About the middle of the repast the yellow man asked Owain the object of his journey.  And Owain made it known to him, and said, “I am in quest of the knight who guards the fountain.”  Upon this the yellow man smiled, and said that he was as loth to point out that adventure to him as he had been to Kynon.  However, he described the whole to Owain, and they retired to rest.

The next morning Owain found his horse made ready for him by the damsels, and he set forward and came to the glade where the black man was.  And the stature of the black man seemed more wonderful to Owain than it had done to Kynon; and Owain asked of him his road, and he showed it to him.  And Owain followed the road till he came to the green tree; and he beheld the fountain, and the slab beside the fountain, with the bowl upon it.  And Owain took the bowl and threw a bowlful of water upon the slab.  And, lo! the thunder was heard, and after the thunder came the shower, more violent than Kynon had described, and after the shower the sky became bright.  And immediately the birds came and settled upon the tree and sang.  And when their song was most pleasing to Owain he beheld a knight coming towards him through the valley; and he prepared to receive him, and encountered him violently.  Having broken both their lances, they drew their swords and fought blade to blade.  Then Owain struck the knight a blow through his helmet, head-piece, and visor, and through the skin, and the flesh, and the bone, until it wounded the very brain.  Then the black knight felt that he had received a mortal wound, upon which he turned his horse’s head and fled.  And Owain pursued him and followed close upon him, although he was not near enough to strike him with his sword.  Then Owain descried a vast and resplendent castle; and they came to the castle gate.  And the black knight was allowed to enter, and the portcullis was let fall upon Owain; and it struck his horse behind the saddle, and cut him in two, and carried away the rowels of the spurs that were upon Owains’ heels.  And the portcullis descended to the floor.  And the rowels of the spurs and part of the horse were without, and Owain with the other part of the horse remained between the two gates, and the inner gate was closed, so that Owain could not go thence; and Owain was in a perplexing situation.  And while he was in this state, he could see through an aperture in the gate a street facing him, with a row of houses on each side.  And he beheld a maiden, with yellow, curling hair, and a frontlet of gold upon her head; and she was clad in a dress of yellow satin, and on her feet were shoes of variegated leather.  And she approached the gate, and desired that it should be opened.  “Heaven knows, lady,” said Owain, “it is no more possible for me to open to thee from hence, than it is for thee to set me free.”  And he told her his name, and who he was.  “Truly,” said the damsel, “it is very sad that thou canst not be released; and every woman ought to succor thee,