et and went down on his own feet. It
was not far he had travelled in Terrible Valley when he met seven
hundred heroes guarding the country.

"In what place here has the Green King his castle?" asked he of the
seven hundred.

"What sort of a sprisawn goat or sheep from Erin are you?" asked they.

"If we had a hold of you, the two arms of me, that's a question you
would not put a second time; but if we haven't you, we'll not be so
long."

They faced Lawn Dyarrig then and attacked him; but he went through them
like a hawk or a raven through small birds. He made a heap of their
feet, a heap of their heads, and a castle of their arms.

After that he went his way walking, and had not gone far when he came to
a spring. "I'll have a drink before I go further," thought he. With that
he stooped down and took a drink of the water. When he had drunk he lay
on the ground and fell asleep.

Now, there wasn't a morning that the lady in the Green Knight's castle
didn't wash in the water of that spring, and she sent a maid for the
water each time. Whatever part of the day it was when Lawn Dyarrig fell
asleep, he was sleeping in the morning when the girl came. She thought
it was dead the man was, and she was so in dread of him that she would
not come near the spring for a long time. At last she saw he was asleep,
and then she took the water. Her mistress was complaining of her for
being so long.

"Do not blame me," said the maid. "I am sure that if it was yourself
that was in my place you'd not come back so soon."

"How so?" asked the lady.

"The finest hero that ever a woman laid eyes on is sleeping at the
spring."

"That's a thing that cannot be till Lawn Dyarrig comes to the age of a
hero. When that time comes he'll be sleeping at the spring."

"He is in it now," said the girl.

The lady did not stop to get any drop of the water on herself, but ran
quickly from the castle. When she came to the spring she roused Lawn
Dyarrig. If she found him lying, she left him standing. She smothered
him with kisses, drowned him with tears, dried him with garments of fine
silk and with her own hair. Herself and himself locked arms and walked
into the castle of the Green Knight. After that they were inviting each
other with the best food and entertainment till the middle of the
following day. Then the lady said:

"When the Green Knight bore me away from my father and mother he brought
me straight to this castle, but I put him under bon