'Let the porter go forth, and I will tell him how he may know him. The
head of his lance will leave its shaft, and draw blood from the wind,
and descend upon its shaft again.' So the porter opened the gate and
Bedwyr entered.

Now there was much talk amongst those who remained without when the gate
closed upon Bedwyr, and Goreu, son of Custennin, prevailed with the
porter, and he and his companions got in also and hid themselves.

By this time the whole of the sword was polished, and Kai gave it into
the hand of Gwrnach the giant, who felt it and said:

'Thy work is good; I am content.'

Then said Kai:

'It is thy scabbard that hath rusted thy sword; give it to me that I may
take out the wooden sides of it and put in new ones.' And he took the
scabbard in one hand and the sword in the other, and came and stood
behind the giant, as if he would have sheathed the sword in the
scabbard. But with it he struck a blow at the head of the giant, and it
rolled from his body. After that they despoiled the castle of its gold
and jewels, and returned, bearing the sword of the giant, to Arthur's
court.

They told Arthur how they had sped, and they all took counsel together,
and agreed that they must set out on the quest for Mabon the son of
Modron, and Gwrhyr, who knew the languages of beasts and of birds, went
with them. So they journeyed until they came to the nest of an ousel,
and Gwrhyr spoke to her.

'Tell me if thou knowest aught of Mabon the son of Modron, who was taken
when three nights old from between his mother and the wall.'

And the ousel answered:

'When I first came here I was a young bird, and there was a smith's
anvil in this place. But from that time no work has been done upon it,
save that every evening I have pecked at it, till now there is not so
much as the size of a nut remaining thereof. Yet all that time I have
never once heard of the man you name. Still, there is a race of beasts
older than I, and I will guide you to them.'

So the ousel flew before them, till she reached the stag of Redynvre;
but when they inquired of the stag whether he knew aught of Mabon he
shook his head.

'When first I came hither,' said he, 'the plain was bare save for one
oak sapling, which grew up to be an oak with a hundred branches. All
that is left of that oak is a withered stump, but never once have I
heard of the man you name. Nevertheless, as you are Arthur's men, I will
guide you to the place where there is an