Sir Gawain Recounts his Adventure with the Knight of the Carte

            Lancelot, as we all know, is a rather peculiar fellow of the Round Table. His incredible ability at jousting and uncanny strength is matched only by his unparalleled swordsmanship. I myself abstain from any combat with him, for my feeble body in his capable hands is a spectacle unfit for Arthur’s court. Yet for all his skills, Lancelot is constantly out of touch with reality due to his intoxicating love for his mistress Guinevere. Where most people, both knights and damsels of the court, gaud over his great strength and skill, I remain more skeptical, as I had seen first-hand the follies that his insatiable love brought on him. The way in which I had such close encounter with him, I will explain presently.

            As we were feasting on Ascension Day, some weeks before Arthur’s birthday, that serpentine devil Meleagant provoked us with his challenge, for which we would pay with the safety of Lady Guinevere. I, of course, was more willing to challenge this fiend directly, but Arthur instead complied to send out his queen along with myself and Kay. As we were heading out, I naturally rode on ahead to scout out the area, for which such impulsive foolishness I would regret later. It was here that I met the knight Lancelot, in need of a new horse after his was dead from exhaustion. I complied out of courtesy, but without even having time to drop his name the knight ran off into the forest with my spare horse. Suspicious, I returned to the party straight-away, only to find Kay and the others knocked unconscious, their horses slain, and Guinevere gone. Astonished, and without a moment’s hesitation, I galloped off in pursuit of the nameless knight, convinced that it was he who had stolen the queen.

            Sometime later, I chanced upon a vile dwarf pulling a cart fit for prisoners. And who should

be locked in this cart, but that very knight who I was pursuing! Naturally, I enquired from the short one if he knew of where the queen was being held, now that the prime suspect had been captured. The dwarf attempted to goad me into coming in the cart myself, but I made sure I would not be so foolish as the previous caller, and insisted on riding beside. Nonetheless, this dwarf’s nefarious scheme had brought us to castle further on, where we would be made prisoners in the same villages as the queen.

            It took quite a long discussion in that castle, along with a few honorable battles, before I was convinced that Lancelot was not the villain who had taken the queen, but was in pursuit of the same goal. Still, I have made sure that his blind complacency to enter that cart he will never live down, at least in my mind. This entire encounter between us, as well as the booby-traps in my bedroom which we fought together, was omitted from the account of my servant de Troys for the sake of brevity. At any rate, it was at this moment that we caught site of the queen led away from that castle towards the Meleagant’s abode, while we were still in the Tower. Now, having already experienced Lancelot’s unbridled passion for Guinevere, I already knew to steady the Knight of the Cart before he would so foolishly plunge himself out the window.

            We nonetheless pursued the queen into the forest as speedily as we could, until we met the damsel who directed us to Meleagant’s kingdom, across the treacherous paths of the Water and Sword Bridges. Now, as I know myself to be so much weaker than Lancelot, I volunteered to take on the Water Bridge first, thereby leaving the Knight of the Cart to chance the more perilous Sword Bridge. There were, of course, several obstacles that distracted me en route: slaying a few giants, rescuing a few damsels, outwitting a few magicians, but in the end I had managed to at last reach the Water Bridge. Crossing over it was no mean feat, I must admit, for even in nothing but my hauberk I continuously submerged and pushed back up to the surface for air, until a great crowd of witnesses waited to help me at the other end.

From these people, I learned that Lancelot had already fought with Meleagant, forced him to agree to a second challenge at Camelot, but has since vanished. If he is not found soon, Meleagant will win by default. Naturally I straight-away returned to Arthur to convey this information, and offer any assistance to track down the Knight of the Cart. It pained my heart to see the court in misery on such a day as this, especially Arthur. But just when it seemed we may lose all hope, a letter arrived affixed with Lancelot’s seal, saying that he is alive and will be make it to the tournament in time. Arthur and I were thus filled with joy, and I with Kay were sent immediately to escort the queen back to the city. As soon as I had entered Camelot, accompanied with the queen and all the prisoners of Meleagant, the people began wrongfully shouting my praises. Embarrassed as I was, I quickly corrected their statement, saying that all these wonderful deeds were accomplished by Lancelot.

But as the great day approached to meet Meleagant’s challenge, Lancelot was still not to be found. But knowing full well the knight’s undying love for Guinevere, I knew confidently that Lancelot had neither given up on the quest, nor could he be delayed for long. For true love, as has been demonstrated innumerable times, cannot be obstructed by mere time and space. And so, if there ever needed to be prolonged distraction of a villain, you can always count on me. I delayed Meleagant with stories of mine and Lancelot’s journey, a pleasant game of dice and other gambling’s, and other distractions. Until at last, I was forced to volunteer myself to joust Meleagant myself, in the place of Lancelot. Surely, I thought, am I the most unworthy knight to replace this great man. But fortunately, no sooner had I taken up the saddle that Lancelot approached over the hill, ready to take on the evil Meleagant.

Ever since that moment, Lancelot had been the envy of everyone at court, except for myself of course, to whom the Knight of the Cart was indebted to for our first encounter.