"By my faith, sister," said Peredur, "thou art a beauteous and lovely maiden; and were it pleasing to thee I could love thee above all women."
"I pledge my faith," said she, "that I do not love thee; nor will I ever do so."
"I also pledge my faith," said Peredur, "that I will never speak a word to any Christian again until thou come to love me above all men."
The next day Peredur went forth by the high road, along a mountain-ridge, and he saw a valley of a circular form, the confines of which were rocky and wooded. And the flat part of the valley was in meadows, and there were fields betwixt the meadows and the wood. And in the bosom of the wood he saw large black houses of uncouth workmanship. And he dismounted, and led his horse towards the wood. And a little way within the wood he saw a rocky ledge, along which the road lay. And upon the ledge was a lion bound by a chain, and sleeping. And beneath the lion he saw a deep pit of immense size, full of the bones of men and animals. And Peredur drew his sword, and struck the lion, so that he fell into the mouth of the pit, and hung there by the chain; and with a second blow he struck the chain, and broke it; and the lion fell into the pit. And Peredur led his horse over the rocky ledge until he came into the valley. And in the centre of the valley he saw a fair castle, and he went towards it. And in the meadow by the castle he beheld a huge gray man sitting, who was larger than any man he had ever before seen. And two young pages were shooting the hilts of their daggers, of the bone of the seahorse. And one of the pages had red hair, and the other auburn. And they went before him to the place where the gray man was, and Peredur saluted him. And the gray man said, "Disgrace to the beard of my porter!" Then Peredur understood that the porter was the lion. And the gray man and the pages went together into the castle, and Peredur accompanied them; and he found it a fair and noble place. And they proceeded to the hall, and the tables were already laid, and upon them was abundance of food and liquor. And thereupon he saw an aged woman and a young woman come from the chamber; and they were the most stately women he had ever seen. Then they washed and went to meat. And the gray man sat in the upper seat at the head of the table, and the aged woman next to him. And Peredur and the maiden were placed together, and the two young pages served them. And the maiden gazed sorrowfully upon Peredur, and Peredur asked the maiden wherefore she was sad.
"For thee, my soul; for, from when I first beheld thee, I have loved thee above all men. And it pains me to know that so gentle a youth as thou should have such a doom as awaits thee to-morrow. Sawest thou the numerous black houses in the bosom of the wood? All these belong to the vassals of the gray man yonder, who is my father. And they are all giants. And to-morrow they will rise up against thee, and will slay thee. And the Round Valley is this valley called."
"Listen, fair maiden: wilt thou contrive that my horse and arms be in the same lodging with me to-night?"
"Gladly will I cause it so to be, by Heaven, if I can."
And when it was time for them to sleep rather than to carouse they went to rest. And the maiden caused Peredur's horse and arms to be in the same lodging with him. And the next morning Peredur heard a great tumult of men and horses around the castle. And Peredur arose, and armed himself and his horse, and went to the meadow. Then the aged woman and the maiden came to the gray man. "Lord," said they, "take the word of the youth that he will never disclose what he has seen in this place, and we will be his sureties that he keep it."
"I will not do so, by my faith," said the gray man.
So Peredur fought with the host; and towards evening he had slain the one-third of them without receiving any hurt himself. Then said the aged woman, "Behold, many of thy host have been slain by the youth: do thou, therefore, grant him mercy."