“Sir,” said the other, “then you are welcome, for you were the
beginning of me in this world.”
“Ah! Are you Sir Galahad?”
“Yes, in truth.” With that Sir Galahad leaped to the shore, kneeled
down and asked Sir Launcelot’s blessing, and then took off his helmet
and kissed him.
With great joy they told of the marvels and adventures that had
happened to them since they left the court. Sir Galahad told of the
high honor of Sir Percival’s sister, that she was the best maid living,
and that her death was a great pity. When Sir Launcelot heard how the
marvelous sword was gotten, he asked to see it, and kissed the hilt and
the scabbard.
“Truly,” said he, “I never heard of such high and strange adventures
before.”
So Sir Launcelot and Sir Galahad spent many days together in the ship,
and served God daily and nightly with all their power; and often the
ship carried them to far islands where they met with many strange and
perilous adventures.
Upon a Monday it happened that they landed at the edge of a forest
which was by the sea. Standing by a cross of stone they saw a knight
on horseback, armed all in white, who held by his right hand a white
horse. He came to the ship, saluted the two knights and said, “Sir
Galahad, you have been with your father long enough; leap upon this
horse and ride where adventure shall lead in quest of the Holy Grail.”
Sir Galahad turned to his father and kissed him full courteously and
said, “Father, I do not know that I shall see you again till I find the
Holy Grail.”
“I pray you,” said Sir Launcelot, “that you will pray our Father in
heaven to keep me in his service.”
Sir Galahad mounted his horse and then they all heard a voice that
said, “Think to do well, for the one shall never see the other till the
dreadful day of doom.”
“Now, my son, Sir Galahad,” said Sir Launcelot, “since we shall never
see each other again, I pray the high Father of heaven to preserve both
you and me.”
“Sir,” said Sir Galahad, “no prayer avails so much as yours.” So
saying, he rode into the forest and his father saw him no more.
The knight in white armor then vanished as he came, and Sir Launcelot
returned to the ship, and the wind arose and drove him many days across
the sea to a distant land. Soon after that he left the ship, which kept
on its lonely journey, until at last it arrived at the city of Sarras
with its fair burden.
Now Sir Launcelot began to long for the realm of Britain which he had
not seen for a year and more. So, commending himself to God, he rode
through many countries and came at last to Camelot.
Here he found King Arthur and Queen Guinevere; but many of the knights
of the Round Table were missing, for already more than half of them
had been slain. However, Sir Gawain, Sir Ector, and Sir Lionel had
returned, and many others who had failed in their quest of the Holy
Grail.
All the court was exceedingly glad to see Sir Launcelot, who told of
his adventures since he had departed; and also those of Sir Galahad,
Sir Percival, and Sir Bors, which he knew by the letter of the dead
gentlewoman, and from Sir Galahad himself.
“Now, would God,” said the king, “that all three were here.”
“That cannot be,” said Sir Launcelot, “for two of them you shall never
see, but one of them shall come again.”
_Sir Galahad Achieves His Quest, and Bears the Holy Grail Across the
Sea_
Now after Sir Galahad bade his father farewell and entered the forest,
he rode many journeys in vain. At last he found his way out of the
forest and rode five days toward the castle of the maimed king; and
ever Sir Percival followed after till he overtook him, and they went on
in company. At a crossroads they met Sir Bors who was riding alone, and
so to their great joy the three knights were together again.
“In more than a year and half,” said Sir Bors, “I have not slept ten
times in a bed, only in wild forests and mountains; but God was always
with me.”
Thus they rode a long time till they came to the castle of Carbonek,
where lived Pelleas, the maimed king, who was the grandfather of Sir
Galahad.
When they entered the castle hall, a bed was brought in whereon lay the
good old man they had come so far to see. King Pelleas was very happy,
for he knew that the quest of the Holy Grail was about to be achieved.
“Sir Galahad,” said he, lifting up his head, “you are welcome, for I
have long prayed for your coming, but now I trust that my suffering
shall be allayed.”
Eliazar, King Pelleas’ son, then brought the broken sword with which
Joseph was wounded in the thigh after he came to Britain. Sir Bors took
the two pieces and tried to force them together again, but he could
not. Then Sir Percival tried, but he had no more power than Sir Bors.
“Now it is your turn,” said they to Sir Galahad, “for if an earthly man
can achieve it, you can.”
Sir Galahad then took the pieces and set them together, and the sword
seemed as if it had just been forged and never broken. When they
recovered from their astonishment they gave the sword to Sir Bors, for
he was a good knight and a worthy man.
A little before evening a strange thing happened; the sword became
wondrously heated so that no one could handle it, and a voice was heard
which said, “They that ought not to sit at the table of our Lord arise,
for now shall true knights be fed.”
So all went out save King Pelleas and his son and a maid who was his
niece, and the three knights; and a table of silver was before them
with the holy vessel, covered with a cloth of silk.
With that they saw nine knights all armed come in at the hall door, who
took off their armor and said to Sir Galahad, “Sir, we have ridden hard
to be with you at this table.”
“You are welcome,” said he, “but whence come you?”
Three of them said they were from Gaul, three from Ireland, and three
from Denmark.
Upon that a voice said, “Let those among you who are not in quest of
the Holy Grail depart.” So King Pelleas and his son and niece departed.
As the knights sat waiting, it seemed to them that there appeared a man
from heaven, before the table on which the Holy Grail was, and they saw
letters in his forehead which said:
“This is Joseph, the first bishop of Christendom, whom our Lord
rescued in the city of Sarras.”
With him were angels who bore a spear which bled marvelously.
Then the knights wondered, for Joseph had died more than three hundred
years before.
“Oh, knights,” said he, “wonder not, for at one time I was an earthly
man. Now shall ye have such food as never knights tasted.”
When he had said this, he and the angels vanished, and they sat there
in great dread. Then they looked and saw, as it were, another man enter
who said:
“My knights and my servants who are come out of this earthly life, ye
shall now see a part of my secrets and my hidden things.” Then he took
the holy vessel and proffered it to Sir Galahad, who kneeled down and
partook; and so after him all the knights.
“Galahad,” said he, “dost thou know what I hold in my hands?”
“Nay,” said Sir Galahad, “unless ye tell me.”
“This,” said he, “is the holy vessel in which I ate the Last Supper,
but thou hast not seen it openly as thou shalt see it in the city of
Sarras; therefore, thou must go hence, and bear this vessel with thee.
This night it shall depart from the realm of Britain to be seen no
more, for it is not honored as it ought to be by the people of this
land, who are turned to evil living. Therefore, go to-morrow down to
the sea where you shall find a ship ready; and with you take the sword
with the strange belt, and Sir Bors and Sir Percival. Also I will that
ye take the blood of the spear and anoint the maimed king, and he shall
have his health.”
Then he gave them his blessing and vanished away. Sir Galahad went at
once to the spear which lay on the table and touched the blood with his
fingers and came to his grandfather, the maimed king, and anointed him.
Immediately he stood upon his feet a whole man, and gave thanks for his
healing.
That same night, about midnight, they heard a voice that said, “Go ye
hence as I bade you.”
“Lord, we thank thee,” said they; “now may we prove ourselves worthy.”
In all haste they took their armor, ready to depart. Now, the three
knights of Gaul were great gentlemen, and Sir Galahad said to them:
“If you come to King Arthur’s court I pray you salute my father, Sir
Launcelot, and all the company of the Round Table,” and they promised
to do so.
Sir Galahad, Sir Percival, and Sir Bors then departed and rode three
days, till they came to the seashore and found their ship. When they
went on board they saw the table of silver and the Holy Grail covered
with a cloth of red silk, and were exceeding glad to have them in their
keeping.
Now, on the voyage Sir Galahad spent a long time in prayer, asking that
he might pass out of this world; he prayed so earnestly that at last a
voice said to him, “Galahad, thou shalt have thy request.”
Sir Percival heard this and asked him why he prayed for such things.
“That shall I tell you,” said he. “The other day when we saw part of
our adventures of the Holy Grail, I was filled with such joy as I
supposed no earthly man could feel; therefore, I know well that when my
body is dead, my soul shall have the great joy of heaven.”
Then he lay down and slept a great while, and when he awoke he saw
before him the city of Sarras; and as they were about to land they saw
the ship in which Sir Percival had put his sister.
“Truly,” said Sir Percival, “well has my sister kept her word.”
They first took out of their ship the table of silver and the holy
vessel, and Sir Percival and Sir Bors went before, and Sir Galahad
behind. At the city gate they saw a crooked old man. Then Sir Galahad
called him and bade him help bear the heavy table.
“Truly,” said the old man, “for ten years I have not been able to walk
without crutches.”
“Care not,” said Sir Galahad. “Rise up and show thy good will.”
On getting up he found himself whole as he ever was; so he ran and took
hold with Sir Galahad. At once the report spread that a cripple had
been cured by a strange knight that had entered the city.
The three knights then returned to the water and brought Sir Percival’s
sister into the spiritual place, and buried her richly as a king’s
daughter ought to be.
When the king of the city, who was called Estorause, saw the three
comrades he asked them who they were and what they brought upon the
table of silver, and they told him the truth of the Holy Grail. Now the
king was a tyrant of heathen birth, and he took them and put them in
prison in a deep hole.
At the year’s end King Estorause fell sick and knew that he would die;
then he sent for the three knights and asked pardon for what he had
done, and they forgave him freely, and so he died.
When the king was dead all the city was disheartened and knew not who
might be their king. As they were in council there came a voice that
bade them choose the youngest of the three knights. So they made Sir
Galahad king with the assent of all the people of the city.
His first act was to have made a chest of gold and precious stones to
cover the holy vessel, and every morning the three comrades came to the
palace where it was kept and said their devotions.
_The Passing of Sir Galahad, The End of Sir Percival, and the Return of
Sir Bors to Camelot_
Now, after Sir Galahad had been king a year, the three friends rose
early, as was their custom, and came to the palace and saw the holy
vessel and a man kneeling there, who had about him a great company of
angels.
He called Sir Galahad and said, “Come forth, good and faithful servant,
and thou shalt see what thou hast much desired to see.”
Then Sir Galahad began to tremble greatly, for he knew his time had
come.
“Now,” said the good man, “knowest thou who I am?”
“Nay,” said Sir Galahad.
“I am Joseph of Arimathea, whom our Lord sent here to bear thee
fellowship; for thou art like me more than any other in two things. One
is, thou hast seen the Holy Grail; and the other is, thou hast been a
blameless knight as I am.”
When he had said these words, Sir Galahad went to Sir Percival and Sir
Bors and kissed them and commended them to God, and said, “Salute me to
my father, Sir Launcelot, as soon as ye see him and bid him remember
this unstable world.”
He then kneeled before the table and prayed, and suddenly his soul
departed and a great company of angels bore his soul up to heaven. And
his two friends saw a hand take the holy vessel and bear it up to
heaven. Since then no man has ever been so bold as to say that he had
seen the Holy Grail.
* * * * *
When Sir Percival and Sir Bors saw Sir Galahad dead, they sorrowed as
much as ever did two men, and if they had not been good men they might
easily have fallen into despair; and the people of the city sorrowed
with them.
As soon as Sir Galahad was buried, Sir Percival retired to a hermitage
outside the city and Sir Bors was always with him. Thus Sir Percival
lived a year and two months, and then passed out of this world, and Sir
Bors buried him by his sister and Sir Galahad in the spiritual place.
Now, when Sir Bors saw that he was alone in a far country, as far away
as Babylon, he took his armor and departed from Sarras and entered a
ship, and so at last came to the realm of Britain and to Camelot where
King Arthur was. On his return there was great rejoicing at the court,
for they thought that he was dead, he had been so long out of the
country.
Then King Arthur sent for the best clerks to make a chronicle of the
adventures of the good knights. Sir Bors told of Sir Percival and his
sister, and of Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail. Sir Launcelot told what
he had seen; and all the tales were written in great books and put in
the armory at Salisbury.
Sir Bors said to Sir Launcelot, “Sir Galahad, your son, saluted you
by me, and after you, King Arthur and all the court, and so did Sir
Percival; for I buried them with mine own hands in the far city of
Sarras. Also, Sir Launcelot, Sir Galahad bids you remember this
unstable world, as ye promised when ye were together more than half a
year.”
“That is true,” said Sir Launcelot; “now I trust to God his prayer
shall avail me.”
Then Sir Launcelot put his arms about Sir Bors and said, “Gentle
cousin, you are welcome to me, and all that ever I may do for you and
yours, you shall find me ready at all times, while I have life, and
this I promise you faithfully, and never to fail you: and know well,
gentle cousin, Sir Bors, that you and I will never separate while our
lives shall last.”
“Sir,” said he, “I will as ye will.”
* * * * *
“Sir Galahad was not the only knight who found the Holy Grail,” added
the Story Lady after a pause.
“But I thought from the story,” said Mary Frances, “that Sir Galahad
and his two comrades were the only ones who were permitted to find it.”
“No, there were others,” said the Story Lady. “Your own American poet,
James Russell Lowell, tells of another, Sir Launfal, who found the
Grail in a place he had never thought to look.”
The Story People listened eagerly, for they liked the tale of Sir
Galahad so much that they were ready for more; so the Story Lady told
the tale of a fourth knight who succeeded.
XXVI
HOW SIR LAUNFAL ACHIEVED THE HOLY GRAIL
ONCE upon a time there was a young knight, Sir Launfal, who had read of
the success of Sir Galahad, and of the failure of many of the knights
of the Round Table. This made him very eager to try his fortune; so he
vowed that some day he too would set out in quest of the Holy Grail.
Now, Sir Launfal lived in a cold gray castle in the North Country,
whose gates were never opened save to knights or ladies of high degree,
who were as proud and haughty as himself.
One beautiful June day, Sir Launfal was in the happy mood which often
comes to people after the passing of a cold, bleak winter; a day when
it seems easy for the grass to be green, the sky to be blue, and the
heart to be brave.
On this lovely day Sir Launfal remembered his vow and called his
squire, and said, “Bring me my best armor and my golden spurs and get
my horse ready, for to-morrow I shall set out over land and sea in
quest of the Holy Grail.”
When the squire brought his shining armor, the knight put it on, and
said to himself, “I will never sleep in a bed nor lay my head on a soft
pillow till I have performed my vow.”
With that he lay down in the tall grasses by the brook, his golden
spurs by his side, to think and plan what he would do. Slowly his
eyelids closed; slowly sleep came upon him and he dreamed, and this was
his dream.
It is summer. The crows flap their wings and fly by twos and threes
overhead in the deep blue sky. The cattle stand in the shallow brook,
and the water runs along with a sweet gurgling music. The little
birds sing in the branches of the trees as if trying to burst their
throats telling of the joy of living. Even the leaves seem to sing on
the trees, the earth is so beautiful and gay. But the castle stands
encircled by its high walls and deep ditch full of water, proud,
haughty and forbidding, untouched by the loveliness round about it.
The drawbridge drops over the water with a surly clang, and through the
dark arch across the bridge springs a charger, bearing Sir Launfal,
dressed in his gilded armor which gleams brightly in the sun. He is
setting forth wherever adventure may lead him in quest of the Holy
Grail.
Just as he passes out, he is aware of a beggar who sits crouching
by the dark gate. The beggar is a leper; he holds out his hands and
begs an alms. The sight of so much misery fills the young knight with
loathing, but he scornfully tosses him a piece of gold and rides on.
Strange to say, the beggar leaves the gold on the ground and says,
“Better turn away empty from the rich man’s door, and take the poor
man’s crust and his blessing, than such a worthless gift as that.”
Now the scene changes; it is winter. There are no leaves on the bushes
and trees. The bare boughs rattle shudderingly as the winds sweep
through them. The brook is frozen over and the cattle are huddled in
their stalls. A single crow sits high up in a tree-top in the wintry
sunlight, and the cold snow covers the ground.
At the castle gate stands a bent old man, worn out and frail. The
wind rustles through his wiry gray hair, and blows through his ragged
clothing. He peers eagerly through the window slits at the joyous scene
within, for it is Christmas time, and then turns away.
[Illustration: SLOWLY SLEEP CAME UPON HIM AND HE DREAMED]
The bent old man is Sir Launfal. After many weary years he has returned
to his castle disappointed, for he has not found the Holy Grail, and
another heir who thinks him long dead rules in his place. He sinks
down by the gate and his mind wanders. He sees again the scenes of the
desert, the camels as they pass over the hot sands, the vain search of
the caravan for water, and then the slender necklace of grass about the
little spring as it leaps and laughs in the shade.
Suddenly he hears a voice. “For Christ’s sweet sake I beg an alms.”
Sir Launfal is startled and looks around him. There at his side he sees
the leper cowering, more wretched, more miserable, more loathsome than
before. But he does not look at him in scorn this time. Instead, he
says, “I will share with you the little that I have, for in giving to
you I shall be giving to Him who has given so much for me.”
So he divides his crust of coarse bread and gives half to the beggar,
and he goes to the brook, breaks open the ice, and gives him a drink of
water from his wooden bowl.
Then suddenly a light shines round about the place, and the leper no
longer crouches at his side, but stands a glorified figure who says:
“Lo, it is I, be not afraid!
In many climes, without avail,
Thou hast spent thy life for the Holy Grail;
Behold, it is here--this cup which thou
Did’st fill at the streamlet for me but now;
This crust is my body broken for thee,
This water His blood that died on the tree.
* * * * *
Not what we give, but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare;
Who gives himself with his alms feeds three,
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.”
Sir Launfal awoke, sat up and rubbed his eyes, and looked about him.
Here were the tall grasses, the brook, the cattle, just as he had left
them when he went to sleep and dreamed. He was not in rags and tatters,
but was a young knight clad in gleaming armor, his spurs at his feet.
It was not winter, but a beautiful June day, with birds flying about,
singing songs of gladness, and cattle browsing in the meadows.
Sir Launfal quickly arose and made his way into the great hall of the
castle where every one met him with surprise.
“Why, sir knight,” said his sister, “we thought by now you would be far
on your journey in quest of the Holy Grail.”
“I have found it,” cried Sir Launfal, “here at my castle gate!”
Then he laid aside his arms and said to his squire, “Hang these idle
weapons upon the walls and let the spiders weave their webs about them.
Whoever would find the Holy Grail must wear another sort of armor--the
armor of unselfish kindness.”
Now, the castle gates stand wide open and those in need are as welcome
there as the birds in the elm-tree’s branches. No matter what the
weather outside, it is summer in the castle the year round, for hearts
are happy in giving and sharing the great blessings there bestowed; and
the happiest of all is the good knight himself.
* * * * *
“So you see, Sir Launfal found the Holy Grail, and he did something
even better,” said the Story Lady as she finished the tale; “he showed
others how to find it.”
THE STORIES OF THE FOURTH DAY
MUSIC BEWITCHED.--ANN CATCHES A THIEF.--JOHN AND MARGARET PATON
AMONG SAVAGES.--THE STRANGE GUEST.--ROBERT OF SICILY.--THE MAN
WITHOUT A COUNTRY.--YOUR FLAG AND MY FLAG.
THE STORIES OF THE FOURTH DAY
XXVII
MUSIC BEWITCHED
WHEN all the Story People were assembled, the Story King in his place,
Mary Frances in the blue velvet chair beside the Story Queen, the Ready
Writer with pen upraised, the Story Lady began:
“To-day we have six short stories. The first is about a school boy
named Bob, and how he conquered his worst enemies.”
* * * * *
_Bob’s Three Foes_
Thud! thud! thud! “Hit him in the eye!” “Knock the pipe out of his
mouth!” “Ha! ha! there goes his nose! I hit him that time!”
These dreadful sounds seemed to say that some barbarous piece of
cruelty was going on; but the victim was only a snow-man, which the
boys of Strappington School had set up in their playground. Truth to
tell, the snow-man did not like it much, but boys cannot be expected to
understand the feelings of a snow-man, so he bore it very patiently,
and when one snowball came in each eye, and a third in his mouth, he
never spoke a word or flinched a muscle.
But how was the schoolmaster to know that it was only a snow-man? And
what was more natural than that he should peep over the playground
wall to see what was going on? And how was little Ralph Ruddy to know
that the schoolmaster was there? And how was he to know that the
snowball which was meant for the snow-man’s pipe would land itself on
the schoolmaster’s nose? Oh, the horror that seized upon the school at
that dire event! and the dead silence that reigned in that playground!
For those were the good old times of long ago when anything that went
wrong was set right with a birch rod. Little Ralph Ruddy knew only too
well what was coming when the angry schoolmaster ordered him into the
schoolroom.
The snow-man, of course, was left in the playground all alone. He saw
the boys troop indoors and heard some angry words and some cries of
pain and saw poor little Ralph thrust into the cold playground, and
heard the door slam behind him, and stared without once turning his
head or blinking his eyes, while the little fellow sat on the snowy
doorstep, with a knuckle screwed into each eye; and indeed the good
snow-man himself felt half inclined to cry, only the tears froze inside
before they got out of his eyes. So he couldn’t.
When the bell rang at four o’clock, the boys came out, and among them
Bob Hardy, the son of a poor farm laborer.
“A cruel shame I call it,” muttered Bob, “to whip a little chap like
that, and then shut him out in the cold. I told him Ralph Ruddy never
meant to do it, and then he caned me as well. A real brute I call him,
and I’ll pay him out, too. I declare I’ll break his bedroom windows
this very night, and let him try how he likes the winter wind!”
And Bob meant to do it, too. He climbed out of the cottage window when
all were asleep, and made his way down to the schoolhouse by moonlight,
with a pocketfull of stones, and climbed the wall of the playground,
and stood there all ready to open fire, when a voice startled him, a
sort of shivering whisper.
“Better not, Bob! Better wait a bit!” said the voice.