At the end of his message the knight dismounted and led the horse out
of the hall to the courtyard where it stood still, shining in the
bright sunlight, for it was beyond the power of any to move it. The
sword was carried to the strong tower, and placed amongst the most
precious treasures. The ring and mirror were given to Canacee, where
she sat at the high table.

Great was the talk among high and low, and many the arguments about
these presents. None understood them; each was eager to give his
opinion of how they were made, whence they came, their dangers and
uses. The horse, some said, was like that of Greek legends, Pegasus,
who had wings to fly. "Nay," said others, "it might harbour soldiers,
come to destroy our city, like the great wooden horse of Troy in
which the Greeks hid themselves to enter the city." "It must be a
fairy horse," said others, "made by magic. Have not the minstrels at
the feasts sung of such steeds?" Others spoke of the mirror. "It can
be made by cutting the glass in different ways," said some. "There
was one like it at Rome." "Nay," said others who could read and
wanted to show off their learning, "if you read Vitulon or Aristotle,
you will see that many such mirrors have been made before." "As for
the sword," said some, "Achilles had one like it at Troy." Others
spoke of different ways of hardening metal so that you would have
supposed they knew all about the matter. Others said that Moses and
Solomon had a ring such as Canacee had been given, and tried to
explain how it would tell birds' language. "Cease this jangling,"
said others in a lordly tone. "One cannot explain anything till one
knows the true cause. Why, see how many wondered at the ebb and flow
of the tide, or the thunder, until men knew their causes!" So the
talk went on, till the feast was ended and the king rose from the
table.