Perceval journeyed on till he arrived at Arthur’s court.  And it so happened that just at that time an uncourteous knight had offered Queen Guenever a gross insult.  For when her page was serving the queen with a golden goblet, this knight struck the arm of the page and dashed the wine in the queen’s face and over her stomacher.  Then he said, “If any have boldness to avenge this insult to Guenever, let him follow me to the meadow.”  So the knight took his horse and rode to the meadow, carrying away the golden goblet.  And all the household hung down their heads and no one offered to follow the knight to take vengeance upon him.  For it seemed to them that no one would have ventured on so daring an outrage unless he possessed such powers, through magic or charms, that none could be able to punish him.  Just then, behold, Perceval entered the hall upon the bony, piebald horse, with his uncouth trappings.  In the centre of the hall stood Kay the Seneschal.  “Tell me, tall man,” said Perceval, “is that Arthur yonder?” “What wouldst thou with Arthur?” asked Kay.  “My mother told me to go to Arthur and receive knighthood from him.”  “By my faith,” said he, “thou art all too meanly equipped with horse and with arms.”  Then all the household began to jeer and laugh at him.  But there was a certain damsel who had been a whole year at Arthur’s court, and had never been known to smile.  And the king’s fool [Footnote:  A fool was a common appendage of the courts of those days when this romance was written.  A fool was the ornament held in next estimation to a dwarf.  He wore a white dress with a yellow bonnet, and carried a bell or bawble in his hand.  Though called a fool, his words were often weighed and remembered as if there were a sort of oracular meaning in them.] had said that this damsel would not smile till she had seen him who would be the flower of chivalry.  Now this damsel came up to Perceval and told him, smiling, that if he lived he would be one of the bravest and best of knights.  “Truly,” said Kay, “thou art ill taught to remain a year at Arthur’s court, with choice of society, and smile on no one, and now before the face of Arthur and all his knights to call such a man as this the flower of knighthood;” and he gave her a box on the ear, that she fell senseless to the ground.  Then said Kay to Perceval, “Go after the knight who went hence to the meadow, overthrow him and recover the golden goblet, and possess thyself of his horse and arms, and thou shalt have knighthood.”  “I will do so, tall man,” said Perceval.  So he turned his horse’s head toward the meadow.  And when he came there, the knight was riding up and down, proud of his strength and valor and noble mien.  “Tell me,” said the knight, “didst thou see any one coming after me from the court?” “The tall man that was there,” said Perceval, “told me to come and overthrow thee, and to take from thee the goblet and thy horse and armor for myself.”  “Silence!” said the knight; “go back to the court, and tell Arthur either to come