The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
The pilgrim took the mantle, folded it up, and put it into his
bag. Then a third time he said to Rinaldo, "Sir, have you nothing left
to give me that I may remember you in my prayers?" "Wretch!"
exclaimed Rinaldo, "do you make me your sport?" and he drew his sword,
and struck at him; but the old man warded off the blow with his staff,
and said, "Rinaldo, would you slay your cousin, Malagigi?" When
Rinaldo heard that he stayed his hand, and gazed doubtingly on the old
man, who now threw aside his disguise, and appeared to be indeed
Malagigi. "Dear cousin," said Rinaldo, "pray forgive me. I did not
know you. Next to God, my trust is in you. Help my brothers to escape
out of prison, I entreat you. I have lost my horse, and therefore
cannot render them any assistance." Malagigi answered, "Cousin
Rinaldo, I will enable you to recover your horse. Meanwhile, you must
do as I say."
Then Malagigi took from his sack a gown, and gave it to Rinaldo to put
on over his armor, and a hat that was full of holes, and an old pair
of shoes to put on. They looked like two pilgrims, very old and
poor. Then they went forth from the wood, and, after a little while,
saw four monks riding along the road. Malagigi said to Rinaldo, "I
will go meet the monks, and see what news I can learn."
Malagigi learned from the monks that on the approaching festival there
would be a great crowd of people at court, for the prince was going to
show the ladies the famous horse Bayard that used to belong to
Rinaldo. "What!" said the pilgrim; "is Bayard there?" "Yes," answered
the monks; "the king has given him to Charlot, and, after the prince
has ridden him, the king means to pass sentence on the brothers of
Rinaldo, and have them hanged." Then Malagigi asked alms of the
monks, but they would give him none, till he threw aside his pilgrim
garb, and let them see his armor, when, partly for charity and partly
for terror, they gave him a golden cup, adorned with precious stones
that sparkled in the sunshine.
Malagigi then hastened back to Rinaldo, and told him what he had
learned.
The morning of the feast-day Rinaldo and Malagigi came to the place
where the sports were to be held. Malagigi gave Rinaldo his spurs back
again, and said, "Cousin, put on your spurs, for you will need them."
"How shall I need them," said Rinaldo, "since I have lost my horse?"
Yet he did as Malagigi directed him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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