_How La Cote Male Taile overthrew Sir Dagonet the king’s fool, and of
the rebuke that he had of the damsel._
Then Sir Kay ordained Sir Dagonet, king Arthur’s fool, to follow after
La Cote Male Taile, and there Sir Kay ordained that Sir Dagonet was
horsed and armed, and bad him follow La Cote Male Taile and proffer him
to just, and so he did, and when he saw La Cote Male Taile he cried and
bad him make him ready to just. So Sir La Cote Male Taile smote Sir
Dagonet over his horse croup. Then the damsel mocked La Cote Male
Taile, and said, Fie for shame, now art thou shamed in Arthur’s court
when they send a fool to have ado with thee, and specially at thy first
justs. Thus she rode long and chid. And within a while there came Sir
Bleoberis the good knight, and there he justed with La Cote Male Taile,
and there Sir Bleoberis smote him so sore that horse and all fell to
the earth. Then La Cote Male Taile arose up lightly and dressed his
shield and drew his sword, and would have done battle to the utterance,
for he was wood wroth. Not so, said Bleoberis de Ganis, as at this time
I will not fight upon foot. Then the damsel Maledisant rebuked him in
the foullest manner, and bad him, turn again coward. Ah damsel, he
said, I pray you of mercy to missay me no more, my grief is enough
though ye give me no more. I call myself never the worse knight when a
mare’s son faileth me, and also I count me never the worse knight for a
fall of Sir Bleoberis. So thus he rode with her two days, and by
fortune there came Sir Palamides and encountered with him, and he in
the same wise served him as did Bleoberis toforehand. What dost thou
here in my fellowship, said the damsel Maledisant, thou canst not sit
no knight nor withstand him one buffet, but if it were Sir Dagonet. Ah
fair damsel, I am not the worse to take a fall of Sir Palamides, and
yet great disworship have I none, for neither Bleoberis nor yet
Palamides would not fight with me on foot. As for that, said the
damsel, wit thou well they have disdain and scorn to light off their
horses to fight with such a mean knight as thou art. So in the
meanwhile there came Sir Mordred, Sir Gawaine’s brother, and so he fell
in the fellowship with the damsel Maledisant. And then they came afore
the castle Orgulous, and there was such a custom that there might no
knight come by that castle but either he must just or be prisoner, or
at the least to lose his horse and his harness. And there came out two
knights against them, and Sir Mordred justed with the foremost, and
that knight of the castle smote Sir Mordred down off his horse. And
then anon La Cote Male Taile justed with that other, and either of them
smote other down, horse and all to the earth. And when they avoided
their horses, then either of them took other’s horses. And then La Cote
Male Taile rode into that knight that smote down Sir Mordred, and
justed with him; and there Sir La Cote Male Taile hurt and wounded him
passing sore, and put him from his horse as he had been dead. So he
turned unto him that met him afore, and he took the flight toward the
castle, and Sir La Cote Male Taile rode after him into the castle
Orgulous, and there La Cote Male Taile slew him.