Yes, said Sir Roland. Then you ought not to be staying here when your commander and his knights are having so hard a battle with the giants, and when you have the chance to make yourself the greatest knight in this kingdom. I have brought you a magic sword. As he said this, the old man drew from under his coat a wonderful sword that flashed in the sunlight as if it were covered with diamonds. This is the sword of all swords, he said, and it is for you, if you will leave your idling here by the castle and carry it into battle.
Nothing can stand before it.
Now Sir Roland believed that it was a magician who was speaking to him, for it certainly appeared to be a magic sword. It seemed so wonderful that the sword should be brought to him, that he reached out his hand as though he would take it, and the little old man came forward, as though he would cross the drawbridge into the castle. Sir Roland was really afraid that if he looked any longer at the sword, or listened to any more words of the old man, he would not be able to hold himself within the castle. So he had the drawbridge closed and the old man could not cross it to enter the castle, nor Sir Roland to go out. Then, as he looked across the moat, Sir Roland saw an amazing thing.