trusted." "It is good enough," said Geraint. And they caused the
meat to be boiled; and when their food was ready, they sat down. And
it was on this wise; Geraint sat between the hoary-headed man and his
wife, and the maiden served them. And they ate and drank.

And when they had finished eating, Geraint talked with the hoary-
headed man, and he asked him in the first place, to whom belonged the
palace that he was in. "Truly," said he, "it was I that built it,
and to me also belonged the city and the castle which thou sawest."
"Alas!" said Geraint, "how is it that thou hast lost them now?" "I
lost a great Earldom as well as these," said he; "and this is how I
lost them. I had a nephew, the son of my brother, and I took his
possessions to myself; and when he came to his strength, he demanded
of me his property, but I withheld it from him. So he made war upon
me, and wrested from me all that I possessed." "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