“Fellow! the mountains of Burgos are a hundred leagues off.”
“What does that signify, if my hearing reaches as far?”
Then the knight said, “Will you come along with me and seek fortune?”
And the man made answer, “Your worship is not more ready to ask than I to accept, for I am weary of straining my ears.” So he set up three flags, that all the country might know the wind would be there in three days, and walked along behind the knight.
Then, after three days’ journey, they came in sight of a magnificent castle, extending half a mile every way over the top of a mountain, but all desolate and in ruins; and the way up to it was overgrown with interlacing brambles and briars, so that they could hardly pass through. Then to increase their difficulty, a heavy storm came on, which would soon have wetted them through; but Blowo cried out,—
“Never fear, your worship; for I will soon clear the air.”
So he blew a mighty blast, and sent all the big thunder-clouds travelling back to the Sierra; and they went on toiling up the brake.
When they came up to the castle, they found there was no door or opening, nor any way in. Porto, Ropo, Listeno, and Blowo wanted to give up the attempt, and pass on farther; but the knight would not hear of abandoning the adventure.
“If your worship is so determined,” said Porto, “I’ll open a way for you.”
So he broke off a huge piece of rock as big as two men, and, standing a hundred yards off, he flung it against the wall, with a noise that could be heard a hundred miles off. The wall trembled and clattered; but it was held together by a stronger than human power, and all Porto’s great strength could produce no effect on it.