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A Good Tale of Ipomadon
Greet your lady for me and tell her that you have spoken to me when I was a white knight, then a red knight, and now a black.
The black knight had been far and away the best knight at the tournament, but as evening closed in he rode towards the forest as fast as he could. He looked around and saw Jason.
'Jason! Come and speak with me!' he cried.
'How do you know my name?' asked the other.
'We were once friends! I have jousted here for three days and each day in a different colour. And I thank God that I have achieved so much and performed so well! Greet your lady for me and tell her that you have spoken to me when I was a white knight, then a red knight, and now a black. For I must go. Greet that beautiful lady a thousand times for me. Do this for me, my friend, and tell her that I shall speak with her at leisure sometime, if God wills it. Tell her this from me.'
'Sir!' exclaimed Jason. 'If you leave her like this she will be destroyed!'
Ipomadon rode into the crowd and Jason lost him.
Soon Ipomadon came to the hermitage where he found Ptolemy waiting for him. He cast off his armour and Ptolemy dressed his wounds and stopped them from bleeding. They were very painful. Then Ipomadon dressed in green and rode home with a dreadful noise of hounds and hunting horns. When he came to the castle gate he blew a loud call and gave his hounds their portion of the kill. The maidens all cried out with laughter and the queen was very upset, for in her heart she loved him no less for it. She met him at the door, took him by the hand and led him to the table for supper.
As they sat eating, the king's chamberlain entered the hall. He knelt.
'Welcome! Tell me, who won the prize today?'
'Madam, by my faith, a knight in black has surpassed anything I have ever seen! Of all the knights on the field today, a black knight proved himself to be by far and away the best. My lady, the king has asked me to inform you that there will be a great assembly tomorrow morning in Cantanzaro and that you may wish to make your way there as early as you can, to hear the lady announce whom she has decided to marry.'
Ipomadon was sitting beside the queen and called to the chamberlain: 'Sir, remind the king, please, that he has not been deprived of venison for the last three days! He may have jousted all day, but I have not been idle either! Take some venison with you and tell him that today my hounds performed magnificently, but none better than Belmond, my black hound.'
