who were his sons. Of these Sir Percival made demand that
they should transport him across the lake to the island and thereupon
the ferryman immediately prepared to do so.

Then Sir Percival said to Sir Ector: "Sir, I pray you of your courtesy
for one thing," and Sir Ector said, "What is that?" Sir Percival said:
"I pray you that you will abide here and let me undertake this adventure
alone. For I would not have it that two of us together should go forth
against this one knight. And indeed I have great hope that I may be
successful in this, even though I go thus alone, wherefore it is that I
pray you of your courtesy that you will abide here, and patiently await
my return."

So spake Sir Percival, and Sir Ector said: "Messire, let it be as you
say and I will even abide here at this place and await your return. And
if you should fail in that which you undertake, then will I also essay
this adventure to discover if I may meet with better success."

[Sidenote: _Sir Percival passeth to Joyous Isle._]

So therewith Sir Percival entered the boat, and the ferryman and his two
sons also entered it, and they bent to their oars and in a little while
they had rowed Sir Percival across the water to the island that lay upon
the farther side.

Then when Sir Percival had safely come to the island in that wise, he
rode up toward the castle through that very pleasant meadow aforetold
of, and so came to the castle gateway. Here he beheld a bugle horn
hanging by a chain. Then he took that bugle horn into his hands and blew
upon it until the walls of the castle rang with the sound thereof. Anon,
in answer to that blast, there came the porter of that castle and looked
at Sir Percival through the wicket of the gate. And the porter said:
"Messire, what would you have of us of this castle?"

Quoth Sir Percival: "Good man, I have heard news of the great prowess of
the knight-champion of this castle, and so I have come hither to make a
better acquaintance of that prowess. Now I, pray you to go to him and to
tell him that there hath come an errant knight who would fain do battle
with him in a friendly tilt if so be he will come forth hither without
the castle and meet me in the meadow that lieth beneath the walls. For
that meadow is a pleasant place, smooth and level, where two knights may
have great joy in running atilt in friendly contest."

"Messire," quoth the porter, "it needs not that the knight of this
castle should come forth out