Prince Charming rode through the tangled forest. It was, of course, an enchanted forest. Magical trees just stood there, dark and gloomy, a green world with black shapes flitting across it. This was like the ancient wood of the Old World, concealing hordes of monsters.
Charming came at length into a clearing, in a bright little meadow surrounded on all sides by darkness and menace. At the far end Charming could see a pavilion made of green and orange cloth. A large black horse was tethered to a tree nearby, tall and fine, a proper battle horse.
Charming walked forward and approached the pavilion. There were arms piled outside it: heavy, black armor, splendidly made, encrusted here and there with pearls. Whoever it belonged to, he must be wealthy and doubtless powerful.
Charming saw that there was a slughorn hanging from a standard outside the tent. He raised the horn and blew a loud blast. Before the echo had faded, there was a stirring within the pavilion. Then a man emerged. He was large, black-haired, and scowling. He dragged beside him a fair maiden in a swooning mode.
“Now who is this blows my slughorn?” the knight said. He was clad in brightly striped smallclothes. Seeing Charming, he scowled more deeply.
“La, sir, I am Prince Charming,” Charming said. “And I ride forth to rescue the Princess Scarlet from her sleeping spell.”
“Ha!” said the knight.
“Why do you say ‘ha’?” asked Charming.
“Because it behooves me to make a scornful sound on hearing of this slight and utterly insignificant quest of yours.”
“I suppose your quest is more important?”
“Of a surety it is!” the man replied confidently. “For know, young man, that I am Parsifal, and I quest after no less a thing than the Holy Grail.”
“The Grail, huh?” said Charming. “Is it really in these parts?”
“Of course it is. This is the enchanted forest. In it subsist all things, and the Holy Grail is sure to be found here.”
“What about the woman?” Charming asked.
“Beg pardon?”
“That woman you’re holding by the hair.”
Parsifal looked down. “Oh, her. She signifies nothing.”
“But what are you doing with her?”
“Must I spell it out?”
“Of course not! What I mean is – ”
“I know what you mean,” Parsifal said. “She is here for me to toy with until the Grail is in sight.”
“I see,” said Charming. “By the way, do you need that horse?”
“My horse?” said Parsifal.
“Just thought I’d ask. Because if you don’t, I could sure use him. He’s a lot bigger and stronger than mine.”
“This is the weirdest thing I’ve heard in a long time,” said Parsifal. “This child knight scarcely dry behind the ears comes riding into my camp and he wants to know do I need my horse. Why, no, certainly not, fellow. You can have him if you want him.”
“Thanks,” Charming said. He dismounted. “That’s really uncommon kind of you.”
“But first,” Parsifal said, “you will have to fight me for him.”
“I was afraid there’d be a condition attached.”
“Yes, there is. I see you have a Fairly Lucky Sword.”
“I do,” Charming said, drawing it and holding it out. “Nice, isn’t it?”
“Nice,” Parsifal agreed, “but of course it’s not an Enchanted Sword like mine.” He drew his own and showed it to Charming.
“I don’t suppose,” Charming said, “a sword like mine would be much good against a sword like yours.”
“No, in all honesty, I don’t think so,” Parsifal said. “Fairly Lucky Swords aren’t bad, but you can’t expect much of them against a real Enchanted Sword.”
“I didn’t think so. Look, do we really have to fight?”
“I’m afraid we do,” Parsifal said, and attacked.
Prince Charming jumped out of the way and swung his Fairly Lucky Sword. The two swords clanged together with an uncanny sound. This was succeeded by an even more uncanny sound when Prince Charming’s blade broke.
“I win!” cried Parsifal, swinging up his Enchanted Sword for the death stroke. “Gawg!”
Charming thought he was finished, so he used his final seconds to think over his memories, which in his case didn’t take very long.
But Charming’s time on Earth was not quite up. Since his sword had been Fairly Lucky, and a very good example of its kind, it happened that when it broke, a single bright shard of metal had flown upward, penetrating Parsifal’s throat, where the gorget revealed a fraction of an inch of flesh.