t shall be granted
immediately. A year hence we will speak of this again."

When Walter heard this, he saw at once that the raven was an enchanted
bird, and exclaimed with joy--

"I should like to be a noble knight with a helmet and a shield, a
charger and a sword!"

All happened just as he wished. In an instant he was a tall, stately
knight; his shield stood near him, and his hobby-horse became a proud
charger, which, to show that it was no ghost, but a real horse of flesh
and blood, began then and there to drink out of the stream.

At first, Walter could not think what had happened to him, but stood as
if he were in a dream. Soon, however, a new life seemed to wake within
him; he swung himself on to his horse with all the energy of youth, and
rode far out into the land to look for little Gertrude.

Like other knights, he met with many adventures on his way. There was
always something to contend with, either wild beasts or else knights,
who, like himself, roved about the country delighting to find any one
with whom they could do battle. On every occasion, however, Walter came
off conqueror, for he was far more valiant than any of his opponents.

At last, one day he came within sight of a mountain, on which stood a
high castle belonging to a certain queen. As he reached the summit, he
saw from afar a little maiden, who sat playing with her doll before the
castle gate, and when he drew nearer he found that it was his little
Gertrude. Then he put spurs to his horse and shouted joyfully--

"Good-day, dear Gertrude!" But the child knew him not. As he drew
nearer, he called again: "It is I indeed!--it is Cousin Walter!" but the
child believed him not. And when he sprang from his horse to kiss her,
and his armour, sword, and spurs rattled and clashed as he did so, the
child was afraid that this strange man would hurt her, and she ran away
back into the castle.

Poor Walter was very much troubled. He went in, however, and presented
himself to the queen, who received him very graciously. He told her all
that had happened, and learnt from her that she had bought Gertrude from
the gipsies. But when he begged that she would let him take his dear
little cousin away with him, she consented only on condition that the
child herself should be willing, for Gertrude had become very dear to
the old queen. So she called the little maid in, and said--

"Now look here, my child: this really is your Cousin Walter. Do you no
longer l