The knight on foot was soon passed by a cart driven by a dwarf with a whip. In those days, such carts were used as pillories, as a place of disgrace for thieves and murderers and all kinds of criminal. Any one who had committed a crime had to stand in the cart and be driven through the town in front of all the people.
The knight cries out:
'Dwarf, have you seen the Queen pass by here?'
'If you will get up on this cart, you'll find out tomorrow what has happened to the Queen,' the Dwarf replies.
The knight hesitates for only two steps before jumping up on to the cart. He'll be sorry later that he waited at all - even though common sense tells him it is a great disgrace to travel in the cart. Yet the knight is in love with the Queen and love tells him to do whatever is necessary to find her. For a true lover is willing to put up with any disgrace if it is needed to serve his lady.
Gawain soon catches up with the slow, rumbling cart, and is very surprised to see the knight sitting in it. The Dwarf invites Gawain to climb on it too if he wants to know where the Queen is.
'I will keep my horse, if you don't mind,' Gawain tells him, 'for it is foolish and unworthy of a knight to exchange a horse for a cart. You can go on and I will follow you.'
