these same stories and ballads have come down from afar to us of
this very day.

Meantime Sir Launcelot rode forward at a slow pass and in that way for a
great distance. So, at last, still riding in the cart, they came of a
sudden out of the forest and into a little fertile valley in the midst
of which lay a small town and a fair castle with seven towers that
overlooked the town. And this was a very fair pretty valley, for on all
sides of the town and of the castle were fields of growing corn, all
green and lush, and there were many hedgerows and orchards of
fruit-trees all abloom with fragrant blossoms. And the sound of cocks
crowing came to Sir Launcelot upon a soft breeze that blew up the
valley, and on the same breeze came the fragrance of apple blossoms,
wherefore it seemed to Sir Launcelot that this valley was like a fair
jewel of heaven set in the rough perlieus of the forest that lay round
about.

So the fagotmaker drove Sir Launcelot in the cart down into that valley
toward the castle, and as they drew near thereunto Sir Launcelot was
aware of a party of lords and ladies who were disporting themselves in a
smooth meadow of green grass that lay spread out beneath the castle
walls. And some of these lords and ladies tossed a ball from one to
another, and others lay in the grass in the shade of a lime-tree and
watched those that played at ball. Then Sir Launcelot was glad to see
those gentle folk, for he thought that here he might get him a fresh
horse to take him upon his way. So he gave command to the fagotmaker to
drive to where those people were.

But as Sir Launcelot, riding in the fagotmaker's cart, drew near to
those castle-folk, they ceased their play and stood and looked at him
with great astonishment, for they had never beheld an armed knight
riding in a cart in that wise. Then, in a little, they all fell to
laughing beyond measure, and at that Sir Launcelot was greatly abashed
with shame.

Then the lord of that castle came forward to meet Sir Launcelot. He was
a man of great dignity of demeanor--gray-haired, and clad in velvet
trimmed with fur. When he came nigh to where Sir Launcelot was, he said,
speaking as with great indignation: "Sir knight, why do you ride in this
wise in a cart, like to a law-breaker going to the gallows?"

"Sir," quoth Sir Launcelot, "I ride thus because my horse was slain by
treachery. For I have an adventure which I have undertaken to perform,
and I have no other way to