In a modern-day world, an old widow named Mrs. Whitaker finds the Holy Grail in a pawn shop she frequents. She buys it from the volunteer worker, Marie. She likes how it looks on her mantle. She has her friend Mrs. Greenberg over for tea. Then, a knight with armor and a horse shows up at her door and says he's on a quest to find the Holy Grail. She lets him in after he presents a signed letter stating he is Sir Galaad, though she was expecting a simple ID. They have tea. She refuses to let him take the grail, which she likes on her mantle, and he leaves. He's back the next day and Ms. Whittaker makes him help in the garden, throwing slugs over a fence. He offers to trade a sword, the magical sword Balmung, for the grail, and Ms. Whittaker refuses. Her next visit to the pawn shop, she notices Marie is unusually dressed up. Marie says the knight came by looking for the grail and speaks dreamily about him. Galaad is waiting for her at home. He presents her with three objects: the Philosopher's Stone, the Egg of the Phoenix, and one of the apples of the Hesperides. The last can, with a few bites, make someone young and beautiful forever. Mrs. Whittaker licks the juice and feels what it was like to be young, feels drawn to Sir Galaad. She says, "Put the apple away. You shouldn't offer things like that to old ladies. It isn't proper." But she agrees to trade the other two for the grail. After he leaves, she cries into a tissue. The next day, in the pawn shop, she finds a book and an oil lamp. Then, she decides not to buy the oil lamp. She has nowhere to put it.