These, when Sir Launcelot came nigh, began to call to him on high, crying:  “Turn back, Sir Knight!  Turn back!  Else you will meet your death at this place.”

But Sir Launcelot would not turn back, but advanced very steadfastly upon his way.

Now somewhat nigh the farther end of that bridge there stood a little lodge of stone, built to shelter the warden of the bridge from stress of weather.  When Sir Launcelot came nigh to this lodge there started suddenly out from it a great churl, above seven feet high, who bore in his hand a huge club, shod with iron and with great spikes of iron at the top.  This churl ran to Sir Launcelot and catched his horse by the bridle-rein and thrust it back upon its haunches, crying out in a great hoarse voice:  “Whither goest thou, Sir Knight, for to cross this bridge?” Sir Launcelot said:  “Let go my horse’s rein, Sir Churl.”  Whereunto the churl made answer:  “I will not let go thy horse’s rein, and thou shalt not cross this bridge.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot slays the huge churl] At this Sir Launcelot waxed very angry, and he drew his sword and struck the churl a blow with the flat thereof upon the shoulder, so that he dropped the rein very quickly.  Therewith that churl drew back and took his great iron-shod club in both hands and struck at Sir Launcelot a blow that would have split a millstone.  But Sir Launcelot put by the blow with his sword so that it did him no harm.  But therewith he waxed so wroth that he ground his teeth together with anger, and, rising in his stirrups, he lashed that churl so woeful a blow that he cleft through his iron cap and his head and his breast even to the paps.

[Sidenote:  The folk warn Sir Launcelot] Now when the people of the town beheld that terrible blow they lifted up their voices in a great outcry, crying out:  “Turn back, Sir Knight!  Turn back!  For this is a very woful thing for thee that thou hast done!” and some cried out:  “Thou hast killed the giants’ warder of the bridge!” And others cried:  “Thou art a dead man unless thou make haste away from this.”  But to all this Sir Launcelot paid no heed, but wiped his sword and thrust it back into its sheath.  Then he went forward upon his way across the bridge as though nothing had befallen, and so came to the farther side.  Then, without paying any heed to all the people who were there, he rode straight to the castle and into the gate of the castle and into the court-yard thereof.

Now by this time all the castle was astir, and in great tumult, and many people came running to the windows and looked down upon Sir Launcelot.  And Sir Launcelot sat his horse and looked all about him.  So he perceived that beyond the court-yard was a fair space of grass, very smooth and green, well fitted for battle, wherefore he dismounted from his horse and tied it to a ring in the wall, and then he went to that green field and made him ready for whatever might befall.

Meantime all those people who were at the windows of the castle cried out to him, as the people of the town had done:  “Go away, Sir Knight!  Go away whilst there is still time for you to escape, or else you are a dead man!”