The blood spurted forth, and glistened on the green raiment, but the
knight neither faltered nor fell; he started forward with out-stretched
hand, and caught the head, and lifted it up; then he turned to his
steed, and took hold of the bridle, set his foot in the stirrup, and
mounted. His head he held by the hair, in his hand. Then he seated
himself in his saddle as if naught ailed him, and he were not headless.
He turned his steed about, the grim corpse bleeding freely the while,
and they who looked upon him doubted them much for the covenant.
For he held up the head in his hand, and turned the face towards them
that sat on the high daïs, and it lifted up the eye-lids and looked upon
them, and spake as ye shall hear. “Look, Gawain, that thou art ready to
go as thou hast promised, and seek leally till thou find me, even as
thou hast sworn in this hall in the hearing of these knights. Come thou,
I charge thee, to the Green Chapel, such a stroke as thou hast dealt
thou hast deserved, and it shall be promptly paid thee on New Year’s
morn. Many men know me as the knight of the Green Chapel, and if thou
askest thou shalt not fail to find me. Therefore it behoves thee to
come, or to yield thee as recreant.”
With that he turned his bridle, and galloped out at the hall door, his
head in his hands, so that the sparks flew from beneath his horse’s
hoofs. Whither he went none knew, no more than they wist whence he had
come; and the king and Gawain they gazed and laughed, for in sooth this
had proved a greater marvel than any they had known aforetime.
Though Arthur the king was astonished at his heart, yet he let no sign
of it be seen, but spake in courteous wise to the fair queen: “Dear
lady, be not dismayed, such craft is well suited to Christmas-tide when
we seek jesting, laughter and song, and fair carols of knights and
ladies. But now I may well get me to meat, for I have seen a marvel I
may not forget.” Then he looked on Sir Gawain, and said gaily, “Now,
fair nephew, hang up thine axe, since it has hewn enough,” and they hung
it on the dossal above the daïs, where all men might look on it for a
marvel, and by its true token tell of the wonder. Then the twain sat
them down together, the king and the good knight, and men served them
with a double portion, as was the share of the noblest, with all manner
of meat and of minstrelsy. And they spent that day in gladness, but Sir
Gawain must well bethink him of the heavy venture to which he had set
his hand.