In one window I beheld four and twenty damsels , and the least fair of them was fairer than Guenevere at her fairest . Some took my horse , and others unbuckled my armour , and washed it , with my sword and spear , till it all shone like silver . Then I washed myself and put on a vest and doublet which they brought me , and I and the man that entered with me sat down before a table of silver , and a goodlier feast I never had . ` All this time neither the man nor the damsels had spoken one word , but when our dinner was half over , and my hunger was stilled , the man began to ask who I was . Then I told him my name and my father 's name , and why I came there , for indeed I had grown weary of gaining the mastery over all men at home , and sought if perchance there was one who could gain the mastery over me . And at this the man smiled and answered : ' `` If I did not fear to distress thee too much , I would show thee what thou seekest . '' His words made me sorrowful and fearful of myself , which the man perceived , and added , `` If thou meanest truly what thou sayest , and desirest earnestly to prove thy valour , and not to boast vainly that none can overcome thee , I have somewhat to show thee . But to-night thou must sleep in the this castle , and in the morning see that thou rise early and follow the road upwards through the valley , until thou reachest a wood . In the wood is a path branching to the right ; go along this path until thou comest to a space of grass with a mound in the middle of it . On the top of the mound stands a black man , larger than any two white men ; his eye is in the centre of his forehead and he has only one foot . He carries a club of iron , and two white men could hardly lift it . Around him graze a thousand beasts , all of different kinds , for he is the guardian of that wood , and it is he who will tell thee which way to go in order to find the adventure thou art in quest of . '' ` So spake the man , and long did that night seem to me , and before dawn I rose and put on my armour , and mounted my horse and rode on till I reached the grassy space of which he had told me . There was the black man on top of the mound , as he had said , and in truth he was mightier in all ways than I had thought him to be . As for the club , Kai , it would have been a burden for four of our warriors . He waited for me to speak , and I asked him what power he held over the beasts that thronged so close about him . ' `` I will show thee , little man , '' he answered , and with his club he struck a stag on the head till he brayed loudly . And at his braying the animals came running , numerous as the stars in the sky , so that scarce was I able to stand among them . Serpents were there also , and dragons , and beasts of strange shapes , with horns in places where never saw I horns before . And the black man only looked at them and bade them go and feed .
And they bowed themselves XXXXX him , as vassals before their lord . '
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