Scarcely had the Seven Champions left the castle of Thornogre
Thistlehair when they were joined by the fair-haired son of the
shepherd, who had lived all his life in the chest. Eager to make a
great name for himself he implored them to let him accompany them,
which accordingly they did. Then they turned their faces towards
Arthur's castle.
At evening-time they reached the gates of a very great castle, the
largest in the world, and as they pulled up their horses before it,
an enormous black giant came out of the gate, and looked at them very
hard. They greeted him politely, and asked whose castle this was.
"'Tis the castle of Garnard the Giant," he answered.
They looked at each other with glee, for one of the appointed tasks
was to obtain the sword of this very giant. Then they asked if he
were used to treat strangers courteously.
The black man shook his head. "No stranger ever entered that castle
and came out alive," said he; "but ye have little chance of entrance,
for no traveller is permitted to enter who knows no handicraft."
The Seven Champions on hearing this rode on to the entrance gate, and
called for admittance. The porter refused, however, saying that
there was revelry within, and that no man set foot inside who did not
bring his craft with him. But Kai declared that he was a burnisher
of swords, and that no man could excel him at that trade, whereupon
the porter went to report the matter to Garnard the Giant. Now, it
so happened that Garnard had long wished for one who could brighten
and clean his sword, so he bade the porter to admit him.
So Kai entered alone, and was brought before the giant, who ordered
his sword to be brought to him. Then Kai drew out his whetstone,
and, first asking if he required it to glitter with a blue or a white
lustre, he polished half the blade, and returned it to the giant,
saying: "How is that?"
The giant was highly pleased. "If the rest of my sword can be made
to look like that," said he, "I shall value it above all my
treasures. But how comes it that so clever a craftsman is wandering
about alone without a companion?"
"But I have a companion," said Kai--"a cunning craftsman, too, though
not at this work. Send, I pray you, and admit him. And the porter
shall know him by this sign: the head of his lance shall spring into
the air, draw blood from the wind, and return to its place again."
Then the porter opened the gate, and Bedivere marched into the hall,
ready for what might befall, and stood watching Kai as he went on
polishing the sword. This being done, to gain more time he asked for
the sheath, and he fell to mending it and putting in new sides of
wood.
Meantime, as he had hoped, while all the porters and followers of the
giant stood gaping round him, the young son of the herdsman had
managed to climb over the castle wall, and to help his companions
over also, whereupon they were able to make their way to
hiding-places behind doors and pillars, from which they could see the
company in the hall without being seen themselves.
By this time Kai had finished both sword and scabbard, and, stepping
up to the giant's great chair, pretended to hand them to him. But,
as the giant was off his guard, he lifted the sword, and brought it
down on Garnard's neck, so that he cut off his head. Before his
followers could lay hands on Kai and Bedivere, the knights rushed out
upon them, and slew them all. Then, having loaded themselves with
gold and jewels, but above all with the precious sword, they set
forth again for Arthur's palace.
This time they reached it in safety, and, having told their story,
asked the advice of the King as to which of the six remaining quests
they should first undertake. To seek out Mabon, the son of Modron,
was Arthur's decision; and for this undertaking he chose Uriel
because he could understand the speech of both animals and birds, as
well as that of all strange men; and Idwel, because he was Mabon's
kinsman, with Kai and Bedivere, because they were known never to turn
back from any adventure until it was accomplished.
So these four set out upon their quest.
Now, Mabon had been lost so long ago that not the oldest man on the
earth, nor their great-grandfathers before them, had ever heard
anything at all about him. But Idwel remembered that many birds and
beasts live much longer than the oldest man, so they determined to
seek out the oldest of these.
"And who," said they, "could be older than the Ousel of Deepdell?
Let us seek her help."
So they made their way through a great forest till they came to a
shadowy place, where on a small stone sat the Ousel of Deepdell; and
her they implored to tell them if she knew anything of Mabon, son of
Modron, who was taken from between his mother and the wall when he
was only three days old.
"When I first came here," answered the Ousel gravely, "I was but a
fledgling. On this spot where I now sit stood a smith's stone anvil.
Since then no hand has touched it, but every evening I have pecked at
it with my beak as I smoothed my feathers before sleeping. Now all
that remains of it is this little pebble upon which I sit. Yet
through all the years that have passed while this change took place I
have never heard of Mabon, the son of Modron. But do not despair: I
will take you to a race of creatures who were made before me, and
them ye shall inquire of again."
Then she took them to a place where, at the foot of an ancient oak,
lay the Stag of the Fern Brake. Of him they once more asked the
question: "Dost thou know anything of Mabon, son of Modron, parted
from his mother when three days old?"
The Stag answered: "When first I came here this great forest was a
vast plain, in which grew one little oak sapling. This sapling
became in time an oak-tree, and after its long lifetime gradually
decayed until it became this stump. Now, an oak-tree is three
hundred years in growing, three hundred years in its full strength,
and three hundred years in its decay. Yet in all this time I have
never heard aught of Mabon, son of Modron. But, since ye are
Arthur's knights, I will take you to one who was made before my
time." Then he led them to the Owl of Darkdingle.
"When first I came here," said the Owl from his dark cavernous home
when he heard their question, "this valley was covered with a vast
wood. It decayed away, and another grew up, and after that had
withered away, a third, which now ye see. But never have I heard of
the man whom ye seek. Yet, since ye are Arthur's knights, I will
take ye to the oldest creature in the world--to the Eagle of the
Aldergrove."
So thither they went, and when he heard their question the Eagle
answered: "When I first arrived, there was a rock in this place so
high that I could perch on its top and peck at the stars, and so long
have I been here that now it is but a few inches high. Never have I
heard of this man save once, and that was when I visited the Lone
Lake. There I stuck my claws into a salmon, hoping to kill him for
my supper; but he dragged me into deep water, so that I barely
escaped with my life. But when I went with all my band to slay him,
he sent ambassadors, and made good peace with me, and came and begged
me to take fifty fish-spears out of his back. He, if anyone can,
will tell you what you want to know, and I will be your guide to him."
So they journeyed on till they reached a great blue lake, hidden in
the depths of the forest, and there they found the Salmon of the Lone
Lake. He heard their question, and looking at them very wisely,
replied: "Such wrong as I have never found elsewhere have I found
under the walls of Gloucester Castle, on the River Severn, up which I
travel with every tide. And that ye may know it is so, come, two of
ye, and travel thither upon my shoulders."
Then Kai and Uriel came down to the water, and stood upon the
shoulders of the Salmon of Lane Lake, who swam with them down the
Severn, and brought them under the walls of Gloucester Castle.
"Hark!" said the Salmon; and as they listened, a voice was heard from
the dungeon wall wailing in deepest sorrow and woe. Then Uriel
cried: "Whose voice is this that moans within this gloomy cell?"
"Alas!" wailed the voice, "'tis that of Mabon, the son of Modron,
shut up eternally in the prison of Gwyn, son of Nith, King of Faerie.
Here I, the Elfin Huntsman, ever young, am shut out eternally from
the sight of wood and fell and the joyful chase which is my
birthright."
"Canst thou be ransomed with silver and gold?" asked Uriel.
"No," answered Mabon; "if ever I am rescued from this cruel place it
must be by battle and strife."
Then Uriel and Kai returned to their companions.
Seeing that this was the kind of adventure that Arthur loved, they
journeyed back to the King, and told him all. So he prepared a great
army, and marched by land to attack Gloucester Castle. But while he
fought before the gates, Kai and Bedivere had sailed down the river
on the shoulders of the Salmon of Lone Lake, and, finding the
water-side portion of the Castle unprotected, they broke through the
wall, and carried off Mabon, the son of Modron, and he returned with
them to Arthur's Court.