5 Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 How Guinevere Quarreled with Sir Gawaine, and How He Met Sir Pellias and Promised to Help Him with the Lady Ettard While Pellias was off on this adventure over Queen Guinevere's beauty, another knight was at Camelot getting on the queen's

nerves. It was Sir Gawaine, whom she had long disliked. She had felt this way ever since that day, perhaps, when he had not only refused to help defend her father's kingdom, but had responded so rudely to her request. Many people found him charming, but she found him proud and arrogant. Her heart had hardened against him. One day, one of the Lady Guinevere's favorite dogs jumped on Sir Gawaine with its muddy paws. Not knowing she was watching, Sir Gawaine hit the ears of the dog. Running up, she demanded to know why he had hit her dog. "Your dog did something to me," Sir Gawaine replied, "and when someone does something to me, I fight back." Guinevere drew herself up proudly. "Do you forget to whom you are speaking?" she asked. "How dare you?" Gawaine drew himself up just as proudly.

"Perhaps you, my Lady, do not remember that I am the son of a powerful king. And I dare do whatever I must to defend my rights." All onlookers gasped and looked immediately away. Guinevere stood for a moment, furious, before she spoke again. "Sir Gawaine," she finally said. "You are proud and arrogant beyond measure. I am the queen and this is my court. I command you to be gone and show your face no more until you are ready to apologize to me for the rude way you have always treated me!" With that, Guinevere turned and walked back to her chamber. Once she was there, however, she wept in secret anger and shame. She hated what had just happened, but at the same time she was so proud that she would do the same thing all over again. Upon hearing that his cousin was to leave Camelot, Sir Ewaine asked King Arthur's

permission to leave the court as well. King Arthur happily agreed, and the two knights set off together in search of another great adventure. Monks at an abbey told them about a spot in a meadow where a shield hung upon a sycamore tree. The shield, the monks said, was being treated very badly by some ladies. Gawaine and Ewaine thought this very strange, but set off to find the ladies. Sure enough, they found the meadow, the sycamore tree, and the shield. Three beautiful young ladies were throwing insults, rocks, and mud at the shield. Its owner, a knight wearing all black, sat silently on his horse saying and doing nothing. Sir Gawaine charged at the ladies, shouting at them to "Get away!" Flinging one last fistful of mud, they quickly fled. The Ebony Knight approached and, to Gawaine's surprise, asked him why he had interfered.

"Why, because they were being disrespectful to what looked to me to be a noble and knightly shield!" Gawaine exclaimed. "It is my shield," the Ebony before Knight said wearily, "and I am perfectly able to defend it." "Apparently not!" Gawaine said, challenging the knight. The two men then fought, while all of the people in the castle gathered and looked down over the walls. Gawaine, who had never before been unhorsed by anyone except King Arthur, felt quite confident that he would win the contest. But before he knew it, his spear was broken into many pieces and he was flung out of his saddle, landing heavily upon the dusty earth.

With his pride injured, Gawaine rushed at the Ebony Knight with great fury. The Ebony Knight responded in kind until Sir Ewaine pushed his horse between the two men and broke them up. "For shame, Gawaine!" he cried. "To seek such a fight with a knight who met you in a friendly fashion in a fair contest!" Gawaine shrugged and put up his sword. The Ebony Knight did the same. With peace thus restored, the Ebony Knight invited Sirs Gawaine and Ewaine back to his home for some refreshments. It turned out to be a rich and royal home and the Ebony Knight to be