The Knight of the Pedestal

Once, a poor knight, for not every knight was rich even in those days, was wandering the lands and doing what he could. A day came when he saw a bird fly overhead that he shot and made his dinner, which is a fuller dinner than he had eaten for many a week, but he had cause to regret it later.
For a knight appeared who was not poor at all. He had three horses of his own and two for each of his men, and as to those men, believe that there were more than a couple. He accosted the poor knight with these words. "Sir, you have done ill, and now you must pay the penalty. I give you three options, and be assured there is no fourth. First is that you must travel to the court of Queen Sophemie and explain in person why you killed her favorite bird, and accept what comes."
"That court is far indeed, far enough that mercy rarely visits, or so I have heard," the poor knight said.
"You have heard right. The second path for you is closer. You must wear this sack and enter that cage you see there, and inside you may ask those lions for clemency, for I assure you that they hold the queen's confidence as far as legal judgments."
"It is a splendid tongue that lions have, and I confess I have not learned it myself."
"Nor I, to my shame. The third option is that you must take that ax leaning against the pedestal made of marble a few yards away as you can see, and split the pedestal in two with a single swing that we may take away the pieces. For the queen wishes that it be removed nearly as ardently as she wished to hear her bird's singing later this evening."
"Suppose it takes me two or three swings, or as many axes or more, to split the pedestal? You understand that I wish to please the queen."
"That is easily seen, and my response is that we will salute your effort and split you in half using no more strokes than you employed."
The poor knight considered the three options offered, prayed, and picked up the ax. He swung a mighty swing, one suitable for a knight if a poor one, and buried the ax more than a few inches deep in the pedestal. The menacing knight had his hand on his sword when the pedestal shivered, cracked, and split into two, and of course a young man was inside who was naked and most powerfully muscled, not to mention as handsome as a newly built castle.
"You have done it after all, and I perceive that man will become the greatest knight that has ever been, so arm him yourself and train him to win as much honor as you lost on account of the bird." Saying that, the queen's knight saluted and left, and the poor knight did nothing else but what he advised.
Finis