THE BOY WHO KNEW WHAT THE BIRDS SAID
the fray let him forth against me. And if the King of the Land has no such Champion, let him pay me tribute from his Kingdom."
Mell looked to the cave where the Cook's son had hidden himself and all he saw there was a bush being pulled towards the opening to hide it. Then Mell the Hen-wife's son drew his sword and went down the beach towards the Red Champion. They fought for half the day. At the end of that time the Red Champion said "Good is the champion that the King of this Land has sent against me. I did not know he had such a good champion."
They fought all over the strand making the places that were stony, wet, and the places that were wet, stony, and then, when the sun was going down, the Red Champion was not able to do anything more than guard himself from the strokes of Mell's sword while he drew towards his boat.
"You will have the honors of the fight to-day," said he to Mell.
"I shall have the honors and something else beside," said Mell. Then he struck at the red
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