himself, or to send some other to fight with me; and unless he do so quickly, I will not wait for him.”  “By my faith,” said Perceval, “choose thou whether it shall be willingly or unwillingly, for I will have the horse and the arms and the goblet.”  Upon this the knight ran at him furiously, and struck him a violent blow with the shaft of his spear, between the neck and the shoulder.  “Ha, ha, lad!” said Perceval, “my mother’s servants were not used to play with me in this wise; so thus will I play with thee.”  And he threw at him one of his sharp-pointed sticks, and it struck him in the eye, and came out at the back of his head, so that he fell down lifeless.

“Verily,” said Sir Owain, the son of Urien, to Kay the Seneschal, “thou wast ill-advised to send that madman after the knight, for he must either be overthrown or flee, and either way it will be a disgrace to Arthur and his warriors; therefore will I go to see what has befallen him.”  So Sir Owain went to the meadow, and he found Perceval trying in vain to get the dead knight’s armor off, in order to clothe himself with it.  Sir Owain unfastened the armor, and helped Perceval to put it on, and taught him how to put his foot in the stirrup, and use the spur; for Perceval had never used stirrup nor spur, but rode without saddle, and urged on his horse with a stick.  Then Owain would have had him return to the court to receive the praise that was his due; but Perceval said, “I will not come to the court till I have encountered the tall man that is there, to revenge the injury he did to the maiden.  But take thou the goblet to Queen Guenever, and tell King Arthur that, wherever I am, I will be his vassal, and will do him what profit and service I can.”  And Sir Owain went back to the court, and related all these things to Arthur and Guenever, and to all the household.

And Perceval rode forward.  And he came to a lake on the side of which was a fair castle, and on the border of the lake he saw a hoary-headed man sitting upon a velvet cushion, and his attendants were fishing in the lake.  When the hoary-headed man beheld Perceval approaching, he arose and went into the castle.  Perceval rode to the castle, and the door was open, and he entered the hall.  And the hoary-headed man received Perceval courteously, and asked him to sit by him on the cushion.  When it was time the tables were set, and they went to meat.  And when they had finished their meat the hoary-headed man asked Perceval if he knew how to fight with the sword “I know not,” said Perceval, “but were I to be taught, doubtless I should.”  And the hoary-headed man said to him, “I am thy uncle, thy mother’s brother; I am called King Pecheur.[Footnote:  The word means both Fisher and Sinner.] Thou shalt remain with me a space, in order to learn the manners and customs of different countries, and courtesy and noble bearing.  And this do thou remember, if thou seest aught to cause thy wonder, ask not the meaning of it; if no one has