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So the first knight came to the Tower. Now his name was _Casse-Tout_,
because wherever he came there was much breaking of things that stood
in his way. And when he saw that the door of the Tower was shut (for
it was very early in the morning, and all the woods lay asleep in the
shadow, and only the weather-cock on the uppermost gable of the roof
was turning in the light wind of dawn), it seemed to him that the time
favoured a bold deed and a masterful entrance.
He laid hold of the door, therefore, and shook it; but the door would
not give. Then he set his shoulder to it and thrust mightily; but the
door did not so much as creak. Whereupon he began to hammer against it
with his gloves of steel, and shouted with a voice as if the master
were suddenly come home to his house and found it barred.
When he was quite out of breath, between his shoutings he was aware of
a small, merry noise as of one laughing and singing. So he listened,
and this is what he heard:
"Hark to the wind in the wood without!
I laugh in my bed while I hear him roar,
Blustering, bellowing, shout after shout,--
What do you want, O wind, at my door?"
Then he cried loudly: "No wind am I, but a mighty knight, and your
door is shut. I must come in to you and that speedily!" But the
singing voice answered:
"Blow your best, you can do no more;
Batter away, for my door is stout;
The more you threaten, I laugh the more--
Hark to the wind in the wood without!"
So he hammered a while longer at the oaken panels until he was
wearifully wroth, and when the sun was rising he went his way with
sore hands and a sullen face.
"No doubt," said he, "there is a she-devil in the Tower. I hate those
who put their trust in brute strength."
It was mid-morn when there came a second knight to the Tower, whose
name was _Parle-Doux_. And he was very gentle-spoken, and full of
favourable ways, smiling always when he talked, but his eyes were cool
and ever watchful. So he made his horse prance delicately before the
Tower, and looked up at the windows with a flattering face;
"Fair house," said he, "how well art thou fashioned, and with what
beauty does the sunlight adorn thee! Here dwells the wonder of the
world, the lady of all desires, the princess of my good fortune. Would
that she might look upon me and see that the happy hour has come!"
Then there was a little sound at one of the upper windows, and the
lattice clicked open. But the lady who stood there was closely covered
with a jewelled veil, and nothing could be seen of her but her hand,
with many rings upon it, holding a key.
"Marvel of splendour," said _Parle-Doux_, "moon of beauty, jewel of
all ladies! I have won you to look upon me, now let fall the key."
"And then?" said the lady.
"Then, surely," said the knight, "I will open the door without delay,
and spring up the stairs, winged with joy, and----"
But before he had finished speaking, with the smile on his face, the
hand was drawn back, and the lattice clicked shut.
So the knight sang and talked very beautifully for about the space of
three hours in front of the Tower. And when he rode away it was just
as it had been before, only the afternoon shadows were falling.
A little before sunset came the third knight, and his name was
_Fais-Brave_.
Now the cool of the day had called all the birds to their even-song,
and the flowers in the garden were yielding up their sweetness to the
air, and through the wood Twilight was walking with silent steps.
So the knight looked well at the Tower, and saw that all the windows
were open, though the door was shut, and on the grass before it lay a
jewelled veil. And after a while of looking and waiting and thinking
and wondering, he got down from his horse, and took off the saddle and
bridle, and let him go free to wander and browse in the wood. Then the
knight sat down on a little green knoll before the Tower, and made
himself comfortable, as one who had a thought of continuing in that
place for a certain time.
And after the sun was set, when the longest shadows flowed into dusk,
the lady came walking out of the wood toward the Tower. She was
lightly singing to herself a song of dreams. Her face was uncovered,
and the gold of her hair was clear as the little floating clouds high
in the West, and her eyes were like stars. When the knight saw her he
stood up and could say nothing. But all the more he looked at her, and
wondered, and his thoughts were written in his face as if they stood
in an open book.
Long time they looked at each other thus; and then the lady held out
her hand with a key in it.
"What will you do with this key?" said she, "if I give it to you?"
"Is it the key of your Tower?" said he.
"Ay!" said she.
"I will give it back to you," said he, "until it pleases you to open
the door."
"It is yours," said she.
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