Читать книгу The Knights of the Round Table - Enid blyton - Страница 5

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King Arthur took horse one morning, and set out to seek adventure. As he rode through the forest, he came to a fountain, and by it was a rich tent. A knight in full armour sat near by. He was tall, and very broad and strong. Never yet had he met a man who could defeat him in battle.

King Arthur made as if he would ride by, but the knight commanded him to stop.

“No knight passes here unless he first jousts with me,” said the strange knight, Sir Pellinore.

“That is a bad custom,” said Arthur. “No more must you joust here, Sir Knight.”

“I take my commands from no man,” answered the tall knight angrily. “If you would that I forswear this custom, then you must defeat me.”

“I will do so!” said the King, and forthwith Sir Pellinore mounted his horse and the two rode at one another.

They met with such a shock that both their spears were shivered to pieces on one another’s shields. Then Arthur pulled out his sword.

“Nay, not so,” said the knight. “We will fight once again with spears.”

“I would do so, but I have no more,” answered Arthur.

Then Sir Pellinore called his squire and bade him bring two more spears. Arthur chose one and he took the other. Then once again they rode at one another, and for the second time they broke their spears. Then Arthur set hand on his sword, but the knight stopped him.

“You are a passing good jouster,” he said. “For the love of the high order of knighthood, let us joust once again.”

The squire brought out two great spears, and each knight took one. Then they rode hard at one another, and once more Arthur’s spear was broken. But Sir Pellinore hit him so hard in the middle of his shield that he brought both man and horse to earth.

Then Arthur leapt to his feet, and drew his sword.

“I will now fight you on foot, Sir Knight!” he cried, “for I have lost the honour on horseback.”

So Sir Pellinore alighted, and the two set about one another with their swords. That was a great battle, and mighty were the strokes that each gave the other. Soon both were wounded, but they would not stop for that.

Then Arthur smote at Sir Pellinore just as the knight was smiting at him, and the two swords met together with a crash. Pellinore’s was the heavier sword, and it broke the King’s weapon into two pieces.

Arthur leapt straight at the knight, and taking him by the waist, threw him down to the ground. The knight, who was exceedingly strong, rolled over on top of the King. Then he undid Arthur’s helmet, and raised his sword to smite off his head.

But at that moment Merlin the Magician appeared, and cried out in a stern voice to Sir Pellinore:

“Hold your hand, Sir Knight, for he whom you are about to kill is a greater man than you know.”

“Who is he?” asked the knight.

“He is King Arthur,” answered Merlin.

“Then I must kill him for fear of his great wrath,” cried Pellinore. He lifted up his sword, and was about to hew off the King’s head, when Merlin cast an enchantment about him. His hand fell to his side, and he sank to the ground in a deep sleep. Then Merlin bade Arthur come with him, and the King, mounting on his horse, obeyed.

“You have not slain that knight by your enchantments?” asked Arthur anxiously. “He was a great knight, and a strong, and his only fault was his discourtesy.”

“He will be quite whole again in three hours,” said Merlin. “He is but cast into a sleep. There is not another knight in the kingdom so big and strong as he is. If he comes to crave your pardon, grant it, for he will do you right good service.”

Then Merlin took the King to a hermit, and the wise man tended Arthur’s wounds, so that in three days he was ready to depart.

As they rode forth, Arthur glanced down at his side.

“I have no sword,” he said. “Sir Pellinore broke mine in our battle.”

“No matter,” said Merlin. “You shall soon have another.”

They rode on and came to a broad lake. In the midst a strange sight was to be seen; for out of the water came a hand and arm clothed in rich white silk, and in the hand was a beautiful sword that gleamed brightly.

“There is a sword for you,” said Merlin. “See, it glitters yonder in the lake. Below the water is a wonderful palace, belonging to the Lady of the Lake, and it is she who has wrought this sword for you. Go, fetch it.”

The King saw a little boat by the side of the lake, and he untied it, and rowed on the water. When he came to the hand, he reached out and took the sword from it. As soon as he had done so the hand and arm disappeared under the water.

Arthur rowed back to land, and then, taking the sword from its scabbard, he looked at it closely. It was very beautiful, and the King was proud to have such a noble weapon. On each side were written mystic words that Arthur did not understand.

“What mean these writings?” he asked.

“On this side is written, ‘Keep me,’ and on the other, ‘Throw me away,’ ” said Merlin. “But the time is far distant when you must throw it away. Look well at the scabbard. Do you like it or the sword the better of the two?”

WHEN THE KING CAME TO THE HAND, HE REACHED OUT AND TOOK THE SWORD FROM IT.

“The sword,” answered the King.

“You are unwise,” said Merlin. “The scabbard is worth ten of the sword, for while you have the scabbard you will never lose blood, however sorely you may be wounded. So guard the scabbard well. The sword is called Excalibur, and is the best in the world.”

Arthur rode back to his court with Merlin, glad to have such a fine weapon at his side. Joyfully his knights welcomed him into their company again, and once more they sat down together at the Round Table.

Before long Sir Pellinore came to crave pardon of the King for his discourtesy. Freely Arthur forgave him, and henceforth the great knight served the King well and faithfully, doing brave deeds in his service.