Then he ascended the mountain till he came to a great fire.  And there he found a sorrowful widow wringing her hands and weeping miserably, sitting by a new-made grave.  And saluting her, King Arthur prayed her wherefore she made such heavy lamentations.

“Sir knight,” she said, “speak softly, for yonder is a devil, who, if he hear thy voice, will come and straightway slay thee.  Alas! what dost thou here?  Fifty such men as thou were powerless to resist him.  Here lieth dead my lady, Duchess of Brittany, wife to Sir Hoel, who was the fairest lady in the world, foully and shamefully slaughtered by that fiend!  Beware that thou go not too nigh, for he hath overcome and vanquished fifteen kings, and hath made himself a coat of precious stones, embroidered with their beards; but if thou art hardy, and wilt speak with him, at yonder great fire he is at supper.”

“Well,” said King Arthur, “I will accomplish mine errand, for all thy fearful words;” and so went forth to the crest of the hill, and saw where the giant sat at supper, gnawing on a limb of a man, and baking his huge frame by the fire, while three damsels turned three spits whereon were spitted, like larks, twelve young children lately born.

[Illustration:  The giant sat at supper, gnawing on a limb of a man, and baking his huge frame by the fire.]

When King Arthur saw all that, his heart bled for sorrow, and he trembled for rage and indignation; then lifting up his voice he cried aloud—­“God, that wieldeth all the world, give thee short life and shameful death, and may the devil have thy soul!  Why hast thou slain those children and that fair lady?  Wherefore arise, and prepare thee to perish, thou glutton and fiend, for this day thou shalt die by my hands.”

Then the giant, mad with fury at these words, started up, and seizing a great club, smote the king, and struck his crown from off his head.  But King Arthur smote him with his sword so mightily in return, that all his blood gushed forth in streams.

At that the giant, howling in great anguish, threw away his club of iron, and caught the king in both his arms and strove to crush his ribs together.  But King Arthur struggled and writhed, and twisted him about, so that the giant could not hold him tightly; and as they fiercely wrestled, they both fell, and rolling over one another, tumbled—­wrestling, and struggling, and fighting frantically—­from rock to rock, till they came to the sea.

And as they tore and strove and tumbled, the king ever and anon smote at the giant with his dagger, till his arms stiffened in death around King Arthur’s body, and groaning horribly, he died.  So presently the two knights came and found the king locked fast in the giant’s arms, and very faint and weary, and loosed him from their hold.

Then the king bade Sir Key to “smite off the giant’s head and set it on the truncheon of a spear, and bear it to Sir Hoel, and tell him that his enemy is slain; and afterwards let it be fastened to the castle gate, that all the people may behold it.  And go ye two up on the mountain and fetch me my shield and sword, and also the great club of iron ye will see there; and as for the treasure, ye shall find there wealth beyond counting, but take as much as ye will, for if I have his kirtle and the club, I desire no more.”