"That shall I do willingly," said Arthur, "and with what worship I may, since you are my nephew, my sister's son." [Here it is proper to say that Arthur had three sisters, the daughters of Queen Igraine and her first husband, the Duke of Tintagil. One of these, Margawse, had married King Lot, and had four sons, all of whom became valiant knights; Elaine, the second, had married King Neutres of Garlot; the third sister, Morgan le Fay, had been put to school, where she became learned in the art of necromancy; of the fourth the chronicles fail to speak.] Hardly had Gawaine spoken when there came riding into the court a poor man, who brought with him a fair-faced youth, of eighteen years of age, riding upon a lean mare. "Sir, will you grant me a gift?" the old man asked of the king. "I was told that you would at the time of your marriage grant any gift that was asked for in reason." "That is true," said the king. "What would you have?" "Jesu save you, most gracious king. I ask nothing more than that you make my son a knight." "It is a great thing you ask," said the king. "Who are you, and what claim has your son to this high honor?" "I am but a cowherd, great sir, and am the father of thirteen sons. But this one is unlike all the rest. He will do no labor, and cares for nothing but warlike sports, and seeing knights and battles. And day and night he craves for knighthood." "What is thy name?" the king asked the young man. "Sir, my name is Tor." The king looked at him closely. He was of handsome face, and was very well made and strong of limb and body. "Where is the sword with which this youth shall be made knight?" asked the king. "It is here," said Tor. "Then draw it from the scabbard, and require me to make you a knight." At these words the youth sprang lightly and gladly from his mare, drew the sword, and kneeled before the king, asking him in earnest tones to make him a Knight of the Round Table. "A knight I will make you," answered the king. "But the Round Table is not for untried youth." Thereupon he smote him upon the neck with the sword, and said,-- "Be you a good knight, and I pray God you may be so. If you prove of prowess and worth I promise you shall in good time have a seat at the Round Table." "Now, Merlin," said Arthur, "tell me whether this Tor will be a good knight or not." "He should be so," answered Merlin, "for he comes of kingly blood. The cowherd here is no more his father than I, but he is the son of the good knight, King Pellinore, whose prowess you have much reason to know." By good hap King Pellinore himself came next morning to the court, and was glad to find what honor had been done his son, whom he gladly acknowledged as his. Then Merlin took Pellinore by the hand and led him to the seat next the Seat Perilous. "This is your place at the Round Table," he said. "There is none here so worthy as yourself to sit therein."