sy. Go forward swiftly, for I saw
such a one as ye go by here but two hours ago, and he flashed in the
sun as he rode swiftly. And now I will be as one of you.'

Perceval went swiftly back to his mother's house and found her among
her women.

'Mother,' he said, 'I have seen a great and wonderful sight on the
great road across the moor.'

'Ah, my dear son, what was that?' she asked.

'They were three honourable knights,' he said. 'And, mother, I will be
a knight also.'

With a great shriek his mother swooned away, and the women turned him
from the room and said he had slain his mother.

Much grieved was Perceval that he had hurt his mother, and so, taking
his store of pointed sticks, he went off into the forest, and strayed
there a long time, torn between his love for his mother, and the
strange restlessness which the sight of the three warriors had caused
in him.

As he wandered, troubled, his quick ear caught the clang of metal,
though he knew not what it was. And swiftly he ran towards the sound a
long way, until he came into a clearing, and found two knights on
horseback doing mighty battle. One bore a red shield and the other a
green one.

He looked eagerly at this strange sight, and the blood sang in his
veins. And then he saw that the green knight was of slighter frame than
the other, and was weakening before the strokes of the red knight.

Full of anger at the sight, Perceval launched one of his hard-wood
javelins at the red knight. With such force did it go, and so true was
the aim, that it pierced the coif of the knight, and entered between
the neck and the head, and the red knight swayed and then clattered to
the ground, dead.

The green knight came and thanked Perceval for thus saving his life.

'Are knights then so easy to slay?' asked the lad. 'Methought that none
might pierce through the hauberk of a knight, and I sorrow that I have
slain him, not thinking what I did.'

'He was a full evil knight,' said the other, 'and deserved death richly
for his many villainies and oppressions of weak orphans and friendless
widows.'

The knight took the body of the dead knight to be buried in a chapel,
and told Perceval he could have the horse. But the lad would not have
it, though he longed greatly to possess it, and the green knight took
it with him.

Then Perceval went home, sad, yet wild with wonder at what he had done.
He found his mother well again, but very sorrowful. And for fear of
giving he