Child's Story Garden, - [ebook reader wifi .txt] 📗

id="calibre_pb_13">THE BRAVE KNIGHT

When Christ was on earth, He had a little band of disciples who loved

him very much. The night before He went away from them, He took them to

a little upstairs room and there had a supper with them. And it was said

that at that supper, He used a beautiful golden cup in which He passed

the wine to them, and when He went away from earth, the disciples loved

everything He had touched, and they seemed to love most of all this

golden cup. They called it the Holy Grail, and it was given to a very

good man, who cared for it carefully, and for years it passed from one

good man to another, for it was said that if it ever fell into the hands

of a man who was not good and Christ-loving the cup would be lost.

 

So for many years it was carefully kept, and people took long journeys

to see the Holy Grail, which the Master himself used when He was on

earth. But one day the cup passed into the hands of one who was not

worthy, and, as it had been said, it was lost.

 

They searched for it far and near, but it could not be found. Finally

there came some men who called themselves knights. They were brave,

strong men, who did many wonderful things for the king, and many of them

said: “We will spend our lives hunting for the Holy Grail. We will take

long pilgrimages until we find it.” And so the knights searched over

land and sea, over mountain and plain, hunting for the Holy Grail, but

still they found it not. Then there came a knight whose name was Sir

Launfal. He was very young—so young that he had never made a journey,

nor worn an armor, nor had he ever done a wonderful deed. But he was

brave, and said in his heart: “I will find the Holy Grail.” So he went

to the silversmith and had a beautiful silver armor and golden spurs

made, and to the helmet-maker, who made him a helmet of shining silver.

Next he chose from the stables the finest steed, and he was then ready

for the journey, and Sir Launfal’s heart was full of hope.

 

On the night before the pilgrimage he lay in his room, and the armor

hung on the wall before him, with the helmet beside it, and the horse

stood ready in the stable. At the first ray of morning he was to begin

his journey, and as he lay he slept, and dreamed a dream. He thought it

was already morning—the morning of his pilgrimage. He had on his armor

and his silver helmet, and was riding out of the castle gate on his

beautiful steed. It was a June morning, and everything was beautiful.

The very flowers and green grass beneath his feet seemed to bring Sir

Launfal a message of hope. And as he rode his heart was very glad, and

he said: “I shall find the Holy Grail.” He was riding out of the great

castle gate when he heard a voice which was tired and weak, and it said:

“Will you please give me something?” Sir Launfal looked in surprise, and

there, crouching beside the castle gate, was a beggar, poor and ragged

and weak, and it was he who had asked in a tired voice, “Will you please

give me something?” Sir Launfal looked at him and frowned, and said in

his heart, “Why does this beggar lie at my castle gate to spoil the

beauty of the morning?” But, because he was a knight and felt that he

must give something, he took from his purse a piece of gold and threw it

to the beggar. But the beggar looked at him and said, seeing his

scornful frown: “I do not wish your gold that you give with scorn.

Better to me a poor man’s crust.” But Sir Launfal rode proudly down the

road on his way, for he felt that he could no longer listen to the poor

beggar. Then he rode over land and sea, over mountain and plain,

searching everywhere for the Holy Grail, and, although it sometimes

seemed very near, he did not find it.

 

He had now grown to be an old man. The helmet and armor were rusted, his

clothes had become thin and ragged, he was stooped and gray, and his

eyes had grown dim with the years, but still he searched, and said in

his heart: “I will find the Holy Grail.” Then he seemed to be near his

old home one night, and he said to himself: “Before I go on my way I

will once more look at my old home.” And he entered the gate, and as he

was walking up the path he heard a voice, tired and weak, and it said:

“Will you please give me something?” He looked down, and there by his

feet lay the beggar who had asked for something at his castle gate the

morning he had started on his pilgrimage.

 

This time Sir Launfal looked at him and smiled. Then he said: “I have

only a crust of bread, but I will gladly share it with you.” Then,

taking from his pocket a single crust of bread, he stooped and gave the

half to the beggar. Then Sir Launfal said: “I will get you water to

quench your thirst,” and he went to where the little spring ran merrily

along in the twilight, and, taking from his pocket a little tin cup,

battered and rusted from years of use, he filled it to the brim with

clear, cold water, and returned with it to the beggar. As soon as the

tin cup touched the beggar’s hand it turned into a shining cup of gold,

and behold! the beggar was no longer there, but in his place there stood

a man, tall, strong and beautiful, wearing shining white garments, and

around his head there seemed a radiant glow of light. The beautiful man

looked at Sir Launfal, and he said, in a voice full of love and

gentleness: “In your own castle yard you have found the Holy Grail by

doing kindly service to one of my needy ones.”

 

The beautiful man was gone. Sir Launfal lay in his room. The morning

sunlight came in through the window, telling him it was time to arise

and go on his journey. And his helmet and armor still hung on the wall,

ready for him; but Sir Launfal lay long in thought. There was no need of

his long pilgrimage, for the poor and the needy were close to his door,

and he stayed to help them with gifts of love.

 

James Russell Lowell [Adapted]

KING ROBERT OF SICILY

King Robert was ruler of all Sicily. Many lands and beautiful castles

were his, and he had many servants, who obeyed his every word; but they

obeyed not because they loved him, but because they feared him. He was a

proud king, and haughty—that is, he would look over his lands, and he

would say: “Surely, this is a great kingdom, and I am a great king!”

 

One Easter Sunday morning, King Robert went to church. He wore his

finest robes, and riding with him were all of his lords and ladies. The

morning was beautiful, and everything seemed to bear a message of love

and joy. The grass and flowers that grew by the roadside, the trees that

waved their branches above, and the blue sky, all seemed to bear the

same message.

 

But King Robert saw nothing beautiful. He was thinking only of himself.

They reached the church, and the sunlight came through the beautiful

windows, seeming to speak of God above. The pure white lilies on the

altar whispered to each other, “On this day Christ was risen!” The music

from the organ seemed to reach every heart, but King Robert sat unmoved

in his pew. When the minister spoke, the king heard nothing of the

sermon until certain words caught his ear. The minister was saying these

words: “The Lord can exalt the humble and can bring down the proud and

mighty from their seats.” The choir chanted the words again and again.

 

As the king heard, he threw back his head and said: “Why do they teach

such words as these? There is no power on earth or in heaven above that

could take my throne.”

 

By and by the king fell asleep in his pew. He must have slept a long

time, for when he awoke the great church was dark and the moonlight was

streaming through the great glass windows. The king sprang to his feet

in alarm, and said: “How dare they go away and leave me alone?” He

rushed quickly to the door, but it was locked. He called loudly and

knocked upon the door, and finally the old sexton, asleep on the

outside, heard the noise and shouted: “Who is there?” And the king

answered: “It is I—the king. Open the door!”

 

The old sexton shook his head and murmured to himself: “It must be some

madman locked in the church,” but he unlocked the door, and the king

rushed wildly out—on out in the street, where the moonlight fell upon

him. Then suddenly he stopped and gazed at his clothes in amazement, for

instead of wearing his royal robes he wore nothing but rags. His crown

was gone, and he seemed a beggar, and he cried out: “How can these

things be? Some one has robbed me while I have slept, and left me these

rags.”

 

Then he rushed on to the great castle, and at the gate he again called:

“Open! I, the king, am here.” The great gate swung open and the king

rushed on through the great castle halls, never pausing until he reached

the throne room, and there he stopped and stood looking in surprise and

amazement, for there on his throne sat another king, wearing his crown

and wearing his robes, and holding in his hand his scepter. King Robert

looked at the new king and cried: “Why do you sit on my throne, wearing

my robes and my crown and my scepter?”

 

The new king only smiled and said: “I am the king, and who art thou?”

 

King Robert threw back his head haughtily and answered: “I am the king.

You have no right on my throne.”

 

At these words the strange king smiled sadly, and replied: “I am the

king, and thou shalt be my servant. Yes, thou shalt be the servant of

all my servants, for thou shalt be court jester, and wear the cap and

bells, and have for your companion the ugly ape.”

 

Before King Robert could say more, the servants came and hurried him

through the castle halls, down to a little room, cold and bare, with

nothing but a pile of straw in a corner, and there they left him alone,

save for the ugly ape, which sat in the corner grinning at him. As King

Robert looked down on the rough pile of straw he said: “It must surely

be a dream, and I will awaken in the morning and find myself the king.”

 

The morning came, but when he awoke he heard the rustle of the straw

beneath him, and there in the corner still sat the ugly ape. That day

the new king called him to the throne, and, looking at him, said: “Art

thou the king?” And King Robert proudly threw back his head as before

and answered: “I am the king.”

 

And each day the new king sent for him and asked him the same question,

and each day King Robert gave the same proud and haughty