King Fisherman, of whom is great grief."

"Damsel," saith the King, "You say true; and God grant him his heart's
desire!"

"Sir," saith she, "Know you wherefore he hath fallen into languishment?"

"Nay, I know not at all, but gladly would I learn."

"And I will tell you," saith she. "This languishment is come upon him
through one that harboured in his hostel, to whom the most Holy Graal
appeared. And, for that he would not ask unto whom one served thereof,
were all the lands commoved to war thereby, nor never thereafter might
knight meet other but he should fight with him in arms without none
other occasion. You yourself may well perceive the same, for your
well-doing hath greatly slackened, whereof have you had much blame, and
all the other barons that by you have taken ensample, for you are the
mirror of the world alike in well-doing and in evil-doing. Sir, I
myself have good right to plain me of the knight, and I will show you
wherefore."

She lifteth the rich hat from her head and showeth the King and Queen
and the knights in the hall her head all bald without hair.

"Sir," saith she, "My head was right seemly garnished of hair plaited
in rich tresses of gold at such time as the knight came to the hostel
of the rich King Fisherman, but I became bald for that he made not the
demand, nor never again shall I have my hair until such time as a
knight shall go thither that shall ask the question better than did he,
or the knight that shall achieve the Graal. Sir, even yet have you not
seen the sore mischief that hath befallen thereof. There is without
this hall a car that three white harts have drawn hither, and lightly
may you send to see how rich it is. I tell you that the traces are of
silk and the axletrees of gold, and the timber of the car is ebony.
The car is covered above with a black samite, and below is a cross of
gold the whole length, and under the coverlid of the car are the heads
of an hundred and fifty knights whereof some be sealed in gold, other
some in silver and the third in lead. King Fisherman sendeth you word
that this loss I hath befallen of him that demanded not unto whom one
serveth of the Graal. Sir, the damsel that beareth the shield holdeth
in her hand the head of a Queen that is sealed in lead and crowned with
copper, and I tell you that by the Queen whose head you here behold was
the King betrayed whose head I bear, and the three manner of knights
whose heads are within the car.