The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
General
The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
Then with these words came before the king Beaumains, while the damsel
was there; and thus he said: "Sir king, God thank you, I have been this
twelve months in your kitchen, and have had my full sustenance, and now
I will ask my two gifts that be behind."
"Ask upon my peril," said the king.
"Sir, these shall be my two gifts: first, that ye will grant me to have
this adventure of the damsel, for it belongeth to me."
"Thou shalt have it," said the king; "I grant it thee."
"Then, sir, this is now the other gift: that ye shall bid Sir Launcelot
du Lake to make me a knight, for of him I will be made knight, and else
of none; and when I am passed, I pray you let him ride after me, and
make me knight when I require him."
"All this shall be done," said the king.
"Fie on thee," said the damsel; "shall I have none but one that is your
kitchen page?"
Then was she wroth, and took her horse and departed. And with that
there came one to Beaumains, and told him that his horse and armor
was come for him, and there was a dwarf come with all things that him
needed in the richest manner. Thereat all the court had much marvel
from whence came all that gear. So when he was armed, there was none
but few so goodly a man as he was. And right so he came into the hall,
and took his leave of King Arthur and of Sir Gawaine, and of Sir
Launcelot, and prayed him that he would hie after him; and so departed
and rode after the damsel.
* * * * *
But there went many after to behold how well he was horsed and trapped
in cloth of gold, but he had neither shield nor spear. Then Sir Kay
said openly in the hall: "I will ride after my boy of the kitchen, for
to wit [_know_] whether he will know me for his better."
Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawaine said, "Yet abide at home."
So Sir Kay made him ready, and took his horse and his spear, and rode
after him. And right as Beaumains overtook the damsel, right so came
Sir Kay, and said, "Beaumains, what sir, know ye not me?"
Then he turned his horse, and knew it was Sir Kay, that had done him
all the despite as ye have heard afore.
"Yea," said Beaumains, "I know you for an ungentle knight of the court,
and therefore beware of me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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