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."
[Illustration: _"Gareth rode at him fiercely"_]
The warrior went inside his tent for his armor, and the damsel
said to Gareth:
"Are you 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 her shoulder, while Gareth
followed her, a little more slowly.
When they reached the second circle 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 overthrown 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?"
At the third and innermost circle of the river stood the third
knight, clad not in 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 boy, for I know that you are a noble knight."
They rode happily side by side till dusk, when they came 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 overcame 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
met the fourth knight, who was all covered with black armor.
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, expecting 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.
[Illustration] SIR IVAINE
Among Arthur's Knights of the Round 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 expected to return. Supper had
been served, and the last course, consisting of pomegranate seeds
and dates, had just been carried off. A fire had been built in
the deep hearth, and the four bronze pillars in front were
lighted by the flames. Four little pages in blue and white
velvet kirtles sat on stools watching the fire, and perhaps
dreaming of the days when they, too, should be warriors and have
adventures.
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 platform. 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 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 polite, 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 conquer 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 permission to set forth to-morrow to
slay this Black Knight who is a pest in the land."
"I have heard of this man," said the king, "and have often
thought of sending some one to punish him. But he lives far away,
and it has been necessary heretofore to right first the wrongs
nearest 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, humming merrily to himself. At
daybreak he reached a valley, and as he went through it, saw a
great serpent fighting with a lion. Sir Ivaine stopped to watch
this curious combat. At first the two fighters seemed evenly
matched, but soon the huge serpent wrapped all its folds about
the lion and began squeezing it to death. When Sir Ivaine saw
this, he drew his sword 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 castle without doing battle with their lord. Sir Ivaine
told them that he was quite willing to obey their rule; so they
opened the castle gate. They said he must make his lion stay
outside, but Sir Ivaine refused 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 powerful paws it disabled the men. Sir Ivaine
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 castle; and now that the lion had saved
his life, he became very fond of the animal.
[Illustration: _"He dismounted and poured water into the
fountain"_]
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 death-dealing strokes from Sir Ivaine's sword. At last,
seeing that he was mortally wounded, the Black Knight turned his
horse and galloped in the direction of his castle.
Ordering the lion to stay where it had lain during the combat,
Sir Ivaine followed. But he could not quite catch up with the
Black Knight, although gaining on him inch by inch. By the time
the castle moat was reached, Sir Ivaine was only five feet
behind. The horses thundered one after the other over the bridge.
The Black Knight rode under the portcullis, or sharp iron gate,
which was raised. The instant he was inside, the portcullis fell,
in order to shut out Sir Ivaine.
But Sir Ivaine had already passed beneath it, and as it fell his
horse was cut in two. Even the long plume in Sir Ivaine's helmet
was shorn off, and lay outside the gate.
Sir Ivaine sprang to his feet and drew his sword to renew his
attack upon the Black Knight, but he was already dead, and lay
across his panting horse's neck.
Then Sir Ivaine realized what his recklessness had cost him.
There he was, alone in a strange castle, the lord of which he
had killed. Soon the people of the castle would come and capture
him, for he could not escape, since the portcullis was down.
He ran into the castle, and up the stairs leading to the turret.
He was fast growing weak from the wounds he had received, and his
armor was heavy. Moreover, in spite of his care, it clashed at
every step, and he was afraid some one would soon hear him. He
had all but reached the top of the stairs when the door of the
turret room opened, and a little maiden looked down upon him. He
begged her not to cry out, and telling her who he was and what he
had done, asked her to hide him.
"I will," she said, "because you are brave and you are wounded,
and because you have killed that wicked tyrant, the Black Knight.
He does not own this castle at all; it belongs to a beautiful
lady, his cousin, who is my mistress. He keeps her here a
prisoner because she will not marry him."
Then the little maiden led him into the turret room. She
concealed his armor in a hole in the side of the wall, and told
him to hide himself between the two mattresses of the bed. Before
he had time to do so, however, they heard a great noise in the
courtyard, and looking down, saw that the body of the Black
Knight had been discovered. Near it stood a beautiful lady, more
beautiful than any Sir Ivaine had ever seen, except Queen
Guinevere. She was dark like the queen, and her eyes were as
bright as stars. He would have looked at her a long time, but the
little maiden begged him to hide without delay.
"Quick!" she cried. "The men have seen that there is the front
part of a horse inside the gate, and know that the person who has
killed our lord must be here. Even now they have begun the
search, for they all love the Black Knight, although my mistress
does not, and they will hang you if they find you."
So Sir Ivaine crept between the mattresses, and the little maiden
hurried down the stairs and went to her beautiful mistress.
Presently Sir Ivaine heard men tramping up the turret steps.
They often stopped, trying all the doors they came to, and at
last entered the room in which he lay. One of them, peering into
the hole in the wall where his armor was, said:
"Here is armor."
But another replied:
"That is some that once was used by our master; there is no need
to drag it into the light."
Then they searched among all the furnishings of the room, but
found no one. At last, as they were leaving, one of the men
thrust his sword twice through the mattress. The second thrust
cut deeply into Sir Ivaine's arm; but as the knight was brave, he
did not utter a cry.
When the men had gone, he crept out, and found that the cut in
his arm and his other wounds were bleeding badly. Just then the
little maiden came in with food. She cried out in alarm when she
saw the blood, and quickly tore a piece of linen from her robe
for bandages. When all the wounds had been carefully attended to,
she gave him a plentiful supper and promised to take care of him
until there was a good opportunity for him to escape.
She visited him every morning, and told him the day's news in the
castle. He learned that a lion kept roaring about the walls, and
that the bowmen had tried to kill it, but could not. Sir Ivaine
was sure that it was his lion, and longed to have it, but knew
that this was impossible. And she told him how the people of the
castle had been angry at their lady because she would not marry
the Black Knight; but now that he was dead, acknowledged her as
mistress and obeyed her in everything. The little maiden said she
thought that if the lady were told that Sir Ivaine was hidden she
would probably see that he had a safe conduct out of the castle.
"I want never to leave this castle," said Sir Ivaine; "for I love
your lady."
This pleased the little maiden, for she had learned to respect
Sir Ivaine. So she went to the lady of the castle and told her
all about the stranger. The lady had Sir Ivaine moved to a rich
apartment where she could visit him often and help the little
maid in her care of him. She did not tell her people, however,
that this stranger knight had killed their lord.
As Sir Ivaine recovered, he soon found courage to tell her how
beautiful she was, and that he loved her more than anything in
the world. He said that if she would marry him, he would stay
with her forever, and never seek for more adventures. All he
asked was that she would let in his lion, which still continued
to roar outside the castle walls. When the lady heard the story
of the lion, it seemed to her that if Sir Ivaine were so kind to
an animal, he would probably be much kinder to her.
So she said that she would marry him. The people of the castle
saw and liked him, and agreed to obey him as their lord. When
they were told that the lion they had tried to kill belonged to
him and must be admitted to the castle, they showed some fear.
Sir Ivaine told them that there was no need of this, for the
beast was very gentle, and was making noise only because of its
desire for its master. He went outside the castle walls and
called. Soon there was heard a loud roaring; a big yellow body
bounded out of the forest, and the lion came leaping to its
master's feet. It frisked about him, and rubbed its head on his
arm, just as a favorite dog might do. When the people saw how
tame it was, they were no longer afraid.
Sir Ivaine and the beautiful lady were soon married, and for a
long time everyone was very happy. Sir Ivaine sent a letter to
King Arthur telling the result of his adventure. Soon the
messenger returned bearing rich gifts from the king and
Guinevere, and an invitation to come to Camelot whenever they
wished to. The lady, however, persuaded Sir Ivaine to promise to
remain with her in her castle.
One day a party of the Knights of the Round Table rode into the
courtyard. They were going on a great adventure, and stopped by
the way to see how Sir Ivaine and his beautiful wife fared. When
Sir Ivaine saw them, all his old-time love of fighting came back,
and he went to his lady and begged her to let him go with the
knights.
"Ah, my Ivaine," she said, "you told me that you would never
leave me."
"A knight ought to seek adventures," he said. "And I will return
to you."
She paused for a while and then said:
"I will let you go if you will promise to come back in a year and
a day; that is, next Whitsuntide."
He gladly promised, and she said:
"If you break this promise, I will never see you again."
But Sir Ivaine was sure he would not break the promise, because
he loved her too much for that.
So off he rode with the knights, followed by his faithful lion.
The lady and the little maiden waved farewells to Sir Ivaine from
the tower until they could no longer see him; then they again
took up the life they had lived before he came to the castle.
Sir Ivaine rode with the knights for many months, and had many
adventures. At last, just as the year was drawing to a close, he
started homeward. On the way, however, he stopped at Arthur's
Court to pay his respects to the king and the queen. They both
remembered him and greeted him kindly.
A great tournament was being held at that time in Camelot, and
the king asked Sir Ivaine if he would like to take part. Sir
Ivaine was pleased, for he loved the display of such combats.
During the three days of the tournament he distinguished himself
greatly.
On the evening of the third day, as the knights were sitting in
the great hall of the Round Table, a little maiden entered. She
went up to King Arthur and gave him a ring.
"This ring," she said, "is one Sir Ivaine gave my lady. She
returns it, and has vowed never to see him again because he has
broken his promise to her."
Then, before any one could stop her, she left the hall, mounted
her horse, and rode away. Sir Ivaine sprang to his feet, staring
wildly. Whitsuntide had fallen on the first day of the tournament,
his year and a day had more than passed, and he had forgotten his
promise!
He rushed from the hall and down the hill through the streets of
Camelot, out of the city gate, and into the forest. He ran on and
on until he fell exhausted.
The next day he awoke in a fever, and would have died but for his
faithful lion. The poor animal tried to make Sir Ivaine rise, but
seeing that he could not, dragged him to the edge of a brook,
where he could drink when he was thirsty. The lion also brought
him game. At first Sir Ivaine would not touch it, but finally
began to eat it raw.
After a time he became better, physically, but his senses were
gone. In his madness he wandered all through the woods, fighting
with the trees and bushes. The lion always followed him,
protecting him from other animals and from men.
One day when the lion was absent finding food, Sir Ivaine lay
asleep. A good hermit came up to him, and pitying his condition,
lifted him in his arms and carried him to his hut. He bathed the
poor knight, cut his hair, and put a robe upon him. He was laying
him upon a bed when the lion came roaring to the door and dashed
it open.
When it saw the hermit tending its master, it fawned at his feet.
After that Sir Ivaine spent much of his time in the hut. The lion
supplied him with food, bringing meat to the hermit, who always
divided it into four parts: three parts he gave to the lion, and
one he cooked for Sir Ivaine and himself.
Sometimes Sir Ivaine would run away from the hermit and wander
for days in the forest. The lion took care of him, and always led
him back to the hermit's hut. Once, however, Sir Ivaine set forth
in the direction of his wife's castle. At night the lion tried to
take him to the hut, but in vain. For days he wandered, always in
the same direction, until at last he reached the wood where the
stone platform was. He laid himself down upon it and slept. Soon
a lady and a maid appeared. The lion sprang at them, but when it
reached their feet, it licked the lady's hand, for she was its
mistress.
It took her robe in its teeth and pulled her gently to the spot
where Sir Ivaine lay. At first she would not look at him,
because she had not forgiven him for breaking his promise. But
the little maiden said:
"Dear mistress, look at him. The story which the knights of
Arthur's Court told us about his madness must be true. If you
will but look at his face you will see that it is the face of a
man who has lost his senses."
Then the lady knelt beside him. When she saw his worn features
and his tattered garments, she began to believe that he really
had lost his senses from grief. She sent the little maiden to the
castle for an ointment she had. It was so powerful that if it
were rubbed over a person who was ill, it would cure him, no
matter what his disease was. When the little maid brought it, the
lady put it upon Sir Ivaine, but so gently as not to rouse him.
After several hours, Sir Ivaine awoke. At first he hardly knew
where he was, but soon he recollected all that had happened, and
seeing his lady near, begged her to forgive him. This she did,
and they were reconciled. Sir Ivaine was sure that he would
never again forget to keep a promise.
For some months they lived very happily in the castle. Then they
went to Camelot in order to be near to Arthur and the Knights of
the Round Table.
[Illustration: The Holy Grail]
[Illustration] SIR BALIN