Into his saddle be clomb anon,
And pricketh over stile and stone,
An elf queen to espy;
Till he so long had ridden and gone,
That he at last upon a morn
The fairy land came nigh.
16.
Therein he sought both far and near,
And oft he spied in daylight clear
Through many a forest wild;
But in that wondrous land I ween,
No living wight by him was seen,
Nor woman, man, nor child.
17.
At last there came a giant gaunt,
And he was named Sir Oliphaunt,
A perilous man of deed:
And he said, “Childe, by Termagaunt,
If thou ride not from this my haunt,
Soon will I slay thy steed
With this victorious mace;
For here’s the lovely Queen of Faery,
With harp and pipe and symphony,
A-dwelling in this place.”
18.
Childe Thopas said right haughtily,
“To-morrow will I combat thee
In armour bright as flower;
And then I promise ‘par ma fay’
That thou shalt feel this javelin gay,
And dread its wondrous power.
To-morrow we shall meet again,
And I will pierce thee, if I may,
Upon the golden prime of day;—
And here you shall be slain.”
19.
Sir Thopas drew aback full fast;
The giant at him huge stones cast,
Which from a staff-sling fly;
But well escaped the Childe Thopás,
And it was all through God’s good grace,
And through his bearing high.
20.