"Sir Knight," saith the King, "This sword will I give you, and another
thing will I do whereof you shall have joy."
"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "And I will do your need, if God please
and His sweet Mother."
Thereupon he teacheth him the way whereby the Giant went, and the place
where he had his repair, and Messire Gawain goeth his way thitherward
and commendeth himself to God. The country folk pray for him according
to their belief that he may back repair with life and health, for that
he goeth in great peril. He hath ridden until that he cometh to a
great high mountain that lay round about a land that the Giant had all
laid waste, and the enclosure of the mountain went round about for a
good three leagues Welsh, and therewithin was the Giant, so great and
cruel and horrible that he feared no man in the world, and for a long
time had he not been sought out by any knight, for none durst won in
that quarter. And the pass of the mountain whereby he went to his hold
was so strait that no horse might get through; wherefore behoveth
Messire Gawain leave his horse and his shield and spear and to pass
beyond the mountain by sheer force, for the way was like a cut between
sharp rocks. He is come to level ground and looketh before him and
seeth a hold that the Giant had on the top of a rock, and espieth the
Giant and the lad where they were sitting on the level ground under a
tree. Messire Gawain was armed and had his sword girt on, and goeth
his way thitherward. And the Giant seeth him coming and leapeth up and
taketh in hand a great axe that was at his side, and cometh toward
Messire Gawain all girded for the fight and thinketh to smite him a
two-handed stroke right amidst the head. But Messire Gawain swerveth
aside and bestirreth him with his sword and dealeth him a blow such
that he cut off his arm, axe and all. And the Giant returneth backward
when he feeleth himself wounded, and taketh the King's son by the neck
with his other hand and grippeth him so straitly that he strangleth and
slayeth him. Then he cometh back to Messire Gawain and falleth upon
him and grippeth him sore strait by the flanks, and lifteth him three
foot high off the ground and thinketh to carry him to his hold that was
within the rock. And as he goeth thither he falleth, Messire Gawain
and all, and he lieth undermost. Howbeit, he thinketh to rise, but
cannot, for Messire Gawain sendeth him his sword right through his
heart and beyond. Afterward, he cut off the head and cometh there
where the King's child lay dead, whereof is he right sorrowful. And he
beareth him on his neck, and taketh the Giant's head in his hand and
returneth there where he had left his horse and shield and spear, and
mounteth and cometh back and bringeth the King's son before the King
and the head of the Giant hanging.