Read Online The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gerald Morris
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act that adventure arrived at Camelot. Just as the juggler launched the cats, there came a scream from the kitchen, followed a second later by a deafening crash of breaking dishes. Then the kitchen doors burst open, and into the banquet hall rode a huge knight on a monstrous steed, and both horse and rider were as green as the grass in May.
Ladies screamed and knights leaped to their feet, grabbing for their weapons, which they didn't
actually have, since one doesn't generally arm oneself for a Christmas feast. Launfal the Light-fingered's cats awoke with a chorus of angry squalls and began grabbing with their claws at anything that was near, which was mostly Launfal. The Green Knight stopped in front of King Arthur's table, his fierce eyes gazing, unblinking, about the room. He took a breath and opened his mouth to speak.
"Please excuse me," he said. "I didn't mean to cause such a stir. Am I interrupting?"
"Er, yes," replied the king, rising to his feet, "I suppose you are, a bit. This is our Christmas feast."
"A thousand pardons," said the Green Knight, "but I was looking for King Arthur."
"I am King Arthur."
"Excellent!" the Green Knight exclaimed, dismounting. "I've come to bring you some entertainment."
"Well," said the king, "as it happens, when you arrived we were watching this juggler."
"What, that fellow with the cats in his hair? That's what you call entertainment? It's a good thing I came when I did. I bring a merry little game to amuseâ"
But the Green Knight got no further. At that moment rose one of King Arthur's knights, a skilled fighter who had never been overcome by any knight except Sir Gawain and who was called Sir Gandefere the Nearly Undefeated. Sir Gandefere broke abruptly into the conversation, shouting, "Who do you think you are? You can't just barge into the king's feast like this!" Walking around his table, Sir Gandefere stepped bravely up to the Green Knight. "Why don't you go back where youâ?"
Sighing softly, the Green Knight brought his fist down on Sir Gandefere's head, like a hammer. Sir Gandefere crumpled to the floor. The Green Knight said, "Your knights are very brave, O king. But it's rude to speak when someone else is talking, you know. As I was saying, I bring a game, a test of knightly arts. Is there a knight here who would take on a little challenge?"
At once, two knights leaped to their feet: Sir Reynold the Brave and Sir Gawain the Undefeated. "Sire!" they called at once. "Let me! Let me!"
The Green Knight looked at them. "And what are your names, O knights?"
Sir Reynold and Sir Gawain told the Green Knight their names and titles.
The uncanny visitor smiled, showing gleaming light green teeth. "Sir Gawain the Undefeated! Excellent!" he said. "I have heard of you. They say that you can stand before any knight and match him blow for blow."
"So can I!" said Sir Reynold.
"I do my best," murmured Sir Gawain, trying to look modest.
The Green Knight didn't even look at Sir Reynold. "Then you are perfect for my game, Sir Gawain, because that's all you have to do."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Sir Gawain.
"Trade blows," explained the Green Knight. "First you strike me; then I strike you."
Sir Gawain hesitated, glancing at the senseless form of Sir Gandefere lying at the knight's feet.
"Gawain," said King Arthur, "perhaps it would be best not to play this particular game."
"Then let me!" begged Sir Reynold.
"I'm not afraid," announced Sir Gawain. "I've never turned down a challenge, and I won't begin now! I'll play this game with you. I swear it!"
King Arthur frowned, but the strange knight only showed his green smile again. "Then we're agreed," he said. With that he reached behind him and drew a long, wicked axe from his horse's saddle.
"Um, with an axe?" asked Sir Gawain.
"You promised," the Green Knight reminded him, handing him the weapon and kneeling at his feet. "Go on, then. Right on the neck."
Sir Gawain didn't move. "It's just that I was thinking of
Ladies screamed and knights leaped to their feet, grabbing for their weapons, which they didn't
actually have, since one doesn't generally arm oneself for a Christmas feast. Launfal the Light-fingered's cats awoke with a chorus of angry squalls and began grabbing with their claws at anything that was near, which was mostly Launfal. The Green Knight stopped in front of King Arthur's table, his fierce eyes gazing, unblinking, about the room. He took a breath and opened his mouth to speak.
"Please excuse me," he said. "I didn't mean to cause such a stir. Am I interrupting?"
"Er, yes," replied the king, rising to his feet, "I suppose you are, a bit. This is our Christmas feast."
"A thousand pardons," said the Green Knight, "but I was looking for King Arthur."
"I am King Arthur."
"Excellent!" the Green Knight exclaimed, dismounting. "I've come to bring you some entertainment."
"Well," said the king, "as it happens, when you arrived we were watching this juggler."
"What, that fellow with the cats in his hair? That's what you call entertainment? It's a good thing I came when I did. I bring a merry little game to amuseâ"
But the Green Knight got no further. At that moment rose one of King Arthur's knights, a skilled fighter who had never been overcome by any knight except Sir Gawain and who was called Sir Gandefere the Nearly Undefeated. Sir Gandefere broke abruptly into the conversation, shouting, "Who do you think you are? You can't just barge into the king's feast like this!" Walking around his table, Sir Gandefere stepped bravely up to the Green Knight. "Why don't you go back where youâ?"
Sighing softly, the Green Knight brought his fist down on Sir Gandefere's head, like a hammer. Sir Gandefere crumpled to the floor. The Green Knight said, "Your knights are very brave, O king. But it's rude to speak when someone else is talking, you know. As I was saying, I bring a game, a test of knightly arts. Is there a knight here who would take on a little challenge?"
At once, two knights leaped to their feet: Sir Reynold the Brave and Sir Gawain the Undefeated. "Sire!" they called at once. "Let me! Let me!"
The Green Knight looked at them. "And what are your names, O knights?"
Sir Reynold and Sir Gawain told the Green Knight their names and titles.
The uncanny visitor smiled, showing gleaming light green teeth. "Sir Gawain the Undefeated! Excellent!" he said. "I have heard of you. They say that you can stand before any knight and match him blow for blow."
"So can I!" said Sir Reynold.
"I do my best," murmured Sir Gawain, trying to look modest.
The Green Knight didn't even look at Sir Reynold. "Then you are perfect for my game, Sir Gawain, because that's all you have to do."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Sir Gawain.
"Trade blows," explained the Green Knight. "First you strike me; then I strike you."
Sir Gawain hesitated, glancing at the senseless form of Sir Gandefere lying at the knight's feet.
"Gawain," said King Arthur, "perhaps it would be best not to play this particular game."
"Then let me!" begged Sir Reynold.
"I'm not afraid," announced Sir Gawain. "I've never turned down a challenge, and I won't begin now! I'll play this game with you. I swear it!"
King Arthur frowned, but the strange knight only showed his green smile again. "Then we're agreed," he said. With that he reached behind him and drew a long, wicked axe from his horse's saddle.
"Um, with an axe?" asked Sir Gawain.
"You promised," the Green Knight reminded him, handing him the weapon and kneeling at his feet. "Go on, then. Right on the neck."
Sir Gawain didn't move. "It's just that I was thinking of
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