is the
knight whom thou hast imprisoned." Then he went unto Peredur, and
saluted him, and told him that he would reward the service he had done
him, in any way he might desire. And when they went to meat, Peredur was
placed beside the King, and the maiden on the other side of Peredur, "I
will give thee," said the King, "my daughter in marriage, and half my
kingdom with her, and the two Earldoms as a gift." "Heaven reward thee,
lord," said Peredur, "but I came not here to woo." "What seekest thou,
then, chieftain?" "I am seeking tidings of the Castle of Wonders." "Thy
enterprise is greater, chieftain, than thou wilt wish to pursue," said
the maiden, "nevertheless, tidings shalt thou have of the Castle, and
thou shalt have a guide through my father's dominions, and a sufficiency
of provisions for thy journey, for thou art, O chieftain, the man whom
best I love." Then she said to him, "Go over yonder mountain, and thou
wilt find a Lake, and in the middle of the Lake there is a Castle, and
that is the Castle that is called the Castle of Wonders; and we know not
what wonders are therein, but thus is it called."

And Peredur proceeded towards the Castle, and the gate of the Castle was
open. And when he came to the hall, the door was open, and he entered.
And he beheld a chessboard in the hall, and the chessmen were playing
against each other, by themselves. And the side that he favoured lost
the game, {102} and thereupon the others set up a shout, as though they
had been living men. And Peredur was wroth, and took the chessmen in his
lap, and cast the chessboard into the lake. And when he had done thus,
behold the black maiden came in, and she said to him, "The welcome of
Heaven be not unto thee. Thou hadst rather do evil than good." "What
complaint hast thou against me, maiden?" said Peredur. "That thou hast
occasioned unto the Empress the loss of her chessboard, which she would
not have lost for all her empire. And the way in which thou mayest
recover the chessboard is, to repair to the Castle of Ysbidinongyl, where
is a black man, who lays waste the dominions of the Empress; and if thou
canst slay him, thou wilt recover the chessboard. But if thou goest
there, thou wilt not return alive." "Wilt thou direct me thither?" said
Peredur. "I will show thee the way," she replied. So he went to the
Castle of Ysbidinongyl, and he fought with the black man. And the black
man besought mercy of Peredur. "Mercy will