You will never be able to do all that,' said she, but he bade her
remembered that these were only matters for men, and galloped away down
the path she pointed out.

The farmer's wife sighed and, giving Peronnik some more food, bade him
good-night. The idiot rose and was opening the gate which led into the
forest when the farmer himself came up.

'I want a boy to tend my cattle,' he said abruptly, 'as the one I had
has run away. Will you stay and do it?' and Peronnik, though he loved
his liberty and hated work, recollected the good food he had eaten, and
agreed to stop.

At sunrise he collected his herd carefully and led them to the rich
pasture which lay along the borders of the forest, cutting himself a
hazel wand with which to keep them in order.

His task was not quite so easy as it looked, for the cows had a way of
straying into the wood, and by the time he had brought one back another
was off. He had gone some distance into the trees, after a naughty black
cow which gave him more trouble than all the rest, when he heard the
noise of horse's feet, and peeping through the leaves he beheld the
giant Rogear seated on his mare, with the colt trotting behind. Round
the giant's neck hung the golden bowl suspended from a chain, and in his
hand he grasped the diamond lance, which gleamed like fire. But as soon
as he was out of sight the idiot sought in vain for traces of the path
he had taken.

This happened not only once but many times, till Peronnik grew so used
to him that he never troubled to hide. But on each occasion he saw him
the desire to possess the bowl and the lance became stronger.

One evening the boy was sitting alone on the edge of the forest, when a
man with a white beard stopped beside him. 'Do you want to know the way
to Kerglas?' asked the idiot, and the man answered 'I know it well.'

'You have been there without being killed by the magician?' cried
Peronnik.

'Oh! he had nothing to fear from me,' replied the white-bearded man, 'I
am Rogear's elder brother, the wizard Bryak. When I wish to visit him I
always pass this way, and as even I cannot go through the enchanted wood
without losing myself, I call the colt to guide me.' Stooping down as he
spoke he traced three circles on the ground and murmured some words very
low, which Peronnik could not hear. Then he added aloud:

Colt, free to run and free to eat.
Colt, gallop fast until we meet,

and instantly the colt appeared,