Now Lyonesse requires that he serve her faithfully for a year in order to win her love.
He beats six thieves, two knights at a bridge, the Black Knight, the Green Knight, Sir Persaunt of Inde, and at last the Red Knight of the Red Lands.
#The black legend summary series
He is knighted and, bearing Kay's shield, begins a series of adventures each more difficult than the last, throughout which Lynet belittles and scorns him. Beamains tells Launcelot, who has seen all this, that he is Gawain's brother Gareth. Kay follows to mock him and Beaumains takes Kay's spear and shield. Beaumains' dwarf produces a splendidly dressed horse and fine armor, to all the court's amazement, and Beaumains rides off without spear or shield. Lynet is furious when she sees a kitchen boy assigned to her, but she has no choice. Now Beaumains asks the remaining two gifts: that he be assigned this adventure and that he be knighted by Launcelot. She will not tell her sister's name, so Arthur refuses to send any of his knights with her. The following Pentecost, a damsel named Lynet arrives at court to ask help for her sister, whose castle is under siege by the Red Knight of the Red Lands. Gawain had reason to be kind to Beaumains, Malory says, "for that proffer com of his bloode, for he was nere kyn to hym than he wyste of" Launcelot's kindness, on the other hand, "was of his grete jantylnesse and curtesy." Gawain and Launcelot defend the boy, but Kay is obstinate and the boy goes with him willingly. Sir Kay scorns the young man as a "vylayne borne," on the grounds that "as he is, so he hath asked," and he mockingly calls him "Beaumains," that is, "pretty hands." Kay says he'll make the boy work in the kitchen. For now he will name only the first: food and drink for a year. One of the men, who at first seems unable to walk, then proves perfectly whole and agile, is "the goodlyest yonge man and the fayreste" the court has ever seen. On the day of the Pentecost feast, when all the Round Table is assembled and Arthur, according to his custom, is waiting for some marvel to be revealed before he begins his meal, Sir Gawain announces the arrival of three men and a dwarf.
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