So he rode upon his way very happy, and whenever he met travellers, they would laugh at him; but he would laugh louder than they and give them greeting because of pure pleasure that the great world was so merry and kind.

Now in the declining of the afternoon, he came to a certain pleasant glade, and there he beheld a very noble and stately pavilion in among the trees, And that pavilion was all of yellow satin so that it shone like to gold in the light of the declining sun.

Then Percival said to himself:  “Verily, this must be one of those churches concerning which my mother spake to me.”  So he descended from his horse and went to that pavilion and knelt down and said a pater-noster.

[Sidenote:  Percival enters the golden pavilion] And when he had ended that prayer, he arose and went into the pavilion, and lo! he beheld there a wonderfully beautiful young damsel of sixteen years of age who sat in the pavilion upon a carved bench and upon a cushion of cloth of gold, and who bent over a frame of embroidery, which she was busy weaving in threads of silver and gold.  And the hair of that damosel was as black as ebony and her cheeks were like rose leaves for redness, and she wore a fillet of gold around her head, and she was clad in raiment of sky blue silk.  And near by was a table spread with meats of divers sorts and likewise with several wines, both white and red.  And all the goblets were of silver and all the pattens were of gold, and the table was spread with a napkin embroidered with threads of gold.

Now you are to know that the young lady who sat there was the Lady Yvette the Fair, the daughter of King Pecheur.

When Percival came to that pavilion the Lady Yvette looked up and beheld him with great astonishment, and she said to herself:  “That must either be a madman or a foolish jester who comes hither clad all in armor of wattled willow twigs.”  So she said to him, “Sirrah, what dost thou here?” He said, “Lady, is this a church?” Upon that she was angered thinking that he had intended to make a jest and she said:  “Begone, fool, for if my father, who is King Pecheur, cometh and findeth thee here, he will punish thee for this jest.”  But Percival replied, “Nay; I think he will not, lady.”

Then the damosel looked at Percival more narrowly and she beheld how noble and beautiful was his countenance and she said to herself:  “This is no fool nor a jester, but who he is or what he is I know not.”

[Sidenote:  Percival breaks bread in the golden pavilion] So she said to Percival, “Whence comest thou?” and he said, “From the mountains and the wilderness.”  Then he said:  “Lady, when I left my mother she told me that whenever I saw good food and drink and was an-hungered, I was to take what I needed.  Now I will do so in this case.”  Whereupon he sat him down to that table and fell to with great appetite.