es to have suffered.

[Sidenote: _Of how Queen Morgana layeth a curse upon the town._]

"Now the next morning those two queens quitted the court, and as they
and their attendants passed by the market-place of the town they
perceived where there lay a great flat stone that marked the centre of
the town. Then Queen Morgana le Fay cried out: 'See ye yonder stone!
Beneath that slab there shall breed a great Worm and that Worm shall
bring sorrow and dole to this place ten thousand times more than the
shame which I suffered here yesterday. For that stone shall be enchanted
so that no man may lift it. And beneath that stone the Worm shall live;
and ever and anon it shall come forth and seize some fair young virgin
of this town and shall bear her away to its hiding-place and shall there
devour her for its food.'

"So it was as the Queen said, and now that Worm dwelleth at Corbin
beneath the stone, and ever bringeth sorrow and death to that place. And
it cometh out only at night, so that the terror of the Worm of Corbin is
greater than it would otherwise be, for no eye hath ever beheld it in
its comings and its goings. So if any champion shall achieve the death
of that Worm, he shall be held to have done a deed worthy of Sir
Launcelot of the Lake himself."

"Friend," said Sir Launcelot, "thou sayest true and that were indeed a
most worthy quest for any knight to undertake. As for me, I am so eager
to enter upon that quest that I can hardly stay my patience."

With this saying, Sir Launcelot rose from where he sat; and he whistled
his horse to him and when his horse had come to where he was he put the
saddle upon its back. And he took his shield and spear in his hand and
mounted upon his charger and made him ready to leave that place.

But ere he departed, the chief minstrel and several others came to him,
and the chief minstrel laid his hand upon the horse's neck and he said:
"I pray you, Messire, tell us who you are who have seen Sir Launcelot of
the Lake so often and who declare yourself to be as good a knight as
he."

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot revealeth himself to the minstrels._]

Then Sir Launcelot laughed and he said: "Good friend, I am riding errant
as you behold. In these my travels I would fain withhold my name from
the knowledge of men. Nevertheless, since we have eaten and drunk
together, and since we have cohabited in good fellowship together, I
will tell you that I myself am that very Sir Launcelot whom ye a