I am of the
court of a wonderful lady who is your very good friend. She hath sent me
here to meet you and to beseech you to come with me whither I shall lead
you, and I shall lead you unto her."

"Damsel," said King Arthur, "I shall be right glad to go with you as you
desire me to do. So, if you will lead me to your lady, I and my knights
will gladly follow you thitherway to pay our court unto her."

[Sidenote: King Arthur and his knights follow the damsel] Upon this the
damsel waved her hand, and drawing her bridle-rein she led the way,
accompanied by the dwarf, and King Arthur and the two knights followed her,
and all their party of foresters and huntsmen and hounds and beagles
followed them.

By this time the sun had set and the moon had risen very fair and round and
as yellow as gold, making a great light above the silent tree-tops.
Everything now was embalmed in the twilight, and all the world was
enshrouded in the mystery of the midsummer eve. Yet though the sun had gone
the light was wonderfully bright, wherefore all that the eye could see
stood sharp-cut and very clear to the vision.

So the damsel and the dwarf led the way for somewhat of a distance, though
not for so very far, until they came of a sudden to where was an open
meadow in the forest, hedged all around with the trees of the woodland. And
here the King and his knights were aware of a great bustle of many people,
some working very busily in setting up several pavilions of white samite,
and others preparing a table as for a feast, and others upon this business
and others upon that; and there were various sumpter-mules and pack-horses
and palfreys all about, as though belonging to a party of considerable
estate.

Then King Arthur and those who were with him beheld that, at some distance
away upon the other side of the meadow, there were three people sitting
under a crab-apple tree upon a couch especially prepared for them, and they
were aware that these people were the chief of all that company.

[Sidenote: King Arthur and his companions are brought to speak with strange
folk] The first party of the three was a knight of very haughty and noble
appearance, clad all in armor as white as silver; and his jupon was white
embroidered with silver, and the scabbard of the sword and the sword-belt
were white, and his shield hung in the crab-tree above him and that, too,
was all white as of silver. This knight still wore his helmet, so that his
countenanc