"Good sir," said Geraint, "wilt thou tell me wherefore came the knight and the lady and the dwarf just now into the town, and what is the preparation which I saw and the putting of arms in order?"
"I will do so," said he. "The preparations are for the game that is to be held to-morrow by the young earl, which will be on this wise. In the midst of a meadow which is here, two forks will be set up, and upon the two forks a silver rod, and upon the silver rod a sparrow-hawk; and for the sparrow-hawk there will be a tournament. And to the tournament will go all the array thou didst see in the city, of men and of horses and of arms. And with each man will go the lady he loves best; and no man can joust for the sparrow-hawk, except the lady he loves best be with him. And the knight that thou sawest has gained the sparrow-hawk these two years; and if he gains it the third year, they will from that time send it every year to him, and he himself will come here no more. And he will be called the Knight of the Sparrow-hawk from that time forth."
"Sir," said Geraint, "what is thy counsel to me concerning this knight, on account of the insult which I received from the dwarf, and that which was received by the maiden of Gwenhwyvar, the wife of Arthur?" And Geraint told the hoary-headed man what the insult was that he had received.
"It is not easy to counsel thee, inasmuch as thou hast neither dame nor maiden belonging to thee for whom thou canst joust. Yet I have arms here which thou couldest have, and there is my horse also, if he seem to thee better than thine own."
"Ah, sir," said he, "Heaven reward thee! But my own horse, to which I am accustomed, together with thy arms, will suffice. And if, when the appointed time shall come to-morrow, thou wilt permit me, sir, to challenge for yonder maiden that is thy daughter, I will engage, if I escape from the tournament, to love the maiden as long as I live; and, if I do not escape, she will remain as before."
"Gladly will I permit thee," said the hoary-headed man. "And since thou dost thus resolve, it is necessary that thy horse and arms should be ready to-morrow at break of day. For then the Knight of the Sparrow-hawk will make proclamation, and ask the lady he loves best to take the sparrow-hawk. 'For,' will he say to her, 'thou art the fairest of women, and thou didst possess it last year and the year previous; and if any deny it thee to-day, by force will I defend it for thee.' And therefore," said the hoary-headed man, "it is needful for thee to be there at daybreak; and we three will be with thee." And thus was it settled.
And at night, lo! they went to sleep. And before the dawn they arose, and arrayed themselves; and by the time that it was day, they were all four in the meadow. And there was the Knight of the Sparrow-hawk making the proclamation, and asking his lady-love to fetch the sparrow-hawk.
"Fetch it not," said Geraint, "for there is here a maiden who is fairer, and more noble, and more comely, and who has a better claim to it, than thou."
"If thou maintainest the sparrow-hawk to be due to her, come forward and do battle with me." And Geraint went forward to the top of the meadow, having upon himself and upon his horse armor which was heavy and rusty and worthless, and of uncouth shape. Then they encountered each other, and they broke a set of lances, and they broke a second set, and a third. And thus they did at every onset, and they broke as many lances as were brought to them. And when the earl and his company saw the Knight of the Sparrow-hawk gaining the mastery, there was shouting and joy and mirth amongst them. And the hoary-headed man and his wife and his daughter were sorrowful. And the hoary-headed man served Geraint lances as often as he broke them; and the dwarf served the Knight of the Sparrow-hawk. Then the hoary-headed man came to Geraint. "O chieftain!" said he, "since no other will hold with thee, behold, here is the lance which was in my hand on the day when I received the honor of knighthood; and from that time to this I never broke it. And it has an excellent point." Then Geraint took the lance, thanking the hoary-headed man. And thereupon the dwarf also brought a lance to his lord.