The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
When the day appointed was come, Don Arias Gonzalo early in the
morning armed his sons, and they armed him. As they rode through the
gates of their house, Donya Urraca with a company of dames met them,
and said to Don Arias, weeping, Remember now how my father, King Don
Ferrando, left me to your care, and you swore between his hands that
you would never forsake me; and lo! now you are forsaking me. I
beseech you remain with me. And she took hold on him, and would not
let him go, and made him be disarmed. Then came many knights around
him, to demand arms of him, and request that they might do battle in
his stead; nevertheless he would give them to none. And he called for
his son Pedro Arias, who was a right brave knight, though but of green
years, and Don Arias armed him completely with his own hands, and
instructed him how to demean himself, and gave him his blessing with
his right hand. Then went they into the field, where Don Diego Ordonez
was awaiting them, and Pedro Arias entered the lists, and the judges
placed them each in his place, and divided the sun between them, and
went out, leaving them in the lists.
Then they turned their horses one against the other, and ran at each
other full bravely, like good knights. Five times they encountered,
and at the sixth encounter their spears brake, and they laid hand upon
their swords, and dealt each other such heavy blows that the helmets
failed; and in this manner the combat between them continued till
noon. And when Don Diego Ordonez saw that it lasted so long, and he
could not yet conquer him, he called to mind that he was there
fighting to revenge his lord, who had been slain by a foul treason,
and he collected together all his strength. And he lifted up his sword
and smote Pedro Arias upon the helmet, so that he cut through it, and
through the hood of the mail also, and made a wound in the head. And
Pedro Arias with the agony of death bowed down to the neck of the
horse; yet with all this he neither lost his stirrups, nor let go his
sword. And Don Diego Ordonez seeing him thus, thought that he was
dead, and would not strike him again; and he called aloud, saying, Don
Arias, send me another son, for this one will never fulfil your
bidding. When Pedro Arias heard this, grievously wounded as he was, he
went fiercely against him: and he took the sword in both hands, and
thought to give it him upon his head; but the blow missed, and fell
upon the horse, and the horse immediately ran away because of the
great wound which he had received. And Don Diego had no reins
wherewith to stop him, and perceiving that he should else be carried
out of the lists, he threw himself off. And while he did this, Pedro
Arias fell down dead, just without the mark. And Don Diego Ordonez
laid hand on the bar, and said, Praised be the name of God, one is
conquered. And incontinently the judges came and took him by the hand,
and led him to a tent and disarmed him, and gave him three sops, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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