had ended his watch, Lyrgander
came to him and girded on him the suit of white armour. Led by
Lyrgander, and followed by all the knights and nobles of the court, the
chevalier entered the presence-chamber, where the sultan was sitting on
his throne awaiting him. Once again the youth knelt, and the sultan,
drawing the magic sword from its sheath, struck him three times lightly
on the head with it. Afterwards, the sultan put back the sword in the
scabbard and buckled it on the side of the kneeling youth.

Then, stooping down, he lowered the vizor, and said slowly and solemnly:

'I dub you knight, and arm you knight. May the high gods have you in
their care!'

'Amen!' said the chevalier, and he rose from his knees and went out to
the place where the lists had been prepared. And the court sat round to
watch the fight, while in the midst of them all, her eyes fixed on her
champion, was the captive princess, who was resolved to kill herself
with her own hands rather than fall into the power of the black king.

The Knight of the Sun had chosen the best horse in the sultan's stables,
and was waiting in his place till the signal should be given.

At the other end, the black king bestrode a huge black horse, and the
moment he caught sight of his foe poured out a stream of abuse, which
only ceased when the sound of the trumpets drowned his voice.

'I have never been conquered by mortal man,' said he, 'and shall yon
wretched beardless boy, who should now be sitting with his mother's
maidens, the child who but an hour ago was dubbed a knight by special
grace of the sultan, have strength to do what the hardiest knights have
failed in doing? By the eyes of my fathers! he will make fine food for
the vultures before the sun sets.'

And the young knight heard, and the blood flew to his cheeks under his
vizor, and his fingers closed more tightly on his sword.

With the first blast of the trumpets he spurred his horse, and his
onslaught was so fierce that the giant reeled in his saddle.

'They have tricked me,' he said to himself, as he righted himself again.
'That blow was never given by the boy I saw; they have put someone else
in his place. The battle will be harder tha