Stories of King Arthur's Knights, Told to the Children Part 10

And in the morning the meadows lay bright in the suns.h.i.+ne. And the boy-knight rode bravely to his first combat, and overthrew many men; but Sir Lancelot and Sir Percivale he could not overthrow.

When the tournament was over the King and his knights went home to supper, and each sat in his own seat at the Round Table.

All at once there was a loud cras.h.i.+ng noise, a noise that was louder than any peal of thunder. Was the King's wonderful palace falling to pieces?

But while the noise still sounded a marvellous light stole into the room, a light brighter than any sunbeam.

As the knights looked at one another, each seemed to the other to have a new glory and a new beauty in his face.

And down the sunbeam glided the Holy Grail. It was the Sacred Cup they had all longed to see. But no one saw it, for it was invisible to all but the pure-hearted Sir Galahad.

As the strange light faded away, King Arthur heard his knights vowing that they would go in search of the Holy Grail, and never give up the quest till they had found it.

And the boy-knight knew that he too would go over land and sea, till he saw again the wonderful vision.

That night the King could not sleep, for his sorrow was great. His knights would wander into far-off countries, and many of them would forget that they were in search of the Holy Grail. Would they not have found the Sacred Cup one day if they had stayed with their King and helped to clear the country of its enemies?

In the morning the streets of Camelot were crowded with rich and poor. And the people wept as they watched the knights ride away on their strange quest. And the King wept too, for he knew that now there would be many empty chairs at the Round Table.

The knights rode together to a strange city and stayed there all night. The next day they separated, each going a different way.

Sir Galahad rode on for four days without adventure. At last he came to a white abbey, where he was received very kindly. And he found two knights there, and one was a King.

'What adventure has brought you here?' asked the boy-knight.

Then they told him that in this abbey there was a s.h.i.+eld. And if any man tried to carry it, he was either wounded or dead within three days.

'But to-morrow I shall try to bear it,' said the King.

'In the name of G.o.d, let me take the s.h.i.+eld,' said Sir Galahad gravely.

'If I fail, you shall try to bear it,' said the King. And Galahad was glad, for he had still no s.h.i.+eld of his own.

Then a monk took the King and the young knight behind the altar, and showed them where the s.h.i.+eld hung. It was as white as snow, but in the middle there was a red cross.

'The s.h.i.+eld can be borne only by the worthiest knight in the world,' the monk warned the King.

'I will try to bear it, though I am no worthy knight,' insisted the King; and he took the s.h.i.+eld and rode down into the valley.

And Galahad waited at the abbey, for the King had said he would send his squire to tell the young knight how the s.h.i.+eld had protected him.

For two miles the King rode through the valley, till he reached a hermitage. And he saw a warrior there, dressed in white armour, and sitting on a white horse.

The warrior rode quickly towards the King, and struck him so hard that he broke his armour. Then he thrust his spear through the King's right shoulder, as though he held no s.h.i.+eld.

'The s.h.i.+eld can be borne only by a peerless knight. It does not belong to you,' said the warrior, as he gave it to the squire, telling him to carry it back to the abbey and to give it to Sir Galahad with his greeting.

'Then tell me your name,' said the squire.

'I will tell neither you nor any one on earth,' said the warrior.

And he disappeared, and the squire saw him no more.

'I will take the wounded King to an abbey, that his wounds may be dressed,' thought the squire.

And with great difficulty the King and his squire reached an abbey.

And the monks thought his life could not be saved, but after many days he was cured.

Then the squire rode back to the abbey where Galahad waited. 'The warrior who wounded the King bids you bear this s.h.i.+eld,' he said.

Galahad hung the s.h.i.+eld round his neck joyfully, and rode into the valley to seek the warrior dressed in white.

And when they met they saluted each other courteously. And the warrior told Sir Galahad strange tales of the white s.h.i.+eld, till the knight thanked G.o.d that now it was his. And all his life long the white s.h.i.+eld with the red cross was one of his great treasures.

Now Galahad rode back to the abbey, and the monks were glad to see him again. 'We have need of a pure knight,' they said, as they took Sir Galahad to a tomb in the churchyard.

A pitiful noise was heard, and a voice from the tomb cried, 'Galahad, servant of G.o.d, do not come near me.' But the young knight went towards the tomb and raised the stone.

Then a thick smoke was seen, and through the smoke a figure uglier than any man leaped from the tomb, shouting, 'Angels are round thee, Galahad, servant of G.o.d. I can do you no harm.'

The knight stooped down and saw a body all dressed in armour lying there, and a sword lay by its side.

'This was a false knight,' said Sir Galahad. 'Let us carry his body away from this place.'

'You will stay in the abbey and live with us,' entreated the monks.

But the boy-knight could not rest. Would he see the light that was brighter than any sunbeam again? Would his adventures bring him at last to the Holy Grail?

Sir Galahad rode on many days, till at last he reached a mountain.

On the mountain he found an old chapel. It was empty and very desolate. Galahad knelt alone before the altar, and asked G.o.d to tell him what to do next.

And as he prayed a voice said, 'Thou brave knight, go to the Castle of Maidens and rescue them.'

Galahad rose, and gladly journeyed on to the Castle of Maidens.

There he found seven knights, who long ago had seized the castle from a maiden to whom it belonged. And these knights had imprisoned her and many other maidens.

When the seven knights saw Sir Galahad they came out of the castle.

'We will take this young knight captive, and keep him in prison,'

they said to each other, as they fell upon him.

But Sir Galahad smote the first knight to the ground, so that he almost broke his neck. And as his wonderful sword flashed in the light, sudden fear fell on the six knights that were left, and they turned and fled.

Then an old man took the keys of the castle to Galahad. And the knight opened the gates of the castle, and set free many prisoners.

He gave the castle back to the maiden to whom it belonged, and sent for all the knights in the country round about to do her homage.

Then once again Sir Galahad rode on in search of the Holy Grail.

And the way seemed long, yet on and on he rode, till at last he reached the sea.

There, on the sh.o.r.e, stood a maiden, and when she saw Sir Galahad, she led him to a s.h.i.+p and told him to enter.