e asking," said the King; "ye shall have meat and
drink enough; I never refuse that to any, neither my friend nor my foe.
But what is your name I would know?"

"I cannot tell you," said he.

The King marvelled at this answer, but took him to Sir Kay, the
steward, and charged him that he should give the youth of all manner of
meats and drinks of the best, and also that he should have all manner
of finding as though he were a lord's son.

"That need not be," said Sir Kay, "to do such cost upon him; for I dare
undertake he is a villain born, and never will make a man, for had he
come of gentlemen he would have asked of you horse and armour; but such
as he is, so he asketh. And since he hath no name, I shall give him
the name Beaumains, that is Fair-hands, and into the kitchen I shall
bring him, and there he shall have rich broth every day, so that he
shall be as fat by the twelvemonth's end as a pork hog."

So the two men departed, and left him to Sir Kay, who scorned him and
mocked him. Thereat was Sir Gawaine wroth, and especially Sir
Launcelot bade Sir Kay leave off his mocking, "for," said he, "I dare
wager he shall prove a man of great honour."

"It may not be by any reason," said Sir Kay, "for as he is, so hath he
asked."

So Sir Kay ordered that a place be made for him, and Fair-hands went to
the hall door, and sat down among boys and lads, and there he ate
sadly. After meat Sir Launcelot bade him come to his chamber, where he
should have meat and drink enough, and so did Sir Gawaine; but he
refused them all; he would do none other but as Sir Kay commanded him.
As touching Sir Gawaine, he had reason to proffer him lodging, meat,
and drink, for he was nearer kin to him than he knew. But what Sir
Launcelot did was of his great gentleness and courtesy.

Thus Fair-hands was put into the kitchen, and lay nightly as the boys
of the kitchen did. And so he endured all that twelvemonth, and never
displeased man nor child, but always he was meek and mild. But ever
when there was any jousting of knights, that would he see if he could.
And where were any masteries done, thereat would he be, and there might
none cast bar nor stone to him by two yards. Then would Sir Kay say,
"How like you my boy of the kitchen?"

So it passed on till the least of Whitsuntide, which at that time the
King held at Carlion in the most royal wise that might be, as he did
every year. As he again sat at meat, there came a damsel into t