maiden, and how the giant each day by the old woman lay. There they
them between held their communing, how they might take on, so that the
fiend were destroyed.

The while arrived the giant, and proceeded to his fire; he bare upon
his back a great burthen, that was twelve swine, tied together, with
withies exceeding great wreathed altogether. Adown he threw the dead
swine, and himself sate thereby; his fire he gan mend, and great trees
laid thereon; the six swine he drew in pieces, and ever he to the
woman smiled, and soon by a while he lay by the woman. But he knew not
of the tiding that came to his lemman. He drew out his embers; his
flesh he gan to roast; and all the six swine he gan eat ere he arose
from his seat, all besmeared in the ashes--evil were the viands; and
afterwards he gan to roar, and vociferated much, and down lay by the
fire, and stretched his limbs.

Let we now the giant be, and go to the king. Arthur at the water took
his weapons in hand, and the Earl Beduer, good knight, wise and wary;
and the third was Kay, the king's steward and his relative. Over the
water they came, weaponed with the best, and ascended up the hill with
all their strength, until they arrived near the fire, where the giant
lay and slept, and the woman sate and wept. Arthur drew him beside and
spake to his companions; forbade them by their limbs and by their bare
life, that none were so keen that they should come near, unless they
saw that it were need. Beduer tarried him there, and Kay, his
companion.

Arthur gan step forth, sturdy-mooded warrior, until he came to the
floor, where the fiend lay and slept. Ever was Arthur void of fear;
that was manifest therein, wondrous though it seem; for Arthur might
there have hewed the giant in pieces, slain the monster where he lay
and slept; then would not Arthur no whit touch him in his sleep, lest
he in future days should hear upbraiding. Then called Arthur anon,
noblest of kings: "Arise, fiend-monster, to thy destruction! Now we
shall avenge the death of my relative!"

Ere the king had this fully said, the giant up started, and grasped
his mickle club, and weened with the blow to dash Arthur all in
pieces; but Arthur drew his shield high above his helm; and the giant
smote thereon above, so that all it gan to shiver. And Arthur struck
at him in haste with his sword, and smote off him the chin, with all
the hair, and started him behind a tree, that there stood near; and
the giant s