الفصل الفصل 43 · How Balin fought with King Pellam, and how his sword brake,

. How Balin fought with King Pellam, and how his sword brake,

and how he gat a spear wherewith he smote the dolorous stroke.

Anon all the knights arose from the table for to set on Balin, and King

Pellam himself arose up fiercely, and said, Knight, hast thou slain my

brother? thou shalt die therefore or thou depart. Well, said Balin, do

it yourself. Yes, said King Pellam, there shall no man have ado with

thee but myself, for the love of my brother. Then King Pellam caught in

his hand a grim weapon and smote eagerly at Balin; but Balin put the

sword betwixt his head and the stroke, and therewith his sword burst in

sunder. And when Balin was weaponless he ran into a chamber for to seek

some weapon, and so from chamber to chamber, and no weapon he could

find, and always King Pellam after him. And at the last he entered into

a chamber that was marvellously well dight and richly, and a bed

arrayed with cloth of gold, the richest that might be thought, and one

lying therein, and thereby stood a table of clean gold with four

pillars of silver that bare up the table, and upon the table stood a

marvellous spear strangely wrought. And when Balin saw that spear, he

gat it in his hand and turned him to King Pellam, and smote him

passingly sore with that spear, that King Pellam fell down in a swoon,

and therewith the castle roof and walls brake and fell to the earth,

and Balin fell down so that he might not stir foot nor hand. And so the

most part of the castle, that was fallen down through that dolorous

stroke, lay upon Pellam and Balin three days.