el had come pretty close to where they sat at their
feast, she drew rein and cried out: "God save you, gentles! Now I pray
you tell me if there is any knight here who hath a mind for an adventure
that would doubtless be very pleasant for him to undertake?"

To this Sir Launcelot made reply: "I dare say, fair maiden, that there
are several knights here who would take pleasure in assuming any
adventure that one so beautiful as you are might call upon him to
perform. Speaking for myself, I shall be very glad to assume such an
adventure; wherefore, I pray thee, tell me what that adventure is."

"I will tell you," said the damsel. "The adventure which I would have
you undertake is hight the Adventure of the Fountain, and if you would
assume it, you have only to take yonder path that leads through the
woodlands in that direction and you shall come to it anon. For if you go
in that way you will come, by and by, to a high mound, where you will
find a huge black man sitting, watching a herd of cattle. Tell him that
you are come to assume the Adventure of the Fountain, and he will direct
you farther upon your way."

Then Sir Launcelot said: "This is a very strange thing that thou hast
set me to undertake. Now I prithee tell me further concerning this
adventure, and what will befall after I have bespoken that black
herdsman of whom thou tellest." But at this the maiden only laughed and
said: "The black man who sits upon the mound, he will tell you all that
is necessary for you to know." Thereupon she turned her horse about and
immediately departed with those two esquires who attended her. And so
presently she reached the edge of the woodland and disappeared into the
forest whence she had emerged not a very long while before. And all that
court of knights and ladies were equally amazed at her coming and at her
going.

Then after she had thus gone Sir Launcelot said: "I know not what it is
that this damsel has set me to do, but let us abide here to-night as we
had purposed, and when to-morrow comes then we will all depart together
in quest of this adventure which she calleth the 'Adventure of the
Fountain.' For I doubt not that it is some very excellent undertaking
that will afford us extraordinary entertainment."

[Sidenote: _They depart upon the Adventure of the Fountain._]

Accordingly, that night they abided where they were, and when the early
breaking of the day had come they departed thence upon the way that the
damsel h