ur, and had craved harbourage
there, and the king of his kindness had granted it them. But by reason
of the prophecy which the trolls knew of concerning the great renown
which Perceval was to gain, they had been dumb of speech since they had
last seen the young man.

And now at sight of him their tongues were loosed, and they ran and
kissed his feet, and cried together:

'The welcome of Heaven be unto thee, goodly Perceval, son of Earl
Evroc! Chief of warriors art thou, and stainless flower of knighthood!'

'Truly,' said Kay wrathfully, 'thou art an ill-conditioned pair, to
remain a year mute at King Arthur's court, and now before the face of
goodly knights to acclaim this churl with the mouldy coat, chief of
warriors and flower of knighthood!'

In his rage he beat Tod the dwarf such a blow, that the poor troll fell
senseless to the ground; and the troll-wife he kicked, so that she was
dashed among the dogs, who bit her.

'Tall man,' said Perceval, and men marvelled to see the high look on
his face and the cold scorn in his eyes, 'I will have vengeance on thee
for the insult and ill-treatment thou hast done these two poor dwarfs.
But tell me now which of these knights is Arthur?'

'Away with thee,' shouted Kay, enraged. 'If thou wouldst see Arthur, go
to the knight with the goblet who waits for thee at the ford, and take
the goblet from him, and slay him. Then when thou comest back clad in
his armour, we will speak further with thee.'

'I will do so, angry man,' said Perceval, and amid the shouts of
laughter and the sneers of the crowd he turned his horse's head and
rode out of the hall.

Going to the meadow beside the ford, he saw a knight riding up and
down, proud of his strength and valour.

'Tell me, fellow,' said the knight, who bore on his shield the device
of a black tower on a red field, 'didst thou see any one coming after
me from the court yonder?'

'The tall man that was there,' said Perceval, 'bade me to come to thee,
and I am to overthrow thee and to take from thee the goblet, and as for
thy horse and thy arms I am to have them myself.'

'Silence, prating fool!' shouted the knight, 'go back to the court and
tell Arthur to come himself, or to send a champion to fight me, or I
will not wait, and great will be his shame.'

'By my faith,' said Perceval, 'whether thou art willing or unwilling,
it is I that will have thy horse and arms and the goblet.'

And he prepared to throw his javelin-sticks.