Perceval had been with his mother as long as it pleased him. He hath
departed with her good will and the good will of his sister, and
telleth them he will return into the land as speedily as he may. He
entereth into the great Lonely Forest, and rideth so far on his
journeys that he cometh one day at the right hour of noon into a
passing fair launde, and seeth a forest. He looketh amidst the launde
and seeth a red cross. He looketh to the head of the launde and seeth
a right comely knight sitting in the shadow of the forest, and he was
clad in white garments and held a vessel of gold in his hand. At the
other end of the launde he seeth a damsel likewise sitting, young and
gentle and of passing great beauty, and she was clad in a white samite
dropped of gold. Josephus telleth us by the divine scripture that out
of the forest issued a beast, white as driven snow, and it was bigger
than a fox and less than a hare. The beast came into the launde all
scared, for she had twelve hounds in her belly, that quested within
like as it were hounds in a wood, and she fled adown the launde for
fear of the hounds, the questing whereof she had within her. Perceval
rested on the shaft of his spear to look at the marvel of this beast,
whereof he had right great pity, so gentle was she of semblance, and of
so passing beauty, and by her eyes it might seem that they were two
emeralds. She runneth to the knight, all affrighted, and when she hath
been there awhile and the hounds rend her again, she runneth to the
damsel, but neither there may she stay long time, for the hounds that
are within her cease not of their questing, whereof is she sore adread.