edly by him.

_WHAT BEAUMAINS ASKED OF THE KING_

As Pentecost drew near King Arthur commanded that all the Knights of
the Round Table should keep the feast at a city called Kin-Kenadon,
hard by the sands of Wales, where there was a great castle. Now it was
the King's custom that he would eat no food on the day of Pentecost,
which we call Whit Sunday, until he had heard or seen some great
marvel. So on that morning Sir Gawaine was looking from the window a
little before noon when he espied three men on horseback, and with
them a dwarf on foot, who held their horses when they alighted. Then
Sir Gawaine went to the King and said, 'Sir, go to your food, for
strange adventures are at hand.' And Arthur called the other Kings
that were in the castle, and all the Knights of the Round Table that
were a hundred and fifty, and they sat down to dine. When they were
seated there entered the hall two men well and richly dressed, and
upon their shoulders leaned the handsomest young man that ever was
seen of any of them, higher than the other two by a cubit. He was wide
in the chest and large handed, but his great height seemed to be a
burden and a shame to him, therefore it was he leaned on the shoulders
of his friends. As soon as Arthur beheld him he made a sign, and
without more words all three went up to the high dais, where the King
sat. Then the tall young man stood up straight, and said: 'King
Arthur, God bless you and all your fair fellowship, and in especial
the fellowship of the Table Round. I have come hither to pray you to
give me three gifts, which you can grant me honourably, for they will
do no hurt to you or to anyone.' 'Ask,' answered Arthur, 'and you
shall have your asking.'

'Sir, this is my petition for this feast, for the other two I will ask
after. Give me meat and drink for this one twelvemonth.' 'Well,' said
the king, 'you shall have meat and drink enough, for that I give to
every man, whether friend or foe. But tell me your name!'

'I cannot tell you that,' answered he. 'That is strange,' replied the
King, 'but you are the goodliest young man I ever saw,' and, turning
to Sir Kay, the steward, charged him to give the young man to eat and
drink of the best, and to treat him in all ways as if he were a lord's
son. 'There is little need to do that,' answered Sir Kay, 'for if he
had come of gentlemen and not of peasants he would have asked of you a
horse and armour. But as the birth of a man is so are h