he world where there are many mountains. Unto
that place I shall send ye, for it will not be likely that mine enemies
will ever find ye there.

"So my will is this: that if this child groweth in that lonely place to
manhood, and if he be weak in body or timid in spirit, thou shalt make of
him a clerk of holy orders. But if when he groweth, he shall prove to be
strong and lusty of frame and high of spirit, and shall desire to undertake
deeds of knighthood, thou then shalt not stay him from his desires, but
shall let him go forth into the world as he shall have a mind to do.

"And if a time should come when he desireth to go thus into the world
behold! here is a ring set with a very precious ruby; let him bring that
ring to me or to any of our sons wheresoever he may find us, and by that
ring we shall know that he is my son and their brother, and we will receive
him with great gladness."

[Sidenote: Percival's mother taketh him to the mountains] And King
Pellinore's lady said, "It shall be done as thou dost ordain." So it was
that King Pellinore betook himself to that lonely castle where King Arthur
found him and fought with him; and Percival's mother betook herself to that
dwelling-place in the mountains of which King Pellinore had spoken--which
was a single tower that reached up into the sky, like unto a finger of
stone.

There she abided with Percival for sixteen years, and in all that time
Percival knew naught of the world nor of what sort it was, but grew
altogether wild and was entirely innocent like to a little child.

In the mean time, during those years, it happened very ill to the house of
King Pellinore. For though King Arthur became reconciled to King Pellinore,
yet there were in King Arthur's court many who were bitter enemies to that
good, worthy knight. So it came about that first King Pellinore was slain
by treachery, and then Sir Aglaval and Sir Dornar were slain in the same
way, so that Sir Lamorack alone was left of all that noble family.

(And it was said that Sir Gawaine and his brothers were implicated in those
murders--they being enemies unto King Pellinore--and great reproach hath
always clung to them for the treacherous, unknightly way in which those
noble knights of the house of Pellinore were slain.)

[Sidenote: Percival's mother grieveth for the death of her dear ones] Now
the news of those several deaths was brought to that lonely tower of the
mountain wilderness and to Sir Percival's mo