Stories of King Arthur and His Knights: Retold from Malory's "Morte dArthur"Malory, Thomas, Sir
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Stories of King Arthur and His Knights: Retold from Malory's "Morte dArthur"
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthur, King -- Juvenile literature; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Knights and knighthood -- Juvenile literature
"Thus much shall I grant you," said the Black Knight: "I shall put him
down upon one foot, and his horse and his harness he shall leave with
me, for it were shame to me to do him any more harm."
When Sir Fair-hands heard him say thus, he said, "Sir knight, thou art
full generous with my horse and my harness; I let thee know it cost
thee naught, and whether thou like it or not, this lawn will I pass,
and neither horse nor harness gettest thou of me, except as thou win
them with thy hands. I am no kitchen-page, as the damsel saith I am; I
am a gentleman born, and of more high lineage than thou, and that will
I prove on thy body."
Then in great wrath they drew back with their horses, and rushed
together as it had been the thunder. The Black Knight's spear brake,
and Fair-hands thrust him through both his sides, whereupon his own
spear brake also. Nevertheless the Black Knight drew his sword and
smote many eager strokes of great might, and hurt Fair-hands full sore.
But at the last he fell down off his horse in a swoon, and there he
died.
When Fair-hands saw that the Black Knight had been so well horsed and
armed, he alighted down and armed himself in the dead man's armour,
took his horse, and rode after the damsel. When she saw him come nigh,
she said, "Away, kitchen-knave, out of the wind, for the smell of thy
foul clothes offendeth me. Alas that ever such a knave as thou art
should by mishap slay so good a knight as thou hast done. All this is
my ill luck, but hard by is one that shall requite thee, and therefore
again I counsel thee, flee."
"It may be my lot," said Fair-hands, "to be beaten or slain, but I warn
you, fair damsel, I will not flee away or leave your company for all
that ye can say, for ever ye say that they will kill me or beat me, yet
it happeneth that I escape and they lie on the ground. Therefore it
were as good for you to stop thus all day rebuking me, for away will I
not till I see the uttermost of this journey, or else I will be slain
or truly beaten; therefore ride on your way, for follow you I will,
whatsoever happen."
As they rode along together they saw a knight come driving by them all
in green, both his horse and his harness; and when he came nigh the
damsel he asked her, "Is that my brother the Black Knight that ye have
brought with you?"
"Nay, nay," said she, "this unlucky kitchen-knave hath slain your
brother through mischance."
"Alas," said the Green Knight, "that is great pity that so noble a
knight as he was should so unfortunately be slain, and by a knave's
hand, as ye say that he is. Ah! traitor, thou shalt die for slaying my
brother; he was a full noble knight."
"I defy thee," said Fair-hands, "for I make known to thee I slew him
knightly and not shamefully."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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