Chapter 21 - Page 2

they arose to wait upon Owain, as they had
done to Kynon. And the meal which they set before him gave even more
satisfaction to Owain than it had done to Kynon.
About the middle of the repast the yellow man asked Owain the object
of his journey. And Owain made it known to him, and said, "I am in
quest of the knight who guards the fountain." Upon this the yellow man
smiled, and said that he was as loath to point out that adventure to
him as he had been to Kynon. However, he described the whole to Owain,
and they retired to rest.
The next morning Owain found his horse made ready for him by the
damsels, and he set forward and came to the glade where the black
man was. And the stature of the black man seemed more wonderful to
Owain than it had done to Kynon; and Owain asked of him his road,
and he showed it to him. And Owain followed the road till he came to
the green tree; and he beheld the fountain, and the slab beside the
fountain, and the bowl upon it. And Owain took the bowl and threw a
bowlful of water upon the slab. And, lo! the thunder was heard, and
after the thunder came the shower, more violent than Kynon had
described, and after the shower the sky became bright. And immediately
the birds came and settled upon the tree and sang. And when their song
was most pleasing to Owain, he beheld a knight coming towards him
through the valley; and he prepared to receive him, and encountered
him violently. Having broken both their lances, they drew their swords
and fought blade to blade. Then Owain struck the knight a blow through
his helmet, head-piece, and visor, and through the skin, and the
flesh, and the bone, until it wounded the very brain. Then the black
knight felt that he had received a mortal wound, upon which he
turned his horse's head and fled. And Owain pursued him, and
followed close upon him, although he was not near enough to strike him
with his sword. Then Owain descried a vast and resplendent castle; and
they came to the castle gate. And the black knight was allowed to
enter, and the portcullis was let fall upon Owain; and it struck his
horse behind the saddle, and cut him in two, and carried away the
rowels of the spurs that were upon Owain's heels. And the portcullis
descended to the floor. And the rowels of the spurs and part of the
horse were without, and Owain with the other part of the horse
remained between the two gates, and the inner gate was closed, so that
Owain could not go thence; and Owain was in a perplexing situation.
And while he was in this state, he could see through an aperture in
the gate a street facing him, with a row of houses on each side. And
he beheld a maiden, with yellow, curling hair, and a frontlet of
gold upon her head; and she was clad in a dress of yellow