` And next ? ' inquired Peronnik . ` Next I shall find the flower that laughs , protected by a lion whose mane is formed of vipers . I must pluck that flower , and go on to the lake of the dragons and fight the black man who holds in his hand the iron ball which never misses its mark and returns of its own accord to its master . After that , I enter the valley of pleasure , where some who conquered all the other obstacles have left their bones . If I can win through this , I shall reach a river with only one ford , where a lady in black will be seated . She will mount my horse behind me , and tell me what I am to do next . ' He paused , and the woman shook her head . ` You will never be able to do all that , ' said she , but he bade her remembered that these were only matters for men , and galloped away down the path she pointed out . The farmer 's wife sighed and , giving Peronnik some more food , bade him good-night . The idiot rose and was opening the gate which led into the forest when the farmer himself came up . ' I want a boy to tend my cattle , ' he said abruptly , ` as the one I had has run away . Will you stay and do it ? ' and Peronnik , though he loved his liberty and hated work , recollected the good food he had eaten , and agreed to stop . At sunrise he collected his herd carefully and led them to the rich pasture which lay along the borders of the forest , cutting himself a hazel wand with which to keep them in order . His task was not quite so easy as it looked , for the cows had a way of straying into the wood , and by the time he had brought one back another was off . He had gone some distance into the trees , after a naughty black cow which gave him more trouble than all the rest , when he heard the noise of horse 's feet , and peeping through the leaves he beheld the giant Rogear seated on his mare , with the colt trotting behind . Round the giant 's neck hung the golden bowl suspended from a chain , and in his hand he grasped the diamond lance , which gleamed like fire . But as soon as he was out of sight the idiot sought in vain for traces of the path he had taken . This happened not only once but many times , till Peronnik grew so used to him that he never troubled to hide .
But XXXXX each occasion he saw him the desire to possess the bowl and the lance became stronger .
If after behind for from in on than through with