and covered it with his coat. The
rest ran away when I rode up; but the child stayed, and told me his
name--Gauvain."

"Why!" exclaimed Kenneth the Kind, "he is the boy who brings wood and
water for Granny Slowsteps. I tarried all night at her cottage, and she
told me of his kindness."

"I saw a lad at the spring near by," said Percival the Pure. "He hurried
to fill his bucket, and some rude clown muddied the water as the child
reached down; but he spoke no angry words, and waited patiently till the
water was clear again. I should like to find his home and see him
there."

Now Sir Tristram had waited to hear them all; but when Sir Percival had
finished, he arose and cried:--

"Come, and I will carry you to the child!" And when the knights followed
him, he led them to the home where little Gauvain was working with his
mother, as happy as a lark and as gentle as a dove.

It was noonday, and the sun was shining brightly on the shields of the
knights, and their plumes were waving in the breeze; and when they
reached the gate, Sir Tristram blew a loud blast on a silver trumpet.

Then all the hens began to cackle, and the dog began to bark, and the
horse began to neigh, and the pigs began to grunt; for they knew that it
was a great day. And little Gauvain and his mother ran out to see what
the matter was.

When the knights saw Gauvain they looked at each other, and every one
cried out: "He is the child!" And Tristram the True said to the
mother:--

"Greeting to you! The king, our wise ruler, has sent us here to see your
good child; for a good child is more precious than a kingdom. And the
king offers him his love and favor if you will let him ride with us to
live at the king's court and learn to be a knight."

Little Gauvain and his mother were greatly astonished. They could
scarcely believe that such a thing had happened; for it seemed very
wonderful and beautiful that the king should send messengers to little
Gauvain. After the knights had repeated it, though, they understood; and
little Gauvain ran to his mother and put his arms around her; for he
knew that if he went with the knights he must leave her, and the mother
knew that if she let him go she must live without him.

The rooster up on the fence crowed a very loud "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" to
let everybody know he belonged to Gauvain; and a little chick that had
lost its mother cried, "Peep! peep!" And when the mother heard this, she
answered the knights and