The Seven Champions of ChristendomKingston, William Henry Giles
Science
The Seven Champions of Christendom
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Christian saints
The wicked Kalyb watched the sorrow of the boy, and knowing that his
father was still more sorrowful, rejoiced in her revenge. She had
numerous attendants to do her will. Among them was a dwarf, a
misshapen, ill-favoured creature. To his care the boy was confided,
with directions to beat and teaze him whenever he had nothing else to
do. The noble child bore every indignity with equanimity and good
humour, and, instead of harbouring revenge, took every opportunity of
doing a kindness to the poor dwarf, who was himself the peculiar object
of the wicked Kalyb's ill-treatment. Crumpleback was the dwarf's name.
Often poor Crumpleback's body was black and blue with the pommelling he
received from the furious Kalyb, while his cheeks were thin and haggard
from want of food and rest. One day Kalyb was absent when Crumpleback
addressed the Prince:--"Know," said he, "kind boy, that I am a fairy in
disguise, and though less powerful than the fell Enchantress Kalyb, I
may yet circumvent her acts. Your kindness and gentleness, and
forgiveness of the injuries I was forced to do you, have won my heart.
I have vowed to serve you to the best of my power. Let not Kalyb know
what has passed between us, but wait patiently, and see what will
happen." The young Prince thanked the fairy, and his hopes of escaping
once more revived. He had long to wait. In the mean time, whenever
Kalyb was absent, the seeming dwarf gave him instructions in all the
arts which would fit him to become an accomplished knight. Book
learning, though not much in vogue in those days, was not neglected.
Sometimes the fairy put a shining sword into his grasp, and showed him
how to wield it with a force no one could withstand; sometimes he was
mounted on a fiery steed which few mortals could have bestrode, and with
lance in hand he was taught to tilt against phantom knights, which, in
the most desperate encounters, he invariably overthrew. Thus, by the
time he had attained to man's estate, no knight in Europe was so
accomplished, while none surpassed him in virtue or valour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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