ch King Fisherman, and the most Holy Graal appear
before you and you demand unto whom is served thereof, then will she
have done her penance, and I, that am bald, shall receive again my
hair. And so you also make not demand thereof, then will it behove us
suffer sore annoy until such time as the Good knight shall come and
shall have achieved the Graal. For on account of him that first was
there and made not the demand, are all the lands in sorrow and warfare,
and the good King Fisherman is yet in languishment."

"Damsel," saith Messire Gawain, "God grant me courage and will herein
that I may come to do this thing according to your wish, whereof may I
win worship both of God and of the world."

III.

Messire Gawain and the damsels go on their way a great pace through the
high forest, green and leafy, where the birds are singing, and enter
into the most hideous forest and most horrible that any might ever see,
and seemed it that no greenery never there had been, so bare and dry
were all the branches and all the trees black and burnt as it had been
by fire, and the ground all parched and black atop with no green, and
full of great cracks.

"Damsel," saith Messire Gawain, "Right loathly is this forest and right
hideous. Goeth it on far like this?"

"Sir." saith she, "For nine leagues Welsh goeth it on the same, but we
shall pass not through the whole thereof."

Messire Gawain looketh from time to time on the damsel that cometh
arbor, and sore it irketh him that he may not amend her estate. They
ride on until that they come to a great valley and Messire Gawain
looketh along the bottom and seeth appear a black castle that was
enclosed within a girdle of wall, foul and evilseeming. The nigher he
draweth to the castle the more hideous it seemeth him, and he seeth
great halls appear that were right foully mis-shapen, and the forest
about it he seeth to be like as he had found it behind. He seeth a
water come down from the head of a mountain, foul and horrible and
black, that went amidst the castle roaring so loud that it seemed to be
thunder. Messire Gawain seeth the entrance of the gateway foul and
horrible like as it had been hell, and within the castle heard he great
outcries and lamentations, and the most part heard he saying: "Ha, God!
What hath become of the Good Knight, and when will he come?"

"Damsel," saith Messire Gawain, "What is this castle here that is so
foul and hideous, wherein is such dolour suf