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As they rode along together they saw a knight come driving by them all in green, both his horse and his harness; and when he came nigh the damsel he asked her, "Is that my brother the Black Knight that ye have brought with you?" "Nay, nay," said she, "this unlucky kitchen-knave hath slain your brother through mischance."
He was here amongst you a twelvemonth, and ye made a kitchen-knave of him, which is shame to you all." "Oh dear mother," said Sir Gawaine, "I knew him not." "Nor I," said the King; "but thanked be God, he is proved an honourable knight as any of his years now living, and I shall never be glad till I may find him.
Now Lynette was more cross than ever because Lancelot had left her, and when Gareth at last rode up to her, she cried rudely, 'You are only a kitchen-knave. Your clothes smell of cooking, and your dress is soiled with grease and tallow. Ride further off from me. But what she said was not true, for Gareth had put on the beautiful armour his mother had sent him.
"Damsel," said Fair-hands, "ye may say what ye will, but whomsoever I have ado with I trust to God to serve him ere he depart, and therefore I reck not what ye say, provided I may win your lady." "Fie, fie, foul kitchen-knave, thou shalt see knights that shall abate thy boast. I see all that ever thou doest is but by misadventure, and not by prowess of thy hands."
The hero of it is a son, not a brother, of Gawain, comes nameless or nicknamed, but as "Beaufils," not "Beaumains," to Arthur's court, and is knighted at once, not made to go through the "kitchen-knave" stage. The course of the adventures is, however, different from that which some people know from Malory, and many from Tennyson.
'Flee down the valley, before the Black Knight saddles his horse, she called to Gareth. But she knew that even the Black Knight would not frighten her kitchen-knave. The Black Knight saddled his horse and rode up to them. 'Is this your knight, and has he come to fight me? he asked Lynette. 'He is only a kitchen-boy, he is no knight of mine, Lynette answered.
Then the damsel was ashamed, and, looking curiously at Gareth, she said: "I would gladly know what manner of man ye are. For I heard you call yourself kitchen-knave before Arthur's self, but ye have ever answered patiently though I have chidden you shamefully; and courtesy comes only of gentle blood."
"How now, kitchen-knave? Will ye fight or escape while ye may?" cried the damsel. "I would fight though there were six instead of two," replied Sir Gareth. Therewith he encountered the one knight in mid-stream and struck him such a blow on the head that he fell, stunned, into the water and was drowned.
With that came the damsel and said, "My lord, the Green Knight, why for shame stand ye so long fighting with the kitchen-knave? Alas, it is shame that ever ye were made knight, to see such a lad match such a knight, as if the weed overgrew the corn." Therewith the Green Knight was ashamed, and gave a great stroke of might, and clave Fair-hands' shield through.
"All is in vain," said Fair-hands, "for thou shalt die unless this damsel that came with me pray me to save thy life." Therewithal he unlaced his helm as if to slay him. "Let be," said the damsel, "thou foul kitchen-knave, slay him not, for if thou do, thou shalt repent it." "Damsel," said Fair-hands, "your charge is to me a pleasure, and at your commandment his life shall be saved, and else not.
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