hills. They were dispatched in search of a boy without a father, and a
large reward was promised to the young man who found what was wanted.
So into every part of the Cymric land, the searchers went.

One messenger noticed some boys playing ball. Two of them were
quarreling. Coming near, he heard one say to the other:

"Oh, you boy without a father, nothing good will ever happen to you."

"This must be the one looked for," said the royal messenger to
himself. So he went up to the boy, who had been thus twitted and spoke
to him thus:

"Don't mind what he says." Then he prophesied great things, if he
would go along with him. The boy was only too glad to go, and the next
day the lad was brought before King Vortigern.

The workmen and their wives and children, numbering thousands, had
assembled for the solemn ceremony of dedicating the ground by shedding
the boy's blood. In strained attention the people held their breath.

The boy asked the king:

"Why have your servants brought me to this place?"

Then the sovereign told him the reason, and the boy asked:

"Who instructed you to do this?"

"My wise men told me so to do, and even the sovereign of the land