The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
Then Arthur spoke. "If I thought you would not disparage me," said he,
"I would sleep while I wait for my repast; and you can entertain one
another with relating tales, and can obtain a flagon of mead and some
meat from Kay." And the king went to sleep. And Kynon the son of
Clydno asked Kay for that which Arthur had promised them. "I too will
have the good tale which he promised me," said Kay. "Nay," answered
Kynon; "fairer will it be for thee to fulfil Arthur's behest in the
first place, and then we will tell thee the best tale that we know."
So Kay went to the kitchen and to the mead-cellar, and returned,
bearing a flagon of mead, and a golden goblet, and a handful of
skewers, upon which were broiled slices of meat. They ate the collops,
and began to drink the mead. "Now," said Kay, "it is time for you to
give me my story." "Kynon," said Owain, "do thou pay to Kay the tale
that is his due." "I will do so," answered Kynon.
"I was the only son of my mother and father, and I was exceedingly
aspiring, and my daring was very great. I thought there was no
enterprise in the world too mighty for me: and after I had achieved
all the adventures that were in my own country I equipped myself, and
set forth to journey through deserts and distant regions. And at
length it chanced that I came to the fairest valley in the world,
wherein were trees all of equal growth; and a river ran through the
valley, and a path was by the side of the river. I followed the path
until midday, and continued my journey along the remainder of the
valley until the evening; and at the extremity of the plain I came to
a large and lustrous castle, at the foot of which was a torrent. I
approached the castle, and there I beheld two youths with yellow
curling hair, each with a frontlet of gold upon his head, and clad in
a garment of yellow satin; and they had gold clasps upon their
insteps. In the hand of each of them was an ivory bow, strung with the
sinews of the stag, and their arrows and their shafts were of the bone
of the whale, and were winged with peacock's feathers. The shafts also
had golden heads. They had daggers with blades of gold, with hilts of
the bone of the whale, and they were shooting at a mark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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