dwarf, for it was now come that she could hardly ever bear
to be parted from him. And it befell that when the heat of the day had
come the lord of the castle gave orders that a pavilion should be
pitched in a pleasant shady place, and there he and his lady took their
midday meal and rested until the sun should shed a less fervid heat.

[Sidenote: _Sir Gawaine beholdeth the golden bird._]

That time Sir Gawaine was wandering very sadly about the skirts of the
forest, making great moan of that enchantment that lay upon him. So as
he wandered he was suddenly aware of a bird with plumage of gold that
sat upon the ground at a little distance, regarding him with eyes that
were very bright and shining. Now when Sir Gawaine beheld that bird, his
heart leaped very strangely in his breast, for he bethought him that
this was that same golden bird of the Lady Nymue of the Lake which she
had sent to him one time before to guide him to the valley where Sir
Pellias was abiding. For it hath been aforetime told in that Book of
King Arthur (which hath been written before this book) how that same
golden bird had conducted Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine and Sir Marhaus of
Ireland through the forest to where Sir Pellias was at that time in
great trouble and anxiety of soul. So Sir Gawaine, beholding that bird
there in the forest, wist that it was the Lady Nymue's bird, and he
thought that if he should follow it now, maybe it might bring him to the
Lady of the Lake, and that she would release him from his deformity.

So Sir Gawaine went back to that pavilion whence he had come, and he
took a palfrey that he found there, and no one stayed him, for the dwarf
was now permitted to go whithersoever he pleased. So Sir Gawaine mounted
the palfrey and departed without saying a single word to any one, and no
one stayed him in his going.

So Sir Gawaine came again to where he had seen the bird and the bird was
still sitting upon the ground where he had first beheld it.

[Sidenote: _Sir Gawaine followeth the golden bird into the forest._]

Then as Sir Gawaine approached the bird it took wing and flew with
shrill chirping to a little distance and then settled again upon the
ground. And when Sir Gawaine approached it again, again it took wing and
flew chirping to a little distance. So ever it flew and so ever Sir
Gawaine followed, and thus it conducted him into the forest and away
from that place where was the pavilion of the lord and lady.

Thus ever