No More Learning

"Damsels," cried she as she saw him coming, "I ought to be ashamed to
say it and yet I can't bear that Sir Baby. Keep him back with
yourselves. I'd rather have some rough old knight who knows the ways of
the world to chatter and joke with; so don't let him come near me.
Tell him all sorts of baby fables that good mothers tell their little
boys, and if he runs off for us--it doesn't matter. "

[Illustration: ETTARRE CROWNED HERSELF BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE. ]

So the young women didn't let him go near Ettarre but made him stay with
them, and as soon as they had all passed into Ettarre's castle gate up
sprang the drawbridge, down rang the iron grating, and Sir Pelleas was
left outside all alone.

"These are only the ways of ladies with their lovers when the ladies
want to find out whether the lovers are true or not. Well, she can try
me with anything, I'll be true through all. "

So he stayed there until dark, then went to a priory not far off and the
next morning came back. Every day he did the same whether it rained or
shone, armed on his charger, and stayed all the day beneath the walls,
although nobody opened the gate for him.

This made Ettarre's scorn turn to anger. She told her three knights to
go out and drive him away. But when they came out Pelleas overthrew them
all as they dashed upon him one after the other. So they went back
inside and he kept his watch as before. This turned Ettarre's anger into
hate.
As she walked on top of the walls with her three knights about a
week later she pointed down to Pelleas and said:

"He haunts me, look, he besieges me! I can't breathe. Strike him down,
put my hate into your blows and drive him away from my walls. "

So down they went but Pelleas overthrew them all again so Ettarre called
down from the tower above, "Bind him and bring him in. "

Pelleas heard her say this so he did not resist, but let the men bind
him and take him into his lady love. "See me, Lady," he said cheerily,
"your prisoner, and if you keep me in your dungeon here I'll be quite
content if you'll just let me see your face every day. For I've sworn my
vows and you've given me your promise and I know that when you've done
proving me you will give me your love and have me for your knight. "

But she made fun of his vows and told her knights to put him outside
again and "if he isn't a fool to the middle of his bones," said she,
"he'll never come back. " Then the three knights laughed and thrust him
out of the gates.

But a week later Ettarre called them again, "He's watching there yet. He
comes just like a dog that's been kicked out of his master's door. Don't
you hate him? Go after him, all of you at once, and if you don't kill
him bind him as you did before and bring him in. "

So the three knights couched their spears all together, three against
one, ready to dash upon Pelleas, low down beneath the shadow of the
towers.

Gawain passing by on a lonely adventure saw them.

"The villains!