FIRESIDE STORIES. 535
Bo Ren Oa lee EERE ESE RAMON SOMES, ee OD

stoutest knight in Christendom to bring her back.” The brother,
however, insisted upon undertaking the enterprise ; and, after
receiving proper instructions from Merlin, which he failed in
observing, he set out on his perilous expedition, and was never
more seen,

The other brothers took the same course, and shared a similar
fate, till it came to the turn of Child Rowland, who with great
difficulty obtained the consent of his mother, for Queen Guinever
began to be afraid of losing all her children. Rowland, having
received her blessing, girt on his father’s celebrated sword Ex-
caliber, that never struck in vain, and repaired to Merlin’s cave.
The wizard gave him all necessary instructions for his journey
and conduct, the most important of which were that he should
kill every person he met with after entering the land of Faérie,
and should neither eat nor drink of what was offered him in that
country, whatever his hunger or thirst might be; for if he tasted
or touched in Elfland, he must remain in the power of the elves,
and never see middle-earth again.

Child Rowland faithfully promised to observe the instructions
of Merlin, and he accordingly went to Elfland, where he found,
as the wizard had foretold, the King’s horseherd feeding his
horses. “Canst thou tell me,” said Rowland, “ where the castle
of the King of Elfland is?” “TI cannot,” replied the horseherd;
“but go a little farther, and thou wilt come to a cowherd, and
perhaps he will know.” When he had made this answer, Rowland,
remembering his instructions, took his good sword and cut off
the head of the horseherd. He then went a little farther, and
met with a cowherd, to whom he repeated the same question,