up alone in the forest by his mother. He is the son of Sir Perceval and Acheflour, sister of King Arthur (probably a corruption of Chrétien's Blancheflour). Sir Perceval, the father, was a valiant knight, killed in combat by the wicked Red Knight. Grieving over her husband's death, and distressed that her child might grow up to share this same fate, Acheflour retires into the forest to bring up her young son in seclusion, away from the temptation of arms. But the wielding of arms is in the boy's blood. When he is old enough, his mother gives him a small hunting spear, the only weapon that she had brought into the forest with her. Soon no animal is safe from him, and the young boy Perceval fills his mother's table with all the game of the forest. One day, in an episode perhaps indicating that Sir Perceval of Galles is itself a parody, and in line with advice given to the young Perceval in Chrétien's tale which leads him into error, Perceval's mother tells him to honour the 'Great God'. Soon afterwards, the boy encounters Sir Gawain and Sir Kay riding through the forest. Perceval asks if either is the Great God of whom his mother has spoken, who created the world in six days. Kay is characteristically rude to the boy, but Gawain answers politely, telling him that they are called knights. Perceval immediately wishes to become a knight himself. The first part of the tale follows Chrétien's story quite accurately, although in abridged form and laced with comic touches at the boy's expense. Perceval goes home to his mother with the intention of riding to King Arthur's court to be made a knight. On the way, he sees a clearing full of horses and, knowing now that knights ride horses, he captures one and rides it home. Horrified, Perceval's mother asks him why he is riding a mare. Perceval now imagines that all horses are called mares, a joke that will run throughout the story. The following morning Perceval rides his mare into Arthur's court, where he positions the animal so closely to the king that it nuzzles against Arthur's face as he eats. A red knight enters the court, insults the king and takes a goblet. Perceval rides out and, after having demanded being given the Red Knight's armour, he throws a hunting spear through his