Now after Sir Launcelot had passed by that castle it seemed to him that he heard very delicate silver bells ringing sweetly in the air above him, and when he looked up he beheld that a falcon was flying over his head toward a high elm tree that stood at a little distance, and he wist that it was the bells upon the cap of the falcon that rang so sweetly.  And Sir Launcelot beheld that long lunes hung from the feet of the falcon as she flew, wherefore he was aware that the falcon had slipped her lunes and had flown from her owner.

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot beholdeth a falcon entangled] So Sir Launcelot watched the falcon, and he beheld that she lit in a tall elm tree, where she took her perch and rested, balancing with her wings part spread.  Then by and by she would have taken her flight again, but the lunes about her feet had become entangled around the bough on which she sat, so that when she would have flown she could not do so.  Now Sir Launcelot was very sorry to see the falcon beating herself in that wise, straining to escape from where she was prisoner, but he knew not what to do to aid her, for the tree was very high, and he was no good climber of trees.

While he stood there watching that falcon he heard the portcullis of the castle lifted, with a great noise, and the drawbridge let fall, and therewith there came a lady riding out of the castle very rapidly upon a white mule, and she rode toward where Sir Launcelot watched the falcon upon the tree.  When that lady had come nigh to Sir Launcelot, she cried out to him:  “Sir Knight, didst thou see a falcon fly this way?” Sir Launcelot said:  “Yea, Lady, and there she hangs, caught by her lunes in yonder elm-tree.”

Then when that lady beheld how that her falcon hung there she smote her hands together, crying out:  “Alas, alas! what shall I do?  That falcon is my lord’s favorite hawk!  While I was playing with her a while since, she slipped from me and took flight, and has sped as thou dost see.  Now when my lord findeth that I have lost his hawk in that wise he will be very angry with me, and will haply do me some grievous hurt.”

[Sidenote:  The Lady beseeches Sir Launcelot to get her the falcon again] Quoth Sir Launcelot:  “Lady, I am very sorry for you.”  “Sir,” she said, “it boots nothing for you to be sorry for me unless you can aid me.”  “How may I aid you in this?” said Sir Launcelot.  “Messire,” quoth she, “how otherwise could you aid me than by climbing up into this tree for my hawk?  For if you aid me not in such a fashion, I know not what I shall do, for my lord hath a very hot and violent temper, and he is not likely to brook having his favorite hawk lost to him, as it is like to be.”

Upon this Sir Launcelot was put to a great pass and knew not what to do, for he had no good mind to climb that tree.  “Lady,” quoth he, “I prithee tell me what is thy lord’s name.”  “Messire,” she replied, “he is hight Sir Phelot, and is a knight of the court of the King of North Wales.”