wind and rain arose, and when it was at
its height the Black Knight rode up and began to attack me. We
fought for a little while, but he easily overthrew me. Thinking
me dead, he rode back, leaving me on the ground. But after a
time I was able to mount my horse, and went back to my mother's
castle."

At this moment the king and the queen entered, unperceived by any
one except Sir Ivaine. The young man, who was always polite,
sprang to his feet; then the other knights rose. Sir Kay, who was
not always sweet-tempered, said to Sir Ivaine:

"We all know that you are very polite, but you have more courtesy
than bravery."

At that Sir Ivaine said:

"I was almost a boy when the Black Knight overthrew me, but I
could conquer him now."

"It is very easy to say that after you have eaten," said Sir Kay.
"Almost any knight feels brave and self-satisfied when he has had
a good supper of venison."

The king asked what the conversation was about, and Sir Ivaine
repeated the story of his adventure, adding:

"And, Sir King, I crave your permission to set forth to-morrow to
slay this Black Knight who is a pest in the land."

"I have heard of this man," said the king, "and have often
thought of sending some one to punish him. But he lives far away,
and it has been necessary heretofore to right first the wrongs
nearest home. Yet now his evil deeds and persecutions must cease.
To-morrow a company of us will set forth and conquer him and all
his people."

The king named some half-dozen of his knights, Sir Ivaine among
them, who were to undertake this adventure.

Sir Ivaine was displeased; he thought that the adventure should
be his alone. So he rose in the middle of the night and stole
away unattended, determined to go in advance of the others and
kill the Black Knight. It did not occur to him that in proving
himself brave, he was also proving himself disobedient.

He rode forth in the darkness, humming merrily to himself. At
daybreak he reached a valley, and as he went through it, saw a
great serpent fighting with a lion. Sir Ivaine stopped to watch
this curious combat. At first the two fighters seemed evenly
matched, but soon the huge serpent wrapped all its folds about
the lion and began squeezing it to death. When Sir Ivaine saw
this, he drew his sword and killed the serpent.

When the lion was free, it bounded up to Sir Ivaine, and he was
afraid that it meant to kill him; but it fawned at his feet like
a spaniel. He