“Sir,” answered Gawaine, “I beg that you will make me knight on the same day that you wed Queen Guenever.”
“That will I do with a good will,” Arthur replied; “both because you are my sister’s son, and because you have already proved yourself a man of valour and worship in the field.”
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But before the day appointed for the marriage, King Arthur held a great feast at Camelot, that lasted for eight days; and one time, while the king and all his counsellors and knights were gathered in the hall of the palace, there came before him a squire leading a horse, on which there sat a knight wounded to the death. The squire said that there was a knight in the forest who had set up a pavilion by the wayside, and forced every knight that passed to joust with him, and that he had now mortally stricken the knight before them. At this there was a great outcry in the court, and many were eager to undertake the adventure; but Sir Griflet besought Arthur, for the sake of all the services he had rendered, to give it to him. The king consented,’ though unwillingly, for Griflet was but a young knight, and Merlin said that the knight of the pavilion was one of the best in the world. Sir Griflet, however, entreated the king, who let him go, on a promise that he would return and relate whatever befell him.
Sir Griflet armed himself accordingly, and rode forth in all haste; and presently he came to a fountain by the wayside, where he saw a rich pavilion, and a strong horse standing under a tree, on which hung a shield with a device of many colours, and a great spear. Then Griflet lifted his own spear and smote the shield, so that it fell to the ground. With that, a knight came out of the pavilion, and said, “Fair knight, why smote you down my shield?”
“Because I will joust with you,” answered Sir Griflet.
“It were better you did not,” said the knight, full courteously, “for you are but young, and newly made knight, and your might is nothing to mine.”