meadow by the Castle he beheld a huge grey
man sitting, who was larger than any man he had ever before seen. And
two young pages were shooting the hilts of their daggers, of the bone of
the sea horse. And one of the pages had red hair, and the other auburn.
And they went before him to the place where the grey man was. And
Peredur saluted him. And the grey man said, "Disgrace to the beard of my
porter." Then Peredur understood that the porter was the lion. And the
grey man and the pages went together into the Castle, and Peredur
accompanied them; and he found it a fair and noble place. And they
proceeded to the hall, and the tables were already laid, and upon them
was abundance of food and liquor. And thereupon he saw an aged woman and
a young woman come from the chamber; and they were the most stately women
he had ever seen. Then they washed, and went to meat, and the grey man
sat in the upper seat at the head of the table, and the aged woman next
to him. And Peredur and the maiden were placed together; and the two
young pages served them. And the maiden gazed sorrowfully upon Peredur,
and Peredur asked the maiden wherefore she was sad. "For thee, my soul;
for, from when I first beheld thee, I have loved thee above all men. And
it pains me to know that so gentle a youth as thou should have such a
doom as awaits thee to-morrow. Sawest thou the numerous black houses in
the bosom of the wood. All these belong to the vassals of the grey man
yonder, who is my father. And they are all giants. And to-morrow they
will rise up against thee, and will slay thee. And the Round Valley is
this valley called." "Listen, fair maiden, wilt thou contrive that my
horse and arms be in the same lodging with me to-night." "Gladly will I
cause it so to be, by Heaven, if I can."

And when it was time for them to sleep rather than to carouse, they went
to rest. And the maiden caused Peredur's horse and arms to be in the
same lodging with him. And the next morning Peredur heard a great tumult
of men and horses around the Castle. And Peredur arose, and armed
himself and his horse, and went to the meadow. Then the aged woman and
the maiden came to the grey man, "Lord," said they, "take the word of the
youth, that he will never disclose what he has seen in this place, and we
will be his sureties that he keep it." "I will not do so, by my faith,"
said the grey man. So Peredur fought with the host; and towards evening,
he had