"I granted him his life," said Peredur, "that he might cause the chessboard to be restored."
"The chessboard is not in the place where thou didst find it: go back, therefore, and slay him," answered she.
So Peredur went back, and slew the black man. And when he returned to the palace, he found the black maiden there.
"Ah, maiden!" said Peredur, "where is the empress?"
"I declare to Heaven that thou wilt not see her now, unless thou dost slay the monster that is in yonder forest."
"What monster is there?"
"It is a stag that is as swift as the swiftest bird; and he has one horn in his forehead, as long as the shaft of a spear, and as sharp as whatever is sharpest. And he destroys the branches of the best trees in the forest, and he kills every animal that he meets with therein; and those that he doth not slay perish of hunger. And, what is worse than that, he comes every night and drinks up the fish-pond and leaves the fishes exposed, so that for the most part they die before the water returns again."
"Maiden," said Peredur, "wilt thou come and show me this animal?"
"Not so," said the maiden; "for he has not permitted any mortal to enter the forest for above a twelvemonth. Behold, here is a little dog belonging to the empress, which will rouse the stag, and will chase him towards thee, and the stag will attack thee."
Then the little dog went as a guide to Peredur, and roused the stag, and brought him towards the place where Peredur was. And the stag attacked Peredur, and he let him pass by him, and, as he did so, he smote off his head with his sword. And, while he was looking at the head of the stag, he saw a lady on horseback coming towards him. And she took the little dog in the lappet of her cap, and the head and the body of the stag lay before her. And around the stag's neck was a golden collar.