nd like to a
wild creature, and hence it was that much talk of that wild man of the
forest went about the countryside, and folk were afraid of all that part
of the woodlands because of him.

Now one pleasant morning in the autumn season when the early frosts were
come, and when all the trees had taken on their clothing of crimson and
russet and gold, Sir Launcelot, in his mad wanderings, came to the edge
of the woodland and there before him he beheld a little open plain all
yellow and bright in the broad beams of the shining sunlight. And Sir
Launcelot beheld that in the midst of that small plain was a fair
pavilion of blue silk. And he beheld that near by the pavilion there
were three horses tethered browsing upon the autumn grass. And he beheld
that a bright shield hung to a tree that grew near the pavilion, and
that a fair sword hung nigh the shield, and that a spear leaned against
the tree beside the shield and sword.

Then Sir Launcelot was pleased with the bright color of the pavilion and
something of knighthood awoke within him at the sight of the shield and
the sword and the spear, wherefore he desired to handle the sword and
the spear and to touch the shield.

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot beateth upon the shield of Sir Blyant._]

So Sir Launcelot went forward into that plain and he came to the tree
where were the sword and the shield and the spear. And he took the
pommel of the sword into his hand. Thereupon a great desire for battle
came upon him, and he straightway catched the pommel of the sword in
both his hands and he drew the blade forth from the sheath. And he
whirled the sword about his head and he smote the shield; and he smote
it again and again, striking great dents into it with the blade of the
sword; and the sound of those blows made such a din and uproar that it
was as though ten men were fighting in that place.

Therewith, at all that sudden din and uproar, there came running out of
that pavilion a misshapen dwarf very broad of shoulder and strong of
limb. And when that dwarf beheld a madman smiting the shield in that
wise, he ran at him with intent to take the sword away from him.

But Sir Launcelot beheld the dwarf coming in that wise, and straightway
he dropped the sword which he held, and he catched the dwarf by the
shoulders and he flung him so violently down upon the earth that the
neck of the dwarf was wellnigh broken by that fall.

Then the dwarf was overwhelmed with the terror of Sir