Peredur, son of Efrawc
part 18
And the next day Peredur heard a tumult in the town.
"Tell me, fair maiden, what is that tumult?" said Peredur.
"All the King's hosts and his forces have come to the town today."
"And what seek they here?" he inquired.
"There is an Earl near this place who possesses two Earldoms, and is as powerful as a King; and an engagement will take place between them today."
"I beseech thee," said Peredur, "to cause a horse and arms to be brought, that I may view the encounter, and I promise to come back to my prison again."
"Gladly," said she, "will I provide thee with horse and arms."
So she gave him a horse and arms, and a bright scarlet robe of honour over his armour, and a yellow shield upon his shoulder. And he went to the combat; and as many of the Earl's men as encountered him that day he overthrew; and he returned to his prison. And the maiden asked tidings of Peredur, and he answered her not a word. And she went and asked tidings of her father, and inquired who had acquitted himself best of the household. And he said that he knew not, but that it was a man with a scarlet robe of honour over his armour, and a yellow shield upon his shoulder. Then she smiled, and returned to where Peredur was, and did him great honour that night. And for three days did Peredur slay the Earl's men; and before any one could know who he was, he returned to his prison. And the fourth day Peredur slew the Earl himself. And the maiden went unto her father, and inquired of him the news.
"I have good news for thee," said the King; "the Earl is slain, and I am the owner of his two earldoms."
"Knowest thou lord, who slew him?"
"I do not know," said the King. "It was the knight with the scarlet robe of honour and the yellow shield."
"Lord," said she, " I know who that is."
"By Heaven!" he exclaimed, "who is he?"
"Lord," she replied, "he is the knight whom thou hast imprisoned."
Then he went unto Peredur, and saluted him, and told him that he would reward the service he had done him, in any way he might desire.
And when they went to meat, Peredur was placed beside the King, and the maiden on the other side of Peredur.
"I will give thee," said the King, "my daughter in marriage, and half my kingdom with her, and the two Earldoms as a gift."
"Heaven reward thee, lord," said Peredur, "but I came not here to woo."
"What seekest thou then chieftain?"
"I am seeking tidings of the Castle of Wonders."
"Thy enterprise is greater, chieftain, than thou wilt wish to pursue," said the maiden, "nevertheless, tidings shalt thou have of the Castle, and thou shalt have a guide through my father's dominions, and a sufficiency of provisions for thy journey, for thou art, O chieftain, the man whom best I love."
Then she said to him, "Go over yonder mountain, and thou wilt find a Lake, and in the middle of the Lake there is a Castle, and that is the Castle that is called the Castle of Wonders; and we know not what wonders are therein, but thus is it called."
And Peredur proceeded towards the Castle, and the gate of the Castle was open. And when he came to the hall, the door was open, and he entered. And he beheld a chessboard in the hall, and the chessmen were playing against each other, by themselves. And the side that he favoured lost the game, and thereupon the others set up a shout, as though they had been living men. And Peredur was wroth, and took the chessmen in his lap, and cast the chessboard into the lake. And when he had done thus, behold the black maiden
came in, and she said to him, "The welcome of Heaven be not unto thee. Thou hast rather do evil than good."
"What complaint hast thou against me, maiden?" said Peredur.
"That thou hast occasioned unto the Empress the loss of her chessboard, which she would not have lost for all her empire. And the way in which thou mayest recover the chessboard is, to repair to the Castle of Ysbidinongyl, where is a black man, who lays waste the dominions of the Empress; and if thou caust slay him, thou wilt recover the chessboard. But if thou goest there, thou wilt not return alive."
"Wilt thou direct me thither?" said Peredur.
"I will show thee the way," she replied.
So he went to the Castle of Ysbidinongyl, and he fought with the black man. And the black man besought mercy of Peredur.
"Mercy will I grant thee," said he, "on condition that thou cause the chessboard to be restored to the place where it was when I entered the hall."
Then the maiden came to him, and said, "The malediction of Heaven attend thee for thy work, since thou hast left that monster alive, who lays waste all the possessions of the Empress."
"I granted him his life," said Peredur, "that he might cause the chessboard to be restored."
"The chessboard is not in the place where thou didst find it; go back, therefore, and slay him," answered she.
So Peredur went back, and slew the black man. And when he returned to the palace, he found the black maiden there.
"Ah! maiden," said Peredur, "where is the Empress?"
"I declare to Heaven that thou wilt not see her now, unless thou dost slay the monster that is in yonder forest."
"What monster is there?"
"It is a stag that is as swift as the swiftest bird; and he has one horn in his forehead, as long as the shaft of a spear, and as sharp as whatever is sharpest. And he destroys the branches of the best trees in the forest, and he kills every animal that he meets with therein; and those that he doth not slay perish of hunger. And what is worse than that, he comes every night, and drinks up the fish-pond, and leaves the fishes exposed, so that for the most part they die before the water returns again."
"Maiden," said Peredur, "wilt thou come and show me this animal?"
"Not so," said the maiden, "for he has not permitted any mortal to enter the forest for above a twelvemonth. Behold, here is a little dog belonging to the Empress, which will rouse the stag, and will chase him towards thee, and the stag will attack thee."
Then the little dog went as a guide to Peredur, and roused the stag, and brought him towards the place where Peredur was. And the stag attacked Peredur, and he let him pass by him, and as he did so, he smote off his head with his sword. And while he was looking at the head of the stag, he saw a lady on horseback coming towards him. And she took the little dog in the lappet of her cap, and the head and the body of the stag lay before her. And around the stag's neck was a golden collar.
"Ha! chieftain," said she, "uncourteously hast thou acted in slaying the fairest jewel that was in my dominions."
"I was entreated so to do; and is there any way by which I can obtain thy friendship?"
"There is," she replied. "Go thou forward unto yonder mountain, and there thou wilt find a grove; and in the grove there is a cromlech; do thou there challenge a man three times to fight, and thou shalt have my friendship."
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Pwyll