Читать книгу The Knights of the Round Table - Enid blyton - Страница 3

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There once lived a King called Uther Pendragon, who loved the fair Igraine of Cornwall. She did not return his love, and Uther fell ill with grief.

As he lay on his bed, Merlin the Magician appeared before him.

“I know what sorrow is in your heart,” he said to the King. “If you will promise what I ask, I will, by my magic art, give you Igraine for your wife.”

“I will grant you all you ask,” said Uther. “What do you wish?”

“As soon as you and Igraine have a baby son, will you give him to me?” asked Merlin. “Nothing but good shall come to the child, I promise you.”

“So be it,” said the King. “Give me Igraine for wife, and you shall have my first son.”

It came to pass as Merlin promised. The fair Igraine became Uther Pendragon’s wife, and made him very happy. One night a baby son was born to her and the King, and Uther looked upon the child’s face, and was grieved when he remembered his promise to Merlin.

He named the tiny boy Arthur, and then commanded that he should be taken down to the postern gate, wrapped in a cloth of gold.

“At the gate you will see an old man. Give the child to him,” said the King to two of his knights. The knights did as they were commanded, and delivered the baby to Merlin, who was waiting at the postern gate.

The magician took the child to a good knight called Sir Ector, and the knight’s wife welcomed the baby, and tended him lovingly, bringing him up as if he were her own dear son.

Not very long after this King Uther fell ill and died. Then many mighty lords wished to be king, and fought one another, so that the kingdom was divided against itself, and could not stand against any foe.

There came a day when Merlin the Magician rode to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and bade him command all the great lords of the land to come to London by Christmas, and worship in the church there.

“Then shall you know who is to be King of this country,” said Merlin, “for a great marvel shall be shown you.”

So the Archbishop sent for all the lords and knights, commanding them to come to the church in London by Christmas, and they obeyed.

When the people came out of church, a cry of wonder was heard—for there, in the churchyard, was a great stone, and in the middle of it was an anvil of steel a foot high. In the anvil was thrust a beautiful sword, and round it, written in letters of gold upon the stone, were these words:

“Whoso pulleth out this sword from this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all England.”

Lords and knights pressed round the sword and marvelled to see it thrust into the stone, for neither sword nor stone had been there when they went into the church.

Then many men caught hold of the sword and tried to pull it forth, but could not. Try as they would, they could not move it an inch. It was held fast, and not even the strongest knight there could draw it forth.

“The man is not here that shall be king of this realm,” said the Archbishop. “Set ten men to guard the stone day and night. Then, when New Year’s Day is come, we will hold a tournament, and the bravest and strongest in the kingdom shall joust one with another. Mayhap by that time there shall come the one who will draw forth the sword, and be hailed as king of this fair land.”

Now, when New Year’s Day came, many lords and knights rode to the fields to take part in the tournament. With them went the good knight Sir Ector, to whom Merlin had given the baby Arthur some years before.

Sir Ector had brought up the boy with his own son, Sir Kay, and had taught him all the arts of knighthood, so that he grew up brave and courteous. He loved Sir Ector and his wife, and called them Father and Mother, for he thought that they were truly his parents. Sir Kay he thought was his brother, and he was glad and proud that Kay, who had been made knight only a few months before, should be going to joust at the tournament.

Sir Ector, Sir Kay, and Arthur set off to go to the lists. On the way there Sir Kay found that his sword, which he had unbuckled the night before, had been left at the house. He had forgotten it!

“I pray you, Arthur, ride back to the house and fetch me my sword,” he said to the boy beside him.

“Willingly!” answered Arthur, and turning his horse’s head round, he rode swiftly back to fetch Kay’s sword. But when he got to the house, he found the door locked, for all the women had gone to see the tournament.

Then Arthur was angry and dismayed, for he knew how disappointed his brother would be if he returned without his sword.

“I will ride to the churchyard, and take the sword from the stone there,” he said to himself. “My brother Kay shall not be without a sword this day!”

So when he came to the churchyard Arthur leapt off his horse, and tied it to a post. Then he went to ask the men who guarded the sword if he might take it. But they were not there, for they, too, had gone to the tournament.

Then the boy ran to the stone, and took hold of the handle of the sword. He pulled at it fiercely, and lo and behold! it came forth from the steel anvil, and shone brightly in the sunshine.

Arthur leapt on to his horse once again, and rode to Kay.

“Here is a sword for you, brother,” he said.

Sir Kay took the beautiful weapon, and looked at it in amaze, for he knew at once that it was the sword from the stone. He ran to his father and showed it to him.

“Where did you get it?” asked Sir Ector, in astonishment and awe.

“My brother Arthur brought it to me,” answered Sir Kay.

“Sir, I will tell you all,” said Arthur, fearing that he had done wrong. “When I went back for Kay’s sword I found the door locked. So, lest my brother should be without a weapon this day, I rode to the churchyard and took the sword from the great stone there.”

“Then you must be King of this land,” said Sir Ector, “for so say the letters around the anvil. Come with me to the churchyard, and you shall put the sword in the stone again, and I will see you draw it forth.”

The three rode to the church, and Arthur thrust the sword into the anvil, then drew it forth again easily and lightly. Then he put it back, and Sir Ector strove to draw it forth and could not. After him Sir Kay tried, but he could not so much as stir it an inch.

Then once again Arthur pulled it forth, and at that both Sir Ector and Sir Kay fell down upon their knees before him.

“Why do you kneel to me?” asked the boy. “My father and my brother, why is this?”

“Nay, nay,” said Sir Ector. “We are not your father and your brother. Long years ago the magician Merlin brought you to us as a baby, and we took you and nursed you, not knowing who you were.”

Then Arthur began to weep, for he was sad to hear that the man and woman he loved so much were not his parents, and that Kay was not his brother. But Sir Ector comforted him, and took him to the Archbishop, bidding him tell how he had drawn forth the enchanted sword.

Then once again Arthur was bidden to ride to the churchyard, this time accompanied by all the lords and knights. He thrust the sword into the stone, and then pulled it forth. At that many lords came round the stone, shouting that what a mere boy could do could be done by a man with ease.

But when they tried to draw forth the sword, they could not. Each man had his turn, and failed. Then, before all the watching people, Arthur lightly drew out the sword, and flourished it round his head.

“We will have Arthur for our King!” shouted the people. “Let us crown him! He is our King, and we will have none other!”

Then they all knelt before him, and begged the Archbishop to anoint him as king.

So, when the right time came, Arthur was crowned, and swore to be a true king, and to rule with justice all the days of his life.