"Lady," quoth he, "I prithee
tell me what is thy lord's name." "Messire," she replied, "he is hight Sir
Phelot, and is a knight of the court of the King of North Wales."
"Well, Lady," said Sir Launcelot, "thou dost put upon me a very sore task
in this, for God knoweth I am no climber of trees. Yea, I would rather do
battle with twenty knights than to climb one such tree as this.
Nevertheless, I cannot find it in me to refuse the asking of any lady, if
so be it lieth at all in my power to perform her will. Now if you will aid
me to unarm myself, I will endeavor to climb this tree and get your hawk."
[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot climbs the tree] So the lady dismounted from her
mule, and Sir Launcelot dismounted from his horse, and the lady aided Sir
Launcelot to unarm himself. And when he had unarmed himself he took off all
his clothes saving only his hosen and his doublet. Then he climbed that
tree, though with great labor and pain to himself, and with much dread lest
he should fall. So he, at last, reached the falcon where it was, and he
loosened the lunes from where they were entangled about the branch, and he
freed the bird.
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