THE KNIGHT, THE LADY, AND THE FALCON
And Sir Launcelot by fortune came to a fair castle, and as he passed by
he was ware of a falcon that came flying over his head toward a high
elm. As the bird flew into the tree to take her perch, the long lines
about her feet caught on a bough, and when she would take flight again
she hung fast by the legs. Sir Launcelot saw how the fair falcon hung
there, and he was sorry for her.
Meanwhile came a lady out of the castle and cried aloud, "O Launcelot,
Launcelot, as thou art the flower of all knights, help me to get my
hawk. I was holding my hawk and she slipped from me, and if my lord my
husband knows that she is lost he will slay me."
"What is your lord's name?" said Sir Launcelot.
"Sir," said the lady, "his name is Sir Phelot, a knight of Northgalis."
"Well, fair lady," said Launcelot, "since ye know my name, and request
me as a courteous knight to help you, I will do what I may to get your
hawk. And yet truly I am an ill climber, and the tree is passing high,
with few boughs to cling to."
Thereupon Sir Launcelot alighted, and tied his horse to the elm. Then
the lady helped him to unarm, and with might and force he climbed up to
the falcon. He tied the lines to a great rotten branch, brake it off,
and threw it and the hawk down. Anon the lady gat the hawk in her
hand, and thereupon came Sir Phelot suddenly out of the grove, all
armed and with his naked sword in his hand. He called up to Sir
Launcelot and said, "O knight, now have I found thee as I would"; and
he stood at the foot of the tree to slay him.
"Ah lady," said Sir Launcelot, "why have ye betrayed me?"
"She hath done," said Sir Phelot, "but as I commanded her; there is no
help for it; thine hour is come, and thou must die."
"It were shame unto thee," said Sir Launcelot, "for thee, an armed
knight, to slay an unarmed man by treason."
"Thou gettest no other grace," said Sir Phelot; "therefore help thyself
if thou canst."
"Alas," said Sir Launcelot, "that ever knight should die weaponless."
Then he looked above and below him, and saw a big leafless bough. This
he brake off; then he climbed down with it in his hand, and, observing
how his horse stood, he suddenly leaped down to the ground on the
farther side of the horse from the knight.
Then Sir Phelot lashed at him eagerly, thinking to slay him. But Sir
Launcelot put away the stroke with the branch, and then with it gave
Sir Phelot such a blow on one side of the head that he fell down in a
swoon to the ground. Then Sir Launcelot took his sword out of his hand
and struck his head from his body.
"Alas," cried the lady, "why hast thou slain my husband?"
"I am not the cause," said Sir Launcelot, "for with falsehood ye would
have slain me by treason, and now it is fallen on you both."
Thereupon Sir Launcelot gat all his armour as well as he might, and put
it on for fear of further attack, since the knight's castle was so
near. As soon as he might he took his horse, and, thanking God that he
had escaped that adventure, he went on his adventures over many wild
ways, through marsh and valley and forest.
At Pentecost he returned home, and the King and all the court were
passing glad of his coming. And ever now and now came all the knights
back, those that had encountered with Sir Launcelot, those that he had
set free from prison, and all those that knew of his great deeds of
arms. And they all bare record of Sir Launcelot's prowess, so at that
time he had the greatest name of any knight of the world, and most he
was honoured of high and low.