service. For if you did but know who I am and what
it is that hath befallen me, you would know that such as I are not they
to take such service upon them, nor am I one to make sport for a lady
by exhibiting the miserable condition into which I have fallen from an
one time high estate."

Thus said Sir Gawaine in a great agony of spirit, but still those that
heard him did but laugh. Then seeing that he was of no mind to go with
them, they bound his hands and his feet together so that he could not
escape and so they constrained him to go whether he would or not.

After that they departed out of that forest and away therefrom, and by
and by Sir Gawaine beheld that they were approaching a castle and that
the castle was a very noble, stately, and lordly dwelling place.

[Sidenote: _They bring Sir Gawaine to the castle of a lady._]

So they came to the castle and entered into the courtyard thereof, and
after they had so arrived, he who was the leader of that party took Sir
Gawaine up to a certain place where the lady of the castle was, and he
said to her: "Lady, behold this dwarf; we have caught him in the
woodlands and have brought him to you to serve you instead of that
creature who died a while since. Saw ye ever such a wonderful dwarf as
this?"

Then the lady of the castle looked upon Sir Gawaine and beheld how
exceedingly diminutive he was and how exceedingly misshapen. And she was
astonished at his appearance, and she said to him, "Who art thou, and
whence comest thou?" She spake with such kindness and gentleness that
Sir Gawaine was emboldened to tell her of his misfortune wherefore he
cried out: "Lady, if I would tell you you would not believe me, for I am
not what I appear to be, but am something altogether different. This
morning I was a noble knight, but I have been enchanted and now I am
what you behold me."

[Sidenote: _The lady pitieth Sir Gawaine._]

At this the lady of the castle also thought that Sir Gawaine was
certainly mad, wherefore she said: "This poor creature is not in his
senses. Take him hence and treat him very kindly. Let him be fed and
clothed and then chain him with a very light chain of silver so that he
may not escape until he hath become used to this place, and yet so that
he may not be burdened with these chains."

So spoke the lady very kindly and gently, but Sir Gawaine was filled
full of an utter despair at her words. So he was taken away and fed like
to some pet creature and he w