"That will be easy for thee," answered his father. "Arthur is thy cousin. Go, therefore, unto Arthur to cut thy hair, and ask this of him as a boon."
And the youth pricked forth upon a steed with head dappled-gray, of four winters old, firm of limb, with shell-formed hoofs, having a bridle of linked gold on his head, and upon him a saddle of costly gold.[11] And in the youth's hand were two spears of silver, sharp, well-tempered, headed with steel, three ells in length, of an edge to wound the wind and cause blood to flow, and swifter than the fall of the dewdrop from the blade of reed-grass upon the earth when the dew of June is at the heaviest. A gold-hilted sword was upon his thigh, the blade of which was of gold, bearing a cross of inlaid gold of the hue of the lightning of heaven. His war-horn was of ivory. Before him were two brindled white-breasted greyhounds, having strong collars of rubies about their necks reaching from the shoulder to the ear. And the one that was on the left side bounded across to the right side, and the one on the right to the left, and like two sea-swallows sported around him. And his courser cast up four sods with his four hoofs, like four swallows in the air, about his head, now above, now below. About him was a four-cornered cloth of purple; and an apple of gold was at each corner, and every one of the apples was of the value of an hundred kine. And there was precious gold of the value of three hundred kine upon his shoes, and upon his stirrups, from his knee to the tip of his toe. And the blade of grass bent not beneath him, so light was his courser's tread, as he journeyed towards the gate of Arthur's palace.
Spoke the youth, "Is there a porter?"
"There is; and, if thou holdest not thy peace, small will be thy welcome. I am Arthur's porter every first day of January. And, during every other part of the year but this, the office is filled by Huandaw, and Gogigwc, and Llaeskenym, and Pennpingyon, who goes upon his head to save his feet, like a rolling stone upon the floor of the court."
"Open the portal."
"I will not open it."
"Wherefore not?"
"The knife is in the meat, and the drink is in the horn, and there is revelry in Arthur's hall; and none may enter therein, but the son of a king of a privileged country, or a craftsman bringing his craft."
Said the youth, "That will I not do. If thou openest the gate, it is well. If thou dost not open it, I will bring disgrace upon thy lord, and evil report upon thee. And I will set up three shouts at this very gate, than which none were ever more deadly, from the top of Pengwaed in Cornwall, to the bottom of Dinsol in the north, and to Esgair Oervel in Ireland."
"What clamor soever thou mayest make," said Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, "against the laws of Arthur's palace, shalt thou not enter therein, until I first go and speak with Arthur."