They only found a woodcutter with shaggy hair and beard, who told them gruffly that if the king wanted to see Merlin, he would have to come himself.  Of course, it was Merlin himself.  “Very well,” said the king, when he heard this, “I will do just that.”

King Uter Pendragon mounted his horse and, with his senior courtiers, rode to Northumberland.  The forest was majestically beautiful, and the knights were impressed by its grandeur.  In a clearing, they found a shepherd herding his flock.  "Whose man are you?" the king demanded to know.“I belong to a man who said that today the king would come in search of him, and when he comes I was to take him to Merlin.”  Thus spoke the shepherd, enigmatically.  “Well then, what are you waiting for, take me to him!” impatiently ordered the king.  “He can only be found if he wants to be found.”  “Very well, tell him I am the king.”  “I am Merlin,” said the shepherd.

The king asked his courtiers if one of them recognized Merlin, but they had only seen him as the big boy who had come to foretell Vortigern’s downfall.  Suddenly, they all saw a big boy standing there, where a moment before there had been the old shepherd.  Merlin could take on any appearance he wanted!  The king invited Merlin to come and live at his court, to be his most honored chief minister.  But Merlin preferred to live in his forest, far from the intrigues of the court.  Life in the forest is healthier and freer.  However, Merlin assured the king of his lasting dedication to the House of Constans, adding that he would defeat the king’s enemies for him.

And so he did.  With Merlin’s magical assistance, the king defeated the pagans known as the Saines.  With magic incantations, Merlin erected an enormous circular monument of tall stones in the plain where the battle took place, now called Salisbury Plain. The monument is still there and is called Stonehenge, because of the “hanging” stones.

After his victory, the young king built a new residence in Carduel in Wales, where he gave a splendid feast to celebrate the day of Pentecost, or Whitsunday, in May.  Among the prominent guests were the duke and duchess of Cornwall, Hoell and Igerna Gorlois.  When he saw her.  Uter Pendragon fell hopelessly in love with the beautiful Igerna, but she wanted to remain faithful to her husband.  The king could think of only one solution to his heart’s new problem. There was no one in the kingdom who knew an answer except Merlin.  The king sent a messenger to Merlin, inviting him to a secret meeting.  Of course, Merlin knew in advance what the king’s desire was—indeed he knew more than that.  He spoke: “Sire, I will help you in your endeavor to conquer the Lady Igerna for one reason only: