It was noonday, and the sun was shining brightly on the shields of the knights, and their plumes were waving in the breeze; and when they reached the gate, Sir Tristram blew a loud blast on a silver trumpet.

Then all the hens began to cackle, and the dog began to bark, and the horse began to neigh, and the pigs began to grunt; for they knew that it was a great day.  And little Gauvain and his mother ran out to see what the matter was.

When the knights saw Gauvain they looked at each other, and every one cried out:  “He is the child!” And Tristram the True said to the mother:—­

“Greeting to you!  The king, our wise ruler, has sent us here to see your good child; for a good child is more precious than a kingdom.  And the king offers him his love and favor if you will let him ride with us to live at the king’s court and learn to be a knight.”

Little Gauvain and his mother were greatly astonished.  They could scarcely believe that such a thing had happened; for it seemed very wonderful and beautiful that the king should send messengers to little Gauvain.  After the knights had repeated it, though, they understood; and little Gauvain ran to his mother and put his arms around her; for he knew that if he went with the knights he must leave her, and the mother knew that if she let him go she must live without him.

The rooster up on the fence crowed a very loud “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” to let everybody know he belonged to Gauvain; and a little chick that had lost its mother cried, “Peep! peep!” And when the mother heard this, she answered the knights and said:—­

“I cannot spare my good child from my home.  The king’s love is precious; but I love my child more than the whole world, and he is dearer to me than a thousand kingdoms.”

Little Gauvain was so glad when he heard her answer that he looked again at the knights with a smiling face, and waved his hand to them as they rode away.  All day and all night they rode, and it was the peep of day when they came to the king’s highway.  Then they rode slowly, for they were sad because of their news; but the king rejoiced when he heard it, for he said:  “Such a child, with such a mother, will grow into a knight at home.”

The king’s words were true; for when the king was an old, old man, Gauvain rode to his court and was knighted.

Gauvain had a beautiful name of his own then, for he was called “Gauvain the Good”; and he was brave, happy, kind, pure, and true.  And he was beloved by all the people in the world, but most of all by his mother.

THE CLOSING DOOR

    MOTTO FOR THE MOTHER

    Keep thou an open door between thy child’s life
    and thine own.

There was once a little girl (her best and sweetest name was Little Daughter), who had a dear little room, all her own, which was full of treasures, and was as lovely as love could make it.