The Book of the Epic: The World's Great Epics Told in StoryGuerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
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The Book of the Epic: The World's Great Epics Told in Story
Guerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
Epic poetry -- Adaptations
Meanwhile, returning to the castle to rejoin her victim, Duessa finds
the Red Cross Knight gone, spurs after him, and on overtaking him
gently reproaches him for abandoning her in such a place! Then she
entices him to rest by a fountain, whose bewitched waters deprive the
drinker of all strength. She herself offers Georgos a draught from
this fountain, and, after he has drunk thereof, the giant Orgolio
spurs out of the forest and, attacking him with a mighty club, lays
him low and bears him off to his dungeon, to torture him the rest of
his life. Meantime Duessa humbly follows the giant, promising him her
love, while the dwarf, who has watched the encounter from afar,
sorrowfully collects his master's armor and, piling it hastily on his
steed, rides off in quest of help.
Meanwhile the real Una, on awakening in the hermitage to learn that
the Red Cross Knight and the dwarf have gone, rides after them as fast
as her little white ass can trot. Of course her attempt to overtake
her companions is vain, and after travelling a long distance she
dismounts in a forest to rest. Suddenly she is almost paralyzed with
fear, for a roaring lion bursts through the thicket to devour her.
Still, in fairy-land wild beasts cannot harm kings' daughters,
provided they are pure, so the lion--the personification of
Courage--not only spares Una, but humbly licks her feet, and
accompanies her as watch-dog when she resumes her journey. They two
soon reach the house of Superstition, an old woman, whose daughter,
Stupidity, loves a robber of churches. When this lover attempts to
visit her secretly by night, he is slain by the lion; whereupon the
two women angrily banish Una. She is therefore again wandering
aimlessly in the forest when Archimago meets her in the guise of the
Red Cross Knight, for he wishes her to believe he is her missing
champion. On perceiving the lion, however, the magician approaches Una
cautiously, but the fair maiden, suspecting no fraud, joyfully runs
to meet him, declaring she has missed him terribly.
They two have not proceeded far before they encounter
Sansloi,--Lawlessness,--brother of the two knights with whom Georgos
recently fought. Anxious to avenge their death, this new-comer boldly
charges at the wearer of the Red Cross. Although terrified at the mere
thought of an encounter, Archimago is forced to lower his lance in
self-defence, but, as he is no expert, he is overthrown at the first
blow. Springing down from his steed, Sansloi sets his foot upon his
fallen foe and tries to remove his helmet so as to deal him a deadly
blow. But no sooner does he behold the crafty lineaments of Archimago
in place of those of the Red Cross Knight, than he contemptuously
abandons his opponent to recover his senses at leisure, and starts off
in pursuit of Una, whose beauty has charmed his lustful eye.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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