Now if the knights had been astounded at the first, yet stiller were
they all, high and low, when they had heard his words. The knight on his
steed straightened himself in the saddle, and rolled his eyes fiercely
round the hall, red they gleamed under his green and bushy brows. He
frowned and twisted his beard, waiting to see who should rise, and when
none answered he cried aloud in mockery, “What, is this Arthur’s hall,
and these the knights whose renown hath run through many realms? Where
are now your pride and your conquests, your wrath, and anger, and mighty
words? Now are the praise and the renown of the Round Table overthrown
by one man’s speech, since all keep silence for dread ere ever they have
seen a blow!”
With that he laughed so loudly that the blood rushed to the king’s fair
face for very shame; he waxed wroth, as did all his knights, and sprang
to his feet, and drew near to the stranger and said, “Now by heaven
foolish is thine asking, and thy folly shall find its fitting answer. I
know no man aghast at thy great words. Give me here thine axe and I
shall grant thee the boon thou hast asked.” Lightly he sprang to him and
caught at his hand, and the knight, fierce of aspect, lighted down from
his charger.
Then Arthur took the axe and gripped the haft, and swung it round, ready
to strike. And the knight stood before him, taller by the head than any
in the hall; he stood, and stroked his beard, and drew down his coat, no
more dismayed for the king’s threats than if one had brought him a drink
of wine.