“The shield can be borne only by a peerless knight.  It does not belong to you,” said the warrior, as he gave it to the squire, telling him to carry it back to the abbey and to give it to Sir Galahad with his greeting.

“Then tell me your name,” said the squire.

“I will tell neither you nor any one on earth,” said the warrior.  And he disappeared, and the squire saw him no more.

“I will take the wounded King to an abbey, that his wounds may be dressed,” thought the squire.

And with great difficulty the King and his squire reached an abbey.  And the monks thought his life could not be saved, but after many days he was cured.

Then the squire rode back to the abbey where Galahad waited.  “The warrior who wounded the King bids you bear this shield,” he said.

Galahad hung the shield round his neck joyfully, and rode into the valley to seek the warrior dressed in white.

And when they met they saluted each other courteously.  And the warrior told Sir Galahad strange tales of the white shield, till the knight thanked God that now it was his.  And all his life long the white shield with the red cross was one of his great treasures.

Now Galahad rode back to the abbey, and the monks were glad to see him again.  “We have need of a pure knight,” they said, as they took Sir Galahad to a tomb in the churchyard.

A pitiful noise was heard, and a voice from the tomb cried, “Galahad, servant of God, do not come near me.”  But the young knight went towards the tomb and raised the stone.

Then a thick smoke was seen, and through the smoke a figure uglier than any man leaped from the tomb, shouting, “Angels are round thee, Galahad, servant of God.  I can do you no harm.”

The knight stooped down and saw a body all dressed in armor lying there, and a sword lay by its side.

“This was a false knight,” said Sir Galahad.  “Let us carry his body away from this place.”

“You will stay in the abbey and live with us,” entreated the monks.  But the boy-knight could not rest.  Would he see the light that was brighter than any sunbeam again?  Would his adventures bring him at last to the Holy Grail?

Sir Galahad rode on many days, till at last he reached a mountain.  On the mountain he found an old chapel.  It was empty and very desolate.  Galahad knelt alone before the altar, and asked God to tell him what to do next.

And as he prayed a voice said, “Thou brave knight, go to the Castle of Maidens and rescue them.”

Galahad rose, and gladly journeyed on to the Castle of Maidens.

There he found seven knights, who long ago had seized the castle from a maiden to whom it belonged.  And these knights had imprisoned her and many other maidens.

When the seven knights saw Sir Galahad they came out of the castle.  “We will take this young knight captive, and keep him in prison,” they said to each other, as they fell upon him.