“Good sir,” said Geraint, “will you tell me wherefore came the knight, lady, and dwarf that I just now saw go into the castle; and also why there is such preparation and furbishing of arms going forward in the town?”
“The preparations,” answered the old earl, whose name was Uniel, “are for a tournament that is to be held to-morrow by the young earl, my nephew. In a meadow hard by will be hung a silver sparrow-hawk on a silver rod, and that is the prize. Any man may joust for it if he have with him the lady that he loves the best. The knight you saw has won the sparrow-hawk these two years, and if he win it to-morrow it will then be sent to him every year, and he will no more come-for it himself; but he will thenceforth be called the Knight of the Sparrow-Hawk.”
Then Geraint told Earl Uniel of the quest he was on, and of the insult which the knight’s dwarf had given to him and to Queen Guenever; and he asked what it were best for him to do.
“It is not easy to counsel thee,” said the earl, “because thou hast neither dame nor maiden with thee for whom thou couldst joust. Yet have I arms here which thou mightst have.”
“Ah, sir.” said Geraint, “may Heaven reward you! And if you will permit me to-morrow to challenge for this fair maiden your daughter, I will engage, if I come alive from the tournament, to love her ever after; and if I do not escape she will be nothing the worse.”
To this the old earl gladly assented; nor was the maiden sorry, for Geraint was a right comely and noble man, and was ever courteous to ladies. So the next morning they all went forth to the meadow. And the knight that had previously won the sparrow-hawk came forth with great pride, because he deemed that none would, dare to encounter him. He bade his lady to take the sparrow-hawk, because she was the fairest, and if any denied her, by force would he defend it for her.
“Touch it not,” said Geraint; “for there is here a maiden who is fairer, and more noble, and more comely, and has a better claim to it than thou hast.”
Then said the knight scornfully, “If thou maintainest the sparrow-hawk to be due to thy lady, come forward and do battle for it with me.”
Geraint came forward accordingly. He and his horse were arrayed in the Earl Uniers old armour, which was heavy and rusty, and of uncouth shape; so that few thought he would be likely to keep his ground against that strong knight. Then three or four times the two ran together and broke their spears on each other without doing any hurt. Then said the old earl to Geraint, “O knight, since no other lance will hold, here is the good spear which I took in my hand on the day when first I was knighted, and a better never held I in my hand.”
Geraint thanked him and took the spear. Then the dwarf also brought a lance to his lord, and said, “Bethink thee that no knight has ever withstood thee so long as this one.”