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- King Arthur was at Caerlleon upon Usk; and one day he sat in his
- chamber; and with him were Owain the son of Urien, and Kynon the son
- of Clydno, and Kai the son of Kyner; and Gwenhwyvar and her
- handmaidens at needlework by the window. And if it should be said
- that there was a porter at Arthur's palace, there was none. Glewlwyd
- Gavaelvawr was there, acting as porter, to welcome guests and
- strangers, and to receive them with honour, and to inform them of the
- manners and customs of the Court; and to direct those who came to the
- Hall or to the presence-chamber, and those who came to take up their lodging.
- In the centre of the chamber King Arthur sat upon a seat of green
- rushes, over which was spread a covering of flame-coloured satin, and
- a cushion of red satin was under his elbow.
- Then Arthur spoke, "If I thought you would not disparage me," said
- he, "I would sleep while I wait for my repast; and you can entertain
- one another with relating tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead and
- some meat from Kai." And the King went to sleep. And Kynon the son
- of Clydno asked Kai for that which Arthur had promised them. "I,
- too, will have the good tale which he promised to me," said Kai.
- "Nay," answered Kynon, "fairer will it be for thee to fulfill
- Arthur's behest, in the first place, and then we will tell thee the
- best tale that we know." So Kai went to the kitchen and to the mead-
- cellar, and returned bearing a flagon of mead and a golden goblet,
- and a handful of skewers, upon which were broiled collops of meat.
- Then they ate the collops and began to drink the mead. "Now," said
- Kai, "it is time for you to give me my story." "Kynon," said Owain,
- "do thou pay to Kai the tale that is his due." "Truly," said Kynon,
- "thou are older, and art a better teller of tales, and hast seen more
- marvellous things than I; do thou therefore pay Kai his tale."
- "Begin thyself," quoth Owain, "with the best that thou knowest." "I
- will do so," answered Kynon.
- "I was the only son of my mother and father, and I was exceedingly
- aspiring, and my daring was very great. I thought there was no
- enterprise in the world too mighty for me, and after I had achieved
- all the adventures that were in my own country, I equipped myself,
- and set forth to journey through deserts and distant regions. And at
- length it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world,
- wherein were trees of equal growth; and a river ran through the
- valley, and a path was by the side of the river. And I followed the
- path until mid-day, and continued my journey along the remainder of
- the valley until the evening; and at the extremity of a plain I came
- to a large and lustrous Castle, at the foot of which was a torrent.
- And I approached the Castle, and there I beheld two youths with
- yellow curling hair, each with a frontlet of gold upon his head, and
- clad in a garment of yellow satin, and they had gold clasps upon
- their insteps. In the hand of each of them was an ivory bow, strung
- with the sinews of the stag; and their arrows had shafts of the bone
- of the whale, and were winged with peacock's feathers; the shafts
- also had golden heads. And they had daggers with blades of gold, and
- with hilts of the bone of the whale. And they were shooting their daggers.
- "And a little way from them I saw a man in the prime of life, with
- his beard newly shorn, clad in a robe and a mantle of yellow satin;
- and round the top of his mantle was a band of gold lace. On his feet
- were shoes of variegated leather, fastened by two bosses of gold.
- When I saw him, I went towards him and saluted him, and such was his
- courtesy that he no sooner received my greeting than he returned it.
- And he went with me towards the Castle. Now there were no dwellers
- in the Castle except those who were in one hall. And there I saw
- four-and-twenty damsels, embroidering satin at a window. And this I
- tell thee, Kai, that the least fair of them was fairer than the
- fairest maid thou hast ever beheld in the Island of Britain, and the
- least lovely of them was more lovely than Gwenhwyvar, the wife of
- Arthur, when she has appeared loveliest at the Offering, on the day
- of the Nativity, or at the feast of Easter. They rose up at my
- coming, and six of them took my horse, and divested me of my armour;
- and six others took my arms, and washed them in a vessel until they
- were perfectly bright. And the third six spread cloths upon the
- tables and prepared meat. And the fourth six took off my soiled
- garments, and placed others upon me; namely, an under-vest and a
- doublet of fine linen, and a robe, and a surcoat, and a mantle of
- yellow satin with a broad gold band upon the mantle. And they placed
- cushions both beneath and around me, with coverings of red linen; and
- I sat down. Now the six maidens who had taken my horse, unharnessed
- him, as well as if they had been the best squires in the island of
- Britain. Then, behold, they brought bowls of silver wherein was
- water to wash, and towels of linen, some green and some white; and I
- washed. And in a little while the man sat down to the table. And I
- sat next to him, and below me sat all the maidens, except those who
- waited on us. And the table was of silver, and the cloths upon the
- table were of linen; and no vessel was served upon the table that was
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