had eyes which were dark and deep like the depths of the
river, and when he carried bouquets of flowers from the garden to the
king's daughters the youngest princess fell in love with him at once.
Her two sisters laughed at her. "I don't care what you say," said the
youngest princess. "He is far handsomer than any of the princes who
have ever sung of love beneath our balcony."

That very night two princes from neighbouring kingdoms came to sing in
the palace garden beneath the balcony of the three princesses. The two
oldest daughters of the king were proud and haughty, but the youngest
princess had love in her heart and love in her eyes. For this reason
she was one whom all the princes admired most.

The lad from the river listened to their songs. "I wish I looked like
these two princes and knew songs like theirs," said he. Just then he
caught sight of his own reflection in the fountain in the garden. He
saw that he looked quite as well as they. "I too will sing a song
before the balcony of the princesses," he decided.

He did not know that he could sing, but in truth his voice had in it
all the music of the rushing of the river. When he sang even the two
rival musicians stopped to listen to his song. The two older
princesses did not know who was singing, but the youngest princess
recognized him at once.

The next day a great tournament took place. The lad from the river had
never seen a tournament, but after he had watched it for a moment he
decided to enter. He went to get the black horse which had carried him
out of the depths of the river and the arms he had brought with him
from the palace of the river giant. With such a horse and such arms he
carried off all the honours of the tournament. Every one at the
tournament wondered who the strange _cavalheiro_ could be. No one
recognized him except the youngest princess. She knew who it was the
moment she saw him and gave him her ribbon to wear.

The next day all the _cavalheiros_ who had taken part in the
tournament set out to slay the wild beast which often came out of the
jungle to attack the city. It was the lad from the river who killed
the beast, as all the _cavalheiros_ knew. When they returned to the
palace with the news that the beast had been slain, the king said,
"Tomorrow night we will hold the greatest _festa_ which this palace
has ever witnessed. Tomorrow let all the _cavalheiros_ who are here
assembled go forth to hunt for birds to grace our table."