“Such a one I saw,” said King Arthur to the knight, “but that is now two miles distant at the least.  What would you with that beast?”

“Sir,” said the knight, “I have followed it for a long time, and have killed my horse, and would to heaven I had another to pursue my quest withal.”

At that moment came a yeoman with another horse for the king, which, when the knight saw, he earnestly prayed to be given him.  “For I have followed this quest,” said he, “twelve months, and either I shall achieve him or bleed of the best blood of my body.”

It was King Pellinore who at that time followed the questing beast, but neither he nor King Arthur knew each other.

“Sir Knight,” said King Arthur, “leave that quest and suffer me to have it, and I will follow it other twelve months.”

“Ah, fool,” said the knight, “thy desire is utterly in vain, for it shall never be achieved but by me, or by my next of kin.”

Therewith he started to the king’s horse, and mounted to the saddle, crying out, “Grammercy, this horse is mine!”

“Well,” said the king, “thou mayest take my horse by force, and I will not say nay; but till we prove whether thou or I be best on horseback, I shall not rest content.”

“Seek me here,” said the knight, “whenever thou wilt, and here by this fountain thou shalt find me;” and so he passed forth on his way.

Then sat King Arthur in a deep fit of study, and bade his yeomen fetch him yet another horse as quickly as they could.  And when they left him all alone came Merlin, disguised as a child of fourteen years of age, and saluted the king, and asked him why he was so pensive and heavy.

“I may well be pensive and heavy,” he replied, “for here even now I have seen the strangest sight I ever saw.”

“That know I well,” said Merlin, “as well as thyself, and also all thy thoughts; but thou art foolish to take thought, for it will not amend thee.  Also I know what thou art, and know thy father and thy mother.”

“That is false,” said King Arthur; “how shouldst thou know? thy years are not enough.”

“Yea,” said Merlin, “but I know better than thou how thou wast born, and better than any man living.”

“I will not believe thee,” said King Arthur, and was wroth with the child.

So Merlin departed, and came again in the likeness of an old man of fourscore years of age; and the king was glad at his coming, for he seemed wise and venerable.  Then said the old man, “Why art thou so sad?”

“For divers reasons,” said King Arthur; “for I have seen strange things to-day, and but this moment there was here a child who told me things beyond his years to know.”

“Yea,” said the old man, “but he told thee truth, and more he would have told thee hadst thou suffered him.  But I will tell thee wherefore thou art sad, for thou hast done a thing of late for which God is displeased with thee, and what it is thou knowest in thy heart, though no man else may know.”