Hereupon the story is silent of King Arthur, and turneth again to speak
of the three damsels and the car that was drawn by the three white
harts. They are entered into the forest and ride on right busily.
When they had left the castle some seven leagues Welsh behind them,
they saw a knight coming toward them on the way they had to go. The
knight sat on a tall horse, lean and bony. His habergeon was all rusty
and his shield pierced in more than a dozen places, and the colour
thereon was so fretted away that none might make out the cognizance
thereof. And a right thick spear bore he in his hand. When he came
anigh the damsel, he saluted her right nobly.
"Fair welcome, damsel, to you and your company."
"Sir," saith she, "God grant you joy and good adventure!"
"Damsel," saith the knight, "Whence come you?"
"Sir, from a court high-plenary that King Arthur holdeth at
Pannenoisance. Go you thither, sir knight," saith the damsel, "to see
the King and the Queen and the knights that are there?"
"Nay, not so!" saith he. "Many a time have I seen them, but right glad
am I of King Arthur that he hath again taken up his well-doing, for
many a time hath he been accustomed thereof."
"Whitherward have you now emprised your way?" saith the damsel.
"To the land of King Fisherman, and God allow me."
"Sir," saith she, "Tell me your name and bide awhile beside me."
The knight draweth bridle and the damsels and the car come to a stay.
"Damsel," saith he, "Well behoveth me tell you my name. Messire Gawain
am I called, King Arthur's nephew."
"What? are you Messire Gawain? my heart well told me as much."
"Yea, damsel," saith he, "Gawain am I."
"God be praised thereof, for so good knight as are you may well go see
the rich King Fisherman. Now am I fain to pray you of the valour that
is in you and the courtesy, that you return with me and convoy me
beyond a certain castle that is in this forest whereof is some small
peril."
"Damsel," saith Messire Gawain, "Willingly, at your pleasure."
He returneth with the damsel through the midst of the forest that was
tall and leafy and little haunted of folk. The damsel relateth to him
the adventure of the heads that she carried and that were in the car,
like as she did at the court of King Arthur, and of the shield and the
brachet she had left there, but much it misliked Messire Gawain of the
damsel that was afoot behind them. "Damsel," saith Messire Gawain,
"Wherefore doth not this damsel that goeth afoot mount upon the car?"
"Sir," saith she, "This shall she not, for behoveth her go not
otherwise than afoot. But and you be so good knight as men say,
betimes will she have done her penance."
"How so?" saith Gawain.
"I will tell you," saith she. "And it shall so be that God bring you
to the hostel of rich King Fisherman, and the most Holy Graal appear
before you and you demand unto whom is served thereof, then will she
have done her penance, and I, that am bald, shall receive again my
hair. And so you also make not demand thereof, then will it behove us
suffer sore annoy until such time as the Good knight shall come and
shall have achieved the Graal. For on account of him that first was
there and made not the demand, are all the lands in sorrow and warfare,
and the good King Fisherman is yet in languishment."
"Damsel," saith Messire Gawain, "God grant me courage and will herein
that I may come to do this thing according to your wish, whereof may I
win worship both of God and of the world."