Being come to the King, he made his obeisance to him, and craved his good will and leave to wage men-at-arms to bring him through the mountains.

The King was a tall man, a proper man of war; long-legged, black bearded, and fierce-eyed.  Some word he had heard of Ralph’s gift, therefore he was gracious to him; he spake and said:  “Thou hast come across the mountains a long way, fair Sir; prithee on what errand?” Answered Ralph:  “For no errand, lord, save to fare home to mine own land.”  “Where is thine own land?” said the King, stretching out his legs and lying back in his chair.  “West-away, lord, many a mile,” said Ralph.  “Yea,” quoth the King, “and how far didst thou go beyond the mountains?  As far as Utterbol?” Said Ralph:  “Yet further, but not to Utterbol.”  “Hah!” said the King, “who goeth beyond Utterbol must have a great errand; what was thine?”

Ralph thought for a moment, and deemed it best to say as little as he might concerning Ursula; so he answered, and his voice grew loud and bold:  “I was minded to drink a draught of the well at the world’s end, and even so I did.”  As he spake, he drew himself up, and his brows were knit a little, but his eyes sparkled from under them, and his cheeks were bright and rosy.  He half drew the sword from the scabbard, and sent it back rattling, so that the sound of it went about the hall; he upreared his head and looked around him on this and that one of the warriors of the aliens, and he sniffed the air into his nostrils as he stood alone amongst them, and set his foot down hard on the floor of the King’s hall, and his armour rattled upon him.

But the King sat bolt upright in his chair and stared Ralph’s face; and the warriors and lords and merchants fell back from Ralph and stood in an ordered rank on either side of him and bent their heads before him.  None spoke till the King said in a hoarse voice, but lowly and wheedling:  “Tell us, fair Sir, what is it that we can do to pleasure thee?”

“King,” said Ralph, “I am not here to take gifts but to give them rather:  yet since thou biddest me I will crave somewhat of thee, that thou mayst be the more content:  and moreover the giving shall cost thee nothing:  I crave of thee to give me life and limb and freedom for the poor folk whom I saw led down the hall by thy tipstaves, even now.  Give me that or nothing.”  The King scowled, but he spake:  “This is indeed a little gift of thee to take; yet to none else save thee had I given it.”

Therewith he spake to a man beside him and said:  “Go thou, set them free, and if any hurt hath befallen them thy life shall answer for it.  Is it enough, fair Sir, and have we thy goodwill?” Ralph laughed for joy of his life and his might, and he answered:  “King, this is the token of my goodwill; fear naught of me.”  And he turned to his men, and bade them bright forth the gift of Goldburg and open it before the King; and they did