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Chapter 5

In which some traveling monks help Sandy and Sir Don

No food, no water, and no idea where we were. Was this what the life of a knight is like? Maybe I didn’t want to be a knight after all.

“Sandy, my friend, this is what it means to be a knight. Sometimes the life of a knight is dangerous; sometimes things don’t work out as you planned. Other times, though, we are just a step away from becoming as great as kings. I could tell you the story of many knights who have gone through worse than what has happened to us. Perhaps you have heard the story of Amadis of Gaul, one of the greatest knights of all time?”

“Yes—I know all about Amadis of Gaul. That was one of my favorite books…before my mom threw them all away.”

“Well then you know that Amadis had to endure many more hardships than we can imagine. Once, he was captured by an evil wizard, who tied Amadis to a column in a castle and threatened to kill him. Amadis barely got away. Yet you know how famous and how important Amadis later became. So, let us not get discouraged or give up hope. We’ll find food, and we’ll find water. Let’s just ride on until we do.”

Did this guy really know what he was talking about? Where were we going to find food, out here in the countryside? And did he have any idea how to help me get back home?

We kept on going down the road for what seemed like a couple of hours. When we came around a bend in the road, near some trees, we started to hear something coming our way. It sounded like men singing or chanting. Farther down the road was a whole group of men, all wearing robes that looked as though they were made out of brown blankets. Some of them had hoods covering their heads.

“Well, Sandy, now is your chance. It is as if Providence has heard our prayers. Surely these men will share some of their food with two traveling knights, for it is the duty of all citizens to share their provisions, however meager, with knights errant whenever they encounter them. Besides, these men look to be men of the Church. Surely they will give us food. All you need to do is ride in front of them, announce to them that we are knights errant, and ask them for food.”

“Me?” I asked, amazed. I wasn’t a knight; at least I didn’t feel like one. What if they weren’t priests or monks, but instead were robbers?

“Sandy, all knights learn courage by doing things that make them feel afraid. Here, take my lance. I don’t think you’ll need to use it, but having it with you will make it clear to them who they are dealing with.” He handed me his wooden pole, and waved me on towards the men.

I wanted to act the way a knight would when he faced danger. So instead of giving in to my fear, I gave my donkey a gentle tug to get him going. I began to move towards the oncoming group of men. When I got about fifteen feet from them, I stopped the donkey, help up my pole, and said in my best knightly voice, “Hail, fellow travelers! We are two knights in need of help, and were hoping you might give it to us.”

All the men stopped walking. The one in front looked up at me with a puzzled look. “Young man, we’re in a hurry. We have to get to the inn before it gets dark. So tell me quickly, who are you and what type of help do you need? And you don’t have to point that silly stick at me.”

I laid the pole across my saddle. “I am Sandy of Idaho. My companion is the famous knight, Sir Don Quixote of La Mancha. We are traveling in search of adventure, and trying to find the way to Idaho. We have lost all our food, and ask that you share some of yours with us so we won’t go hungry.”

A few of the other men in the crowd began to laugh. The one in front turned and shushed them. “Well, Sandy of Idaho, why should we give you and your sad-looking friend over there food?”

“We are knights errant, and ask your help in giving us some food.”

The man in front just stared at me for a while, without saying anything. Had I said something wrong? What would he do if he found out I wasn’t really a knight, at least not yet? Then I saw him smile, and his face changed completely. He wasn’t mad at me!

“Well, young Sir Sandy, we will gladly share our food with you, for we are monks and priests, on our way to a funeral in Segovia. When we became monks and priests, we promised always to share what we have with those who are in need—and it looks to me as though you and the Knight with the Sad Face over there are in need.”

He motioned to one of the hooded men behind him, saying a few words I couldn’t hear. The hooded man walked over to a horse they were leading, and took something from the pack on its back. He came over and handed it to me. It was a bag of food!

“Take this food, Sir Sandy, and share it with your companion. We must now be on our way. Our only hope is, as a knight errant, you will do the same for someone else in need. For it is my understanding that knights errant commit themselves to helping those less fortunate than themselves, and promise always to fight unfairness and injustice wherever they meet it.”

With that, the men began chanting and walking again, heading in the direction of the inn that we had left earlier that day. I watched them as they went around the bend in the road. I’d done it! I’d done what a knight ought to do. Even though I had been scared, I had asked them for help. In return for the help they had given me, I felt a deep sense inside that I needed to be more committed than ever to fighting for justice and fairness.

I rode back to Sir Don and showed him the sack of food.

“Well done, Sir Sandy! Now we shall not be hungry.”

“Sir Don, why did you call me ‘Sir Sandy’? Do you mean that I am a knight now?”

“Sandy, each of us is a knight, from the day we are born. Whether we feel we are a knight, and whether we act like a knight, is different for each of us. When you truly believe that you are a knight, then will you truly be a knight.”

What Sir Don said made me think for a while. I didn’t really feel like a knight yet. I felt like a kid in the 7th grade from Idaho. At least I wasn’t as scared as I was when I first rode up to those monks.

“Sandy, you have gotten us food. Now we must find water. When we have done that, we can make camp for the night.” As we were riding, Sir Don looked over at me and asked, “Sandy, did it bother you when that monk called me the Knight With the Sad Face?”

“No, it didn’t bother me. Sometimes when I look in your face, you do look sad. Did it bother you?”

“Well, Sandy, I can’t say that it made me happy. When they are young, all knights hope some day to be known by a name that describes their heroic deeds. One famous knight was known as the Knight of the Blazing Sword. Another was the Knight Who Rescues Maidens. It is better, though, to have a name such as this than to have no name, even if the name is the Knight With the Sad Face. It is true that my life as a knight has been a hard one, and that I sometimes become sad and discouraged. So I guess it is only fair that that is my new name. When I get a better shield, I will paint my name on it in bright letters for all to see. All would then know that they are about to meet the Knight With the Sad Face.”

While we were talking, we both began to hear a sound. It was falling water! As we got closer, it was clear that we were getting near to a river or a waterfall. At last, we would have both food and water. Only there was another sound coming from the same place, and it didn’t sound so nice. The other sound was a pounding noise that kept on repeating, sort of a thud, thud, thud. And that wasn’t all—we could hear a clanking noise as well, as if someone was wiggling chains around. I started to imaging what was making the noise. The things I began to imagine were pretty scary. But we really needed water.

“Sir Don, I think it is your turn to be brave. Could you go see what that noise is coming from?”

He looked at me and smiled. “Sandy, I may have a sad face, but I have a stout heart. Whatever it is that is making those noises, I will go and see that we are able to get some water to drink. Give me the lance, and wait here for me. If I should not return, you can go back to the village of La Mancha and tell them what has happened to me. In the face of danger, no matter how great, a knight errant has courage.”

He turned his horse and spurred him on in the direction of the noise. For what felt like an incredibly long time, but was probably only a few minutes, I was all alone, having no idea what was happening to Sir Don. All I could hear was the splashing of the water, the clanking of the chains, and the thudding noise.

Finally, I heard something coming. It was Sir Don! His face and his hair were wet, and he was carrying a wooden cup filled with water! He handed me the cup, and I gulped it down. Boy, did it taste good!

“Come with me, Sandy, and see what type of ogre was making such a noise.”

I followed him until we came to a river and a waterfall. There was an old building next to the river, and it had a big wooden wheel. I guess it was some sort of a mill, because the big wooden wheel had some hammer-like things attached to it. Every time the mill wheel turned, the hammers hit against the side of the riverbank. There were some chains attached to the wheel that clanked as the wheel turned. There wasn’t any ogre.

I got another cupful of water from the river and drank it down. I don’t think water ever tasted so good. We decided to stop for the day. There were some old blankets in the mill building that we used to make beds under the trees. We made dinner from the food the monks had given us, and still had enough left over for another couple of days.

As we were getting ready for bed, Sir Don said, “Sandy, you have shown true courage today. It is clear to me that you have everything it takes to be a knight errant.”

“How can I be a knight errant when I was so afraid of the noises at the mill?”

“Being afraid doesn’t mean that you cannot be a knight errant. It’s normal to be afraid of things you don’t know or don’t understand. What makes you ready to be a knight errant is the willingness to accept your fear, and to know what is the right thing to do even in the face of that fear. If it hadn’t been for you, perhaps we never would have found food today.”

He was right. Today I had been afraid, and yet I was willing to do what I needed to do when the time came to act.

As I was going to sleep, I began to think about what Sir Don had said. Whenever I read those books about knights, and all the brave things they did, I felt a connection to them. I wanted to know what was the right thing to do to make things better in the world. I wanted to help people. But every time I talked about this to my mom, she never seemed to listen; she didn’t seem to understand. Was it OK to do what felt right, even if my mom said I should forget it? What about Mr. Priestly? Sometimes he could be scary in class.

Would I have the courage to stand up to Mr. Priestly and tell him that there’s nothing wrong with stories about knights and the brave things they do?

Next time, I would be more brave. I couldn’t let Sir Don be the only one to face danger.