the horse.

"Sir," saith Perceval, "Your brother had not deserved his death,
methinketh, for it was not he that slew the knight."

"No, Sir, I know it all of a truth, but another, that slew the Red
Knight of the Deep Forest."

Perceval was silent thereupon. He lay the night at the hostel and was
harboured right well, and on the morrow departed when he had taken
leave. He wandered until he came to a hermitage there where he heard
mass. After the service, the hermit came unto him and said: "Sir,"
saith he, "In this forest are knights all armed that are keeping watch
for the knight that slew Aristor and the Red Knight and his lion as
well. Wherefore they meet no knight in this forest but they are minded
to slay him for the knight that slew these twain."

"Sir," saith Perceval, "God keep me from meeting such folk as would do
me evil."

XIII.

With that he departed from the hermitage and took leave of the hermit,
and rideth until that he is come into the forest and espieth the knight
that sitteth on Aristor's horse for that he hath slain the other
knight. A second knight was with him. They abide when they see
Perceval.

"By my head," saith one of them, "This same shield bare he that slew
Aristor, as it was told us, and, like enough, it may be he."

They come toward him, full career. Perceval seeth them coming, and
forgetteth not his spurs, but rather cometh against them the speediest
he may. The two knights smote him upon the shield and brake their
spears. Perceval overtaketh him that sitteth on Aristor's horse and
thrusteth an ell's length of his spear through his body and so
overthroweth him dead.

XIV.

After that, he cometh to the other knight, that fain would have fled,
and smiteth off the shoulder close to his side, and he fell dead by the
side of the other. He taketh both twain of their destriers, and
knotteth the reins together and driveth them before him as far as the
house of the hermit, that had issued forth of his hermitage. He
delivered unto him the horse of Aristor and the other of the knight
that he had sent thither.

"Sir," saith Perceval, "Well I know that and you shall see any knight
that hath need of it and shall ask you, you will lend him one of these
horses, for great courtesy is it to aid a worshipful man when one seeth
him in misfortune."

"Sir," saith the hermit, "But now since, were here three knights. So
soon as they knew that the two were dead whose horses you had d