?z.s/ I'tatc fflnlUge of ^Agriculture At Qfornell Mnineraita ffiibtarg Date Due asNovir59K DEC 1 7 19 ? >9' Utttt rBTt AtJ64^4S3ia C r m zi^ Library Bureau Cat. No. 1137 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924014519106 anil i^ijS ItnigljtjS King A rthur and his Knights of the Round Table antj fits; Unigfjts By ;plattlie 1. EaUforD Instructor in English in the University of Chicago Jltustrated by •'WW, H,. -.f^':i. .4,, ,y iL ■ V"''.' C *^ " "^ / !■ vSi l5an&, i^ci^allp & Companp Educational Publishers CHICAGO NEW YORK LONDON Copyright, J905, By MAUDE L,. Radford THIS reading-book i^ designed primarily for pupils of the fifth and sixth grades, although it is believed that those of other grades can read it with profit. The stories have been collected from Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d' Arthur and Tennyson's Idyls of the King. The material taken from the former source has been chosen with the view of presenting strictly suit- able reading, and has also at times been slightly altered for the purpose of giving greater unity and continuity to the stories. In the tales taken from the Idyls of the King it has been necessary to omit certain themes and motives, but the char- acters have been treated in such a way as to pre- serve; as far as possible, Tennyson's conception of them. It is scarcely necessary to state that the customs and manners described are not those of- the sixth century, the time of the Anglo-Saxon invasion, but those of the chivalric age, the period when the stories of Arthur were collected. So far [s] 6 •=s|fting_artgur as there has been an attempt to retain the quaint- ness of style found in the old sources, it has been by raeans of simple constructions rather than by the use of much archaic diction. \ The aim of the book is to give children an interest in the litera- ture dealing with the great Celtic legend of King Arthur, and to arouse their admiration for the sturdy national virtues of which the English race has always been proud. ant> fig jfenigi^tgs. TABLE OF C0NTEN1VI PAGE Preface 5 A List of Illustrations . . 8 How Arthur Became King 11 The Good Sword Excalibur 29 The Great Feast and What Followed . . _ .35 Arthur's Court and the Order of the Round Table 49 King Arthur and the Princess Guinevere ... 64 The Coming of Gareth 73 The Story of Sir Gareth and Lynette .... 85 Sir Ivaine . . . . ' ... 99 Sir Balin 120 Sir Geraint and Enid 131 Arthur and Sir Accalon 142 How Arthur Fought with a Giant 153 How Arthur Fought with Rome .... .160 The Knight with the Badly Made Coat . . . .171 Sir Lancelot and Sir Brune 177 The Adventure of King Pellenore 193 Sir Lancelot and His Friends 199 How Sir Lancelot Saved the Queen 213 Sir Lancelot and Elaine . . 226 The Search for the Holy Grail 243 The Death of Arthur 260 A Pronouncing Index 269 Suggestions to Teachers 270 L7I ^Mm 9ivti^m ^^W^ r-^-:;----:--- -m ^^^ t4usi w niimMnoN;^ ^^^ PAGE King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table Frontispiece ''All about him old oaks stood like giant guardians" . lo ''He hardly more than touched the sword ' 25 A" thur and the Lady of the Lake 31 King Bors and King Ban 41 "Arthur saw Guinevere bending over the wall" . . 65 "Gareth rode at him fiercely" . . . 93 '•He dismounted and poured water into the fountain " . 105 "They fought till their breath failed" 129 •King Arthur raising his hand for silence" .... 167 " The king touched hitn lightly with his sword" . . . 175 "He pushed him until he was but a step from the edge" 191 "He struck so fiercely the bottom fell out" 209 " She staid near it all day long in the turret" . . . 231 "And across it slowly moved the Holy Grail" . 253 [8] antt l^tg ^ni^W^ TO DWIGHT AND ROGER ^Mm^n})nt "All about him old oaks stood like giant guard- anM|(0j^niggt^s. /ttOWARTHUF-' Bl:CAMEKlNO ; ONCE upon a time, a thousand years before Columbus discovered Amer- ica, and when Rome was still the greatest city in the world, there lived a brave and beautiful youth whose name was Arthur. His home was in England, near London; and he lived with the good knight Sir Hector, whom he always called father. They dwelt in a great square castle of gray stone, with a round tower at each corner. It was built about a courtyard, and was surrounded by a moat, across which was a drawbridge that could be raised or lowered. When it was raised the castle was practicall}?^ a little island and very hard for enemies to attack. 12 '^'^n^_^x^m How On one side of the moat was a large Became wood, and here Arthur spent a great deal ^"'^ of his time. He liked to lie under the trees and gaze up at the blue of the sky. All about him old oaks stood like giant guardians watching sturdily over the soil where they had grown for centuries. Arthur could look between the trunks and see rabbits and squirrels whisking about. Sometimes a herd of brown deer with shy dark eyes would pass, holding their graceful heads high in the air; some- times a. flock of pheasants with brilliant plumage rose from the bushes. Again there was no sound except the tapping of a bright-crested woodpecker, and no motion but the fluttering of leaves and the trembling of violets half buried in green moss. At times, when it was dim and silent in the wood, Arthur would hear bursts of merry laughter, the tinkling of bells, and the jingling of spurs. Then he would know that knights and ladies were rid- ing down the road which ran beside the trees. Soon the knights would appear on horses, brown, black, and white, with gaily ornamented saddles, and bridles from -^"f, Arthur which hung silver bells. Often the sad- Became dies were made of ivory or ebony, set with ^"'^ rubies or emeralds. The knights wore helmets laced with slender gold chains, and coats of mail made of tiny links of steel, so fine and light that all together hardly weighed more than a coat of cloth. Usually the legs of the knights Were sheathed in steel armor; and their spurs were steel, or even gold. The ladies sat on horses with long trappings of silk, purple, white, or scarlet, with ornamented saddles and swinging bells. The robes of the ladies were very beautiful, being made of velvet or silk trimmed with ermine. Arthur liked to watch them, flashing by; crim- son, and gold, and blue, and rose-colored. Better still, he liked to see the pretty happy faces of the ladies, and hear their gay voices. In those troublous times, however, the roads were so insecure that such companies did not often pass. Sometimes the knights and ladies came to visit Sir Hector. Then Arthur would hurry from the forest to the castle. Sir Hector would stand on the lowered ^rMaT drawbridge to greet his guests, and would Became lead them, with many expressions of pleas- ^"^ ure, into the courtyard. . Then he would take a huge hammer hanging from a post, and beat with it on a table which stood in a corner of the courtyard. Immediately from all parts of the castle the squires and servants would come running to take the horses of the knights and ladies. Sir Hector's wife and daughters would then appear, and with their own hands remove the armor of the knights. They would offer them golden basins of water, and towels for washing, and after that put velvet mantles upon their shoulders. Then the guests would be brought to the supper table. But Arthur did not spend all his time dreaming in the woods or gazing at knights and ladies. For many hours of the day he practiced feats of arms in the courtyard. It was the custom in England to train boys of noble birth to be knights. As soon as they were old enough they were taught to ride. Later on, they lived much among the ladies and maidens, learning gentle manners. Under the King care of the knights, they learned to hunt, ;^^^^^ to carry a lance properly, and to use the Became sword; and having gained this skill, they were made squires if they had shown themselves to be of good character. Then, day by day, the squires practiced at the quintain. This was an upright post, on the top of which turned a cross- piece, having on one end a broad board, and on the other a bag of sand. The ob- ject was to ride up at full gallop, strike the board with a long lance, and get away without being hit by the sand bag. Besides this, the squires had services to do for the knights, in order that they might learn to be useful in as many ways as possible, and to be always hum- ble. For instance, they took care of the armor of the knights, carried letters and messages for them, accompanied them at joustings and tournaments, being ready with extra weapons or assistance ; and in the castle they helped to serve the guests at table. After months of such service, they went through a beautiful ceremony and were made knights. In the country round about, Arthur, of all the squires, i6 -^ Mm ^tti^ttt; i%w was the most famous for his skill in the Aftfzuf Becam use of the lance and the sword, for his ^"'^ keenness in the hunt, and for his cour- tesy to all people. Now, at this time there was no ruler in England. The powerful Uther of Wales, who had governed England, was dead, and a.11 the strong lords of the country were struggling to be king in his place. This gave rise to a great deal of quarrel- ing and bloodshed. There was in the land a wise magician named Merlin. He was so old that his beard was as white as snow, but his eyes were as clear as a little child's. He was very sorry to see all the fighting that was going on, because he feared that it would do serious harm to the kingdom. In those days the great and good men who ruled in the church had power almost equal to that of the monarch. The kings and the great lords listened to their ad- vice, and gave them much land, and money for themselves and for the poor. So Merlin went to the Archbishop of Canterbur}^ the churchman who in all England was the most beloved, and said : anDJ|(M|niggt0s=. 17 "Sir, it is my advice that you send to ^"^ all the great lords of the realm and bid Became them come to London by Christmas to ^""^ choose a king." The archbishop did as Merlin advised, and at Christmas all the great lords came to London. The largest church in the city stood not far from the north bank of the Thames. A churchyard surrounded it, filled with yew trees, the trunks of which were knotted with age. The power- ful lords rode up in their clanking armor to the gate, where they dismounted, and giving their horses into the care of their squires, reverently entered the church. There were so many of them that they quite filled the nave and side-aisles of the building. The good archbishop, from where he stood in the chancel, looked down on them all. Just behind him was the altar covered with a cloth of crimson and gold, and surmounted by a golden crucifix and ten burning candles. In front of him, kneeling under the gray arches which spanned the church, were the greatest men in the kingdom. He looked at their stern bronzed faces, their i8 '=s Mm ^tti^ut Arthur li^a> "But you are not sure?" asked the king. "I am not sure. For my mother Yguerne was dark, and King Uther was dark. Their hair and eyes were black like mine. Yet Arthur's hair is as bright as gold. Besides, there is the story of old Bleys." "What is his story?" "He says that Uther died, weeping because he had no heir. Then Bleys and Merlin, who were present at his death, passed together out of the castle. It was a stormy night, and as they walked along by the lake they were forced by the roar of the tempest to look out upon the waves, whipped by the wind. "Suddenly they saw a ship on the water. It had the shape of a winged dragon. All over its decks stood a multi- tude of people shining like gold. Then the ship vanished, and a number of great waves began to roll in towards shore. The ninth of these waves seemed as la,rge ^^^^^ as half the sea. It was murmuring with ^«< ^'^ strange voices and rippling with flames. Cuin- In the midst of the flames was a little ''"^^^ fair-haired baby who was borne to Mer- lin's feet. Merlin stooped and picked it up, and cried, ' The King ! Here is an heir for Uther ! ' This, King Leodogran, is the story Bleys told me before he died." King Leodogran wondered very much. Then he said : "But did you not question Merlin about this?" ' ' Yes, " answered Queen Bellicent. ' ' I asked him if this story of Bleys was true. He would only answer me with a riddle." As King Leodogran was still silent, she said : ' ' Do not fear to give your daughter to Arthur, for- he will be the greatest king the world has ever seen." Leodogran felt less doubtful. While he was thinking, he fell asleep and had a dream. He saw in his dream a field cov- ered with mist and smoke, and a phantom king standing in the cloud. He heard a voice which said, "This is not our king; 72 -^mm^ct^ King this is not the son of Uther." But sud- Arthur and the denlv the mist disappeared and the king P'KtflCBSS Guin- stood out in heaven, crowned. evere King Leodograu took this dream for a good sign. He called, the three knights, Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedi- vere, and said to them : ' ' Say to your king that I will give him Guinevere for his wife. " So the three hastily returned to King Arthur, who was overjoyed with their message. In the month of May he sent Sir Lance- lot, the son of King Ban, for Guinevere. When she came, the Archbishop of Can- terbury married them. And he blessed them and said that they, with the help of the Knights of the Round Table, must do much good for the land. anDJ|(0mnfggt0sp THE beautiful Queen Bellicent had many sons, all of whom had gone out in the world except the youngest. His name was Gareth. His two brothers, Gawain and Modred, were with the good King Arthur, and Gareth longed to join them. His mother, however, would not let him go. "You are not yet a man," she said. "You are only a child. Stay a little longer with me." So Gareth stayed. One day he came to his mother and said : "Mother, may I tell you a story?" "Gladly," she replied. "Then, mother, once there was a [73] 74 '^s Eing artl^ur ^^^^^ golden egg which a royal eagle had laid, tfGareih away up in a tree. It was so high up that it could hardly be seen. But a youth, who though poor was brave, saw it, and longed for it. He knew that if he could get it, it would bring wealth and prosperity to him. So he tried to climb. One who loved him stopped him, saying, ' You will fall and be killed if you try to reach that height.' Therefore the poor boy did not climb, and so did not fall; but he pined away with longing till his heart broke and he died. " Queen Bellicent answered : "If the person who held him back had loved him, that person would have climbed, and found the egg, and given it to the youth." "That could not be," said Gareth. ' ' Mother, suppose the egg were not gold, but steel, the same steel that Arthur's sword Excalibur is made of." The queen grew pale, for she now un- derstood his meaning. But Gareth spoke on: "Dear mother, the gold egg is the glory to be won at Arthur's Court; I am anDJIt^JInigJt^sc. 75 the poor youth, and you are the one who ^■^'^ . 111 1 Coming holds me back. Mother, let me go ! " ofGareth Then Bellicent wept, and she said: ' ' Oh, my son, do not leave me. You love me more than Gawain and Modred. You are all I have left in the world." But Gareth replied : "Mother, I waste my strength here." "No, no," she said. "You shall hunt; you shall follow the deer and the fox, and so grow strong. Then 1 will find you a beautiful wife, and we shall all live together till I die." Gareth shook his head. "No, mother. I do not want a wife until I have proved myself to be a worthy and brave knight. I wish to follow Ar- thur, my good king and uncle." ' ' Perhaps he is not the true king and your uncle," Bellicent said. "At least wait a little till he has shown himself to be the greatest king in the world. Stay with me." ' ' Nay, mother, " he said. ' ' T must go. " Then the queen thought of a plan which she hoped would soon make him willing to stay home. 76 •=s Um ^vti^ut coT^n "If I let you go, my son, you must ofGareth make me a promise. The promise will prove your love to me." "I will make a hundred promises," cried young Gareth, ' ' if you will only let me go." "Then," she said, "you must go in disguise to the court of Arthur. You must hire yourself out as a kitchen boy. You shall wash the pots and pans for a whole year and tell no one that you are the son of a queen." Queen Bellicent was sure that Gareth would not wish to make such a promise. He was silent a long, long time. He had hoped to take part at once with the Knights of the Round Table in great deeds. At last he said : ' ' I may be a kitchen boy and still be noble in heart and mind. Besides, I can look on at the tournaments. I shall see King Arthur and Sir Lancelot and Sir Kay. Yes, mother, I will go." Queen Bellicent was very sad. All the days before Gareth' s departure her eyes followed him until he felt that he could not bear to see her grieve longer. and ^i^ ifentsDtg s. 77 So in the middle of the night he rose ?^* . ° Coming quietly and woke two of his faithful o/careik servants. They dressed themselves like plowmen and started towards Camelot. It was Easter time and the young grass was a bright green. The birds were be- ginning their chirping, although it was not yet light. As the dawn came, they saw the early morning mist sweeping over the mountain and forest near Ar- thur's city of Camelot. Sometimes the mist drew away and showed in the dis- tance the towers gleaming like silver. One of the servants said: ' ' Let us go no farther, my lord Gareth. I am afraid. That is a fairy city." The second said : ' ' Yes, lord, let us turn back. I have heard that Arthur is not the real king, but a changeling brought from fairyland in a great wave all flame. He has done all his deeds with the help of Merlin's enchantment. " The first one spoke again : "Lord Gareth, that is no real city. It is a vision." But Gareth laughed and said : 78 -^ Mm attl^ur TAe "Arthur is real flesh and blood, a brave Coming . , ofGareth man, and a just king. Come with me to the gate of his city, and do not be afraid." When they reached the gate of the city, they stared in amazement. It was made of silver and mother-of-pearl. In the center was carved the figure of the Lady of the Lake, with her arms out- stretched in the form of a cross. In one hand she held a sword, and in the other a censer. On both sides of her figure was carved the story of the wars of King Ar- thur. Above all were the figures of the three queens who were to help Arthur in time of need. The three looked till their eyes were dazzled. Then they heard a peal of music, and the gate slowly opened. An old man with a long gray beard came out to greet them, and returning led them up past the gardens and groves and roofs and towers of Camelot to Arthur's great palace on the summit of the hill. Gareth hardly thought of the splendors of the palace. He approached the arched doorway of the Assembly Hall, thinking and fig intgl^tg s;. 79 only as his heart beat quickly, that at J^^^.^ last he was to see the good King Arthur. ojGareth Even before he entered he heard the voice of the king. For it was one of the days when Arthur was giving judgment to his people. The king sat on a throne made of gold and ivory and ebony. On its arms and back were carved great dragons. Arthur wore a gold crown which was not brighter than his own beautiful hair and beard. His blue eyes were as calm and clear as the sky in summer time. His trusty knights stood about him on each side of the throne. The tallest of these, who had a worn, browned face, and piercing dark eyes, under frowning brows, must be, Gareth knew, the famous knight. Sir Lancelot. . As Gareth entered, a widow came for- ward and cried to Arthur : "Hear me, oh, King! Your father. King Uther, took away a field from my husband, who is now dead. The king promised us gold, but he gave us no gold, nor would he return our field." Then Arthur said : 8o -^ mmg 9in})ut The "Which would you rather have, the Coming' _ , , ,, ofGareth gold or the field ? The woman wept, saying : "Oh, King, my dead husband loved the field. Give it back to me. " ' ' You shall have your field again, " said Arthur, "and besides I will give you three times the amount of gold it is worth to pay you for the years King Uther had it." Gareth thought that Arthur was indeed a just king. And while this was passing through his mind, another widow came forward and cried : ' ' Hear me, oh. King ! Heretofore you have been my enemy. You killed my husband with your own hands. It is hard for me to ask justice or favor of you. Yet I must. My husband's brother took my son and had him slain, and has nqw stolen his land. So I ask you for a knight who will do battle and get my son's land for me, and revenge me for his death." Then a good knight stepped forward and said : ' ' Sir King, I am her kinsman. Let me do battle for her and right her wrongs." anP tig migW ^ ^' But Sir Kay, Arthur's foster brother, J^^^ . ■ •' Coming said : ofGareth "Lord Arthur, do not help a woman who has called you her enemy in your own hall." "Sir Kay," replied Arthur, "I am here to help all those who need help in my land. This woman loved her lord, and I killed him because he rebelled against me. Let her kinsman go and do battle against the man who has wronged her. Bring him here, and I will judge him. If he is guilty he shall suffer." While Gareth was still listening to the king's words, a messenger entered from Mark, the king of Cornwall. He carried a wonderful gold cloth which he laid at Arthur's feet, saying : ' ' My lord, King Mark sends you this as a sign that he is your true friend." But Arthur said : "Take back the cloth. When I fight with kings who are worthy men, after I have conquered them I give them back their lands, and make them my subject- kings and Knights of the Round Table. But Mark is not fit to be a king. He 82 ^mfn8_artgur The is cruel and false. I will not call him CoTntng ofGareth friend. The messenger stepped back in alarm. Arthur said to him kindly : "It is not your fault that Mark is unworthy. Stay in this city until you are refreshed and then go back home in safety." While the king judged other cases, Gareth looked around the great hall. Underneath the fourteen windows he saw three rows of stone shields, and under each shield was the name of a knight. If a knight had done one great deed, there was carving on his shield ; if he had done two or more, there were gold markings. If he had done none, the shield was blank. Gareth saw that Sir Lancelot's shield and Sir Kay's glittered with gold. He looked for the shields of his brothers, Sir Gawain and Sir Modred. Sir Gawain's was marked with gold, but Sir Modred's was blank. Meanwhile, Arthur had judged all the cases. Then Gareth came forward tim- idly and said : "Lord King, you see my poor clothes; give me leave to serve for twelve months p^ . in your kitchen without telling my name. o/Cal-^h After that I will fight." "You are a fair youth," Arthur re- plied, "and you deserve a better gift. However, since this is all you ask, I will put you under the care of Sir Kay, who is master of- the kitchen." Sir Kay looked at Gareth with scorn. "This youth has come from some place where he did not get enough to eat," he said, "and so he thinks of noth- ing but food. Yet if he wants food, he shall have it, provided he does his work well." Sir Lancelot, who stood near by, said : "Sir Kay, you understand dogs and horses well, but not men. Look at this youth's face ; see his broad forehead and honest eyes, and beautiful hands. I be- lieve he is of noble birth, and you should treat him well." ' ' Perhaps he is a traitor, " Sir Kay said. ' ' Perhaps he will poison King Arthur's food. Yet I believe he is too stupid to be a traitor. If he were not stupid, or if he were noble, he would have asked for a 84 ^ Mm ^tti^tit com^n^ different gift. He would have asked for ofGareth a horse and armor. Let him go to my kitchen." So Gareth went to the kitchen. And there he worked faithfully at hard tasks, such as cutting wood and drawing water. Sir Lancelot spoke to him kindly when- ever he passed him, but Sir Kay was always very strict and severe. Sometimes Gareth grew discouraged and wished his mother had not exacted such a promise of him. Whenever there was a tournament he was happy. He liked to watch the horses prancing, and the brave knights riding, with the sun shining on their helmets and lances. And he would say to himself: ' ' Only wait till the twelve months have passed, and then I shall ask King Arthur to let me do some brave deed. Perhaps some one will come to the hall and demand to have a wrong righted. Then I shall beg the king to let me do that act of justice." Such thoughts kept him cheerful. And indeed, before many weeks, his chance came for doing a great deed. and l^ig mnigl^tgB. sTororoFSDc ITH &tYNETTE GARETH served in the kitchen of the king only one month, for his mother became sorry for the promise she had asked of him, and sent armor for him to Arthur's Court, with a letter to the king telling who the youth was. With great joy Gareth then went to Arthur and said : "My lord, I can fight as well as my brother Gawain. At home we have proved it. Then make me a knight, — in secret, for I do not want the other knights to know my name. Make me a knight, and give me permission to right the first wrong that we hear of." The king said gravely: "You know all that my knights must promise?" [85] 86 ■^ Eing ^n\^uv the " Yes, my lord Arthur. I am willing Sir Gareth to prom.ise all. LynJtte ' ' I will make you my knight in secret, since you wish it," Arthur said, "except that I must tell Sir Lancelot. He is my dearest knight, and I keep no secrets from him." Gareth said that he should be glad to have Sir Lancelot know. Accordingly the king spoke to Sir Lancelot about Gareth. "I have promised him that he may right the first wrong we hear of," said Arthur, "but as he has not yet proved what he can do, I want you to take a horse and follow him when he sets forth. Cover up the great lions on your shield so that he will not know who you are." Sir Lancelot agreed. Then Gareth was secretly made a knight. That same day a beautiful young dam- sel came into Arthur's hall. She had cheeks as pink as apple blossoms, and very sharp eyes. "Who are you, damsel?" asked the -king, "and what do you need?" " My name is Lynette," she said, "and I am of noble blood. I need a knight to fight for my sister Lyonors, a lady, also £'^^ noble, rich, and most beautiful." SirCareth " Why must she have a knight ?" ques- Tymtte tioned Arthur. ' ' My lord King, she lives in Castle Per- ilous. Around this castle a river circles three times, and there are three passing- places, one over each circle of the river. Three knights, who are brothers, keep a constant guard over these passing-places. A fourth knight, also a brother, clad in black armor, stands guard in front of my sister's castle. We have never seen this knight's face or heard his voice, but his brothers tell us he is the most powerful and daring knight in the world. All these four keep my sister a prisoner." "And why?" ' ' Because they want her to marry one of them so that they can have her great wealth. She refuses, but they say that they will have their way. In the mean- time, they demand that you send Sir Lancelot to fight with them. They hope to overthrow Sir Lancelot, thus proving themselves the greatest warriors in the land. . But I believe that Sir Lancelot 88 -^a jKins ^n^m The could overthrow them; therefore, I have Story of ' SirGareth COmC for him." Lynette Arthur remembered his promise to Sir Gareth, and did not speak of Sir Lance- lot, but asked : "Tell me what these four knights, your enemies, are like." "The three I have talked to are vain and foolish knights, my lord," answered the damsel. "They have no law, and they acknowledge no king. Yet they are very strong, and therefore am I come for Sir Lancelot." Then Sir Gareth rose up, crying: "Sir King, give me this adventure." At this. Sir Kay started up in anger, but Gareth continued : ' ' My King, you know that I am but your kitchen boy, yet I have grown so strong on 5^our meat and drink that I can overthrow an hundred such knights." The king looked at him a moment, and said: "Go, then." At this all the knights were amazed. The damsel's face flushed with anger. "Shame, King !" she cried. "I asked an^J|f0jW8gt0s. 89 you for your chief knight, and you give J^'^^ , me a kitchen boy ! " sirCareth- Then, before any one could prevent, Lynette she ran from the hall, mounted her horse, and rode out of the city gate. Gareth followed, and at the doorway found a noble war horse which the king had ordered to be given him. Near by were the two faithful servants who had fol- lowed him from his mother's home. They held his armor. Gareth put it on, seized his lance and shield, jumped upon his horse, and rode off joyfully. Sir Kay, who was watching, said to Sir Lancelot: ' ' Why does the king send my kitchen lad to fight ? I will go after the boy and put him to his pots and pans again." "Sir Kay, do not attempt to do that," said Sir Lancelot. ' ' Remember that the king commanded him to go." But Sir Kay leaped on his horse and followed Gareth. Meanwhile, Sir Gareth overtook- the damsel and said : "Lady, I am to right your wrong. Lead and I follow." 90 -'g jKins QJUl^m story% But she cried: Sir Gareth ' ' Go back ! I SHI ell kitchen grease Ljfneiie wheii y ou are near. Go back ! your mas- ter has come for you. " Gareth looked behind and saw that Sir Kay was riding up to him. When Sir Kay was within hearing distance, he shouted : "Come back with me to the kitchen." "I will not," said Gareth. Then Sir Kay rode fiercely at the youth. Gareth, however, struck him from his horse, and then turned to the damsel, saying: "Lead on; I follow." She rode for a long time in silence, with Gareth a few paces behind her. At last she stopped and said : ' ' You have overthrown your master, you kitchen boy, but I do not like you any better for it. I still smell the kitchen grease." Sir Gareth said, very gently: "You may speak to me as you will, but I shall not leave 5^ou till I have righted your wrong." "Ah!" she said, scornfully, "you talk like a noble knight, but you are not one," "^f^^ and she again galloped in front of him. SirCareth Presently, as they passed a thick wood, Tynette a man b^roke out of it and spoke to them : "Help! help! they are drowning my lord ! " "Follow! I lead!" shouted Gareth to the damsel, and rushed into the wood. There he found six men trying to drown a seventh. Gareth attacked them with such vigor that they fled. When the rescued man had recovered, he thanked Gareth warmly. "I am the lord of the castle yonder," he said, "and these are my enemies. You came in time." Then he begged Gareth and the lady to stay all night in his castle. They agreed, and he led the way. He took them into his large hall and was about to seat them side by side at a dining table. But the damsel said in scorn: ' ' This is a kitchen boy, and I will not sit by him." The lord looked surprised. He took Gareth to another table and sat beside him. After they had eaten, he said : 92 ■^ jfeing artl^ur 5/(7^^'^/ "You may be a kitchen boy, or the sirGareth damsel may be out of her mind, but Lynette whichever is the case, you are a good fighter and you have saved my life." The next morning Gareth and the damsel set forth. They rode for a while in silence, and then she said : "Sir Kitchen Boy, although you are so low, I should like to save your life. Soon we are coming to one who will overthrow you; so turn back." But Gareth refused. In a little while they came to the first circle of the river. The passing-place was spanned by a bridge. On the farther side of the bridge was a beautiful pavilion, draped in silk of gold and crimson colors. In front of it passed a warrior without armor. ' ' Damsel, " he cried, ' ' is this the knight you have brought from Arthur's Court to fight with me?" "Ah!" she said, "the king scorns you so much that he has sent a kitchen boy to fight with you. Take care that he does not fall on you before you are armed, for he is a knave." The warrior went inside his tent for attn !^tg "mi^W^ "Gareik rode at him fiercely" 94 '^Mm_^^ ^, ^H his armor, and the damsel said to Siorj> of SirGareth Gareth: Lynltte ' ' Are y ou afraid ? ' ' "Damsel," he said, "I am not afraid. I would rather fight twenty times than hear you speak so unkindly of me. Yet your cruel words have put strength into my arm. I shall fight well. " Then the knight came forth all in armor, and he said: "Youth, you are a kitchen boy. Go back to your king; you are not fit to fight with me." Gareth rode at him fiercely, saying: "I am of nobler blood than you." He fought so well that soon his enemy was overcome. Then Gareth said: "Go to Arthur's Court and say that his kitchen boy sent you." When the knight had departed, Gareth rode on, with the damsel in advance. After a little while she stopped her horse, and when he had caught up with her, she said: "Youth, I do not smell the kitchen grease so much as I did. ' Then she galloped off, laughing over and j^(g j^ntfiDtg sc 95 her shoulder, while Gareth followed her, {^^ , Siory of a little more slowly. sir Gareth When they reached the second circle "Lynette of the river, the damsel said: ' ' Here is the brother of the knight you overthrew. He is stronger than the first. You had better go home, kitchen boy." Gareth answered nothing. Out of the tent by the bridge which crossed the second circle of water, came a knight, clad in armor which glowed like the sun. Lynette shouted to him : ' ' I bring a kitchen boy who has over- thrown your brother." "Ah!" shouted the knight, and rode fiercely at Sir Gareth. The two fought for a long time. The warrior was strong, but Sir Gareth was stronger, and at last overthrew him, and sent him back to Arthur's Court. The damsel Lynette had ridden far ahead of him. When he came near her, she said: . "The knight's horse slipped, and that is why you overcame him. And now are you ready to fight with the third knight, for there he stands?" 96 -^ jKins artl^ttr <,, ^^S At the third and innermost circle of story of Sir Gareth the rivcr stood the third knight, clad not m Lynelte armor, but in hardened skins. Sir Gareth saw that he was more powerful than his brothers. The two at once began to fight on the bridge, but Sir Gareth's sword could not pierce the hard skins. Again and again he tried and failed. He grew tired, and began to fear that he should be conquered. But all at once, when his strokes were becoming feeble, Lynette cried out to him: ' ' Well done, good knight ! You are no kitchen boy, but a brave lord. Strike for me ! Do not lose. You are worthy to be a Knight of the Round Table." When Sir Gareth heard this, he was so encouraged that he made a final great effort and threw his enemy over the bridge into the water. Then he turned to Lynette, saying : "Lead; I follow." But Lynette, proud now of her valiant escort, and humbled and ashamed at her misjudging of him, said: "No, we shall ride side by side. I am very sorry I called you a kitchen anDJIi^JKniggt^s;. 97 boy, for I know that you are a noble J^^ , knight." . Sir Caret h They rode happily side by side till iLynette dusk, when they carhe in sight of Castle Perilous. Just as they were about to cross the moat, a knight overtook them. It was Sir Lancelot, who had been delayed because he had stopped to help Sir Kay after Sir Gareth had thrown him from his horse. The great knight, as he rode up to the two in the twilight, seeing only the shields which Sir Gareth had taken from the three knights, thought the young man was an enemy, and attacked him. Sir Lancelot was so strong that he soon over- came the youth. As he fell, Lynette cried out in shame and sorrow, and Sir Gareth said : "Oh, I am thrown." Sir Lancelot knew Sir Gareth' s voice, and raised him up, saying: "I am Lancelot, and I am sorry to have overthrown you, my friend." Sir Gareth said that it was no dishonor to be beaten by Sir Lancelot. Then the three rode into the castle, and there they 98 •^ Eing 9ivt^uv . ^fgl^% met the fourth knight, who was all cov- Sir Gareth ered with bl9,ck armor. Lynette Sir Lancelot wished to fight with him, but Sir Gareth would not permit it. ' ' This must be my adventure, " he said. Sir Gareth rode at the knight, expect- ing to meet a very strong man, but he easily unhorsed him. His enemy cried: "Oh spare my life; I am not a knight." Then he took off his helmet and showed the face of a young boy. ' ' My three brothers made me pretend to be a fierce knight," he explained. "They thought it would make people more afraid if they believed we were four strong knights. " Sir Lancelot and Sir Gareth laughed heartily, and so did Lynette. They took the boy into the castle, where Lynette' s sister, Lyonors, who was now freed from her money-loving captors, greeted them with much joy. She put before them a great feast, and this time Sir Gareth and Lynette sat side by side. Afterwards a marriage was made between them, and they went to live with King Arthur in Camelot. anDJ|(0jM2gt0s. AMONG Arthur's Knights of the Round L Table was one who was a mixture of good and bad, as indeed most people are. His name was Sir Ivaine; brave, kind-hearted, and merry ; but at the same time fickle, sometimes forgetful of his promises, and inclined to make light of serious things. One night, in the early spring, the knights and ladies of Arthur's Court were sitting in the dining-hall. The king and Guinevere had withdrawn, but were ex- pected to return. Supper had been served, and the last course, consisting of pome- granate seeds and dates, had just been carried ofif. A fire had been built in the deep hearth, and the four bronze pillars in front were lighted by the flames. Four [99] loo '^ Eing ^vti^m J. ^F little pages in blue and white velvet kir- ties sat on stools watching the fire, and perhaps dreaming of the days when they, too, should be warriors and have adven- tures. Sir Ivaine was telling of his experience with the Black Knight. "It was when I was very young," he said; "indeed, I had just been made a knight. Some one told me of the wicked Black Knight who lived, and still lives, in a wood a long way from here. Knowing that he did much evil, I determined to kill him. I rode to the wood where he lived, and in which I found a marble plat- form. In the middle of it was a sunken space holding a fountain. I walked to this, and following the directions of some writing which was on the stone, picked up a cup that lay at hand, and filling it with water, poured it into the fountain. ' ' Then a great storm of wind and rain arose, and when it was at its height the Black Knight rode up and began to attack me. We fought for a little while, but he easily overthrew me. Thinking me dead, he rode back, leaving me on the ann l^fg jfenigl^tg s:' loi ground. But after a time I was able to ^/'' . mount my horse, and went back to my mother's castle." At this moment the king and the queen entered, unperceived by any one except Sir Ivaine. The young man, who was always polite, sprang to his feet; then the other knights rose. Sir Kay, who was not always sweet-tempered, said to Sir Ivaine: "We all know that you are very po- lite, but you have more courtesy than bravery." At that Sir Ivaine said : ' ' I was almost a boy when the Black Knight overthrew me, but I could con- quer him now." "It is very easy to say that after you have eaten," said Sir Kay. "Almost any knight feels brave and self-satisfied when he has had a good supper of venison." The king asked what the conversation was about, and Sir Ivaine repeated the story of his adventure, adding : "And, Sir King, I crave your permis- sion to set forth to-morrow to slay this Black Knight who is a pest in the land." I02 -^ tog 9in}^m /vJne "^ have heard of this man," said the king, "and have often thought of send- ing some one to punish him. But he lives far away,' and it has been necessary heretofore to right first the wrongs near- est home. Yet now his evil deeds and persecutions must cease. To-morrow a company of us will set forth and conquer him and all his people. " The king named some half-dozen of his knights. Sir Ivaine among them, who were to undertake this adventure. Sir Ivaine was displeased ; he thought that the adventure should be his alone. So he rose in the middle of the night and stole away unattended, determined to go in advance of the others and kill the Black Knight. It did not occur to him that in proving himself brave, he was also proving himself disobedient. He rode forth in the darkness, hum- ming merrily to himself. At daybreak he reached a valley, and as he went through it, saw a great serpent fight- ing with a lion. Sir Ivaine stopped to watch this curious combat. At first the two fighters seemed evenly matched, but anD ffg jRnigl^tg B^ 103 soon the huge serpent wrapped all its j^^^-^g folds about the lion and began squeezing it to death. When Sir Ivaine saw this, he drew his s-word and killed the serpent. When the lion was free, it bounded up to Sir Ivaine, and he was afraid that it meant to kill him; but it fawned at his feet like a spaniel. He stroked it, and put his arms about its neck. When he mounted his horse, the beast followed him, refusing to go away. Then Sir Ivaine made up his mind that they were to be companions. For many ' days the two kept close together, and at night Sir Ivaine would go to sleep with his head on the lion's neck. One day, as they came to a square castle set in a meadow, some people who stood on the castle walls began to shoot arrows at the lion, but Sir Ivaine stopped them, telling them that the animal was tame. Then they told him that it was their rule that no one should pass by that cas- tle without doing battle with their lord. Sir Ivaine told them that he was quite willing to obey their rule; so they opened r ^F the castle gate. They said he must make his lion stay outside, but Sir Ivaine re- fused to do this. He promised, however, to make the lion lie down quietly; then the two were allowed to enter. The courtyard was a large paved place, in which there were a score of armed men. Presently the lord of the castle came forward. This lord was much larger than Sir Ivaine, and the lion, on seeing him, began to lash its tail. But Sir Ivaine ordered it to be still, and it at once obeyed. Then Sir Ivaine and the knight battled together. The knight was powerful, but Sir Ivaine was very agile and skillful. He was not able to strike so hard as could his enemy, but he was better able to avoid blows. Therefore it was not long before he got the advantage and overthrew the lord. When this happened, the lord called for help, and ordered his armed men to kill Sir Ivaine. The whole twenty began to obey this treacherous order, but just as they were about to fall upon Sir Ivaine, the lion bounded among them, roaring savagely. With a few strokes of its pow- and l^(g jKnigljtgBp "He dis- mounted and poured water into the foun- tain " io6 '^ Mm ^tti^ut /vJne erf ul paws it disabled the men. Sirlvaine told the lord of the castle that he must ride to Camelot and give himself up to Arthur to be judged for his treachery. Then Sir Ivaine rode away from the cas- tle ; and now that the lion had saved his life, he became very fond of the animal. After many days of travel, Sir Ivaine reached the forest in the midst of which was the castle of the Black Knight. He rode to the platform of stone, dismounted and poured water into the fountain. As before, a storm arose, and at its height the Black Knight appeared. He recognized the armor of Sir Ivaine, and said: "Aha! I see I did not kill you before, but you shall not escape me this time." "The best man shall win," said Sir Ivaine, cheerfully. Then the two began a great combat. Their swords clashed so that the noise of the fountain was drowned; they fought so eagerly that they were not even aware of the storm. It was not long before the Black Knight began to grow weak from the many powerful and d'eath-dealing anDJ|(£j|n