The Romance of Perceval

This is the tale of a young man who is purposely sheltered from knightly activities by his mother so he will not want to become a knight. Despite her efforts, Perceval encounters knights in a forest, and thinking at first they are angels (or even God), he longs to become a knight, too. Due to his sheltered childhood, he is ignorant of knightly manners, and his lack of knowledge makes him look foolish at times. Perceval's enthusiasm and desire to learn help compensate for this foolishness, and despite his naivete, he becomes one of the most successful of Arthur's knights, the Forrest Gump of medieval romance.

Perceval goes to Arthur's court to be knighted and to obtain armor and weaponry. However, he does not want ordinary armor, but the armor of the Red Knight, Arthur's enemy. In a sarcastic tone, Sir Kay tells Perceval to go and take the armor from the knight. They are astounded when he returns with the armor, and he earns their respect and his knighthood. Perceval leaves the court to go adventuring, and he sends the knights he conquers back to Arthur so they can serve Arthur and boast about him.

During one of his adventures, Perceval meets the Fisher King, the guarder fo the Grail. Perceval is unaware of the importance of this man, and he has recently learned not to question everything. So, the once inquisitive knight fails to question the ownership of the Grail and the other mysteries. Perceval quickly learns of his grave mistake, and he vows to quest for the Grail for the rest of his life.