Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year Part 2

The Dusky Hero with the Mighty Grasp returned to the great door. He drew back bolt and bar, and set it 20 wide open before the prince and his train. The men at arms dismounted at the horse block in the courtyard, but Kilhugh still sat upon his steed and rode into the Hall.

"Hail to thee, King Arthur!" he cried. "I greet thee and thy guests and thy companions and thy warriors. 25 My greeting is to the lowest as well as to the highest of all that have a seat within this Hall. May thy name, King Arthur, and thy fame and thy renown be forever held in glorious memory throughout the length and the breadth of this land!" 30

"Hail to thee, n.o.ble youth!" returned Arthur. "Thou art right welcome. Here is a place for thee between two of my knights. Sit down, and my minstrels will play for thee."

But Kilhugh made answer: "I have not come hither, sire, to eat and drink, but to crave of thee a boon. If thou wilt grant it me, I will do thee such service as thou mayest 5 command; and I will carry the praise of thy bounty and thy power into every land. But if thou dost refuse, I will spread ill reports of thee to the four quarters of the world."

Then King Arthur was greatly pleased, and he said: "Ask thy boon, young chieftain. Thou shalt have whatever 10 thy tongue may name, as far as the wind dries and the rain moistens and the sun revolves and the sea encircles and the earth extends. Thou shalt have anything that is mine, except my ship that bears me over the sea, and the mantle in which I can walk unseen, and my good sword, 15 and my keen lance, and my shield, and my gleaming dagger, and Guinevere my wife. Ask what thou wilt."

"My request is, that thou wilt cut my hair," answered Kilhugh.

"Thy request is granted," quoth the king. 20

Then Arthur called for a golden comb and a pair of scissors with silver loops. And he combed the hair of the prince, as he sat upon his steed, and cut it front and back.

"Now tell me thy name," he said.

"My name is Kilhugh," replied the prince. "My father 25 is Prince Kilith, and my mother was a sister of the fair Ygerne."

"Then we are cousins," cried Arthur, "and I give thee leave to ask another boon. Ask what thou wilt."

"Promise me, for the honor of thy kingdom, to grant 30 my boon," said Kilhugh.

"I promise."

"Then do I crave of thee to obtain for me Olwen, the daughter of Thistlehair, chief of the Giants, to be my wife. . . .

For the sake of the daughters of the Island of the Mighty, I crave thy help to seek this maiden. For the sake of Guinevere and of her sister; for the sake of Lynette 5 of the Magic Ring; for the sake of Cordelia the daughter of King Lear, the loveliest maiden in this island; and for the sake of Iseult la Belle, and of Elaine, and of Angarad of the Golden Hand--for the sake of these and many others, I crave thy help." 10

Then said Arthur, "O prince and cousin, I have never heard of this maiden, Olwen; I have never heard of her kindred. But I will send messengers to seek her; only grant them time to find her and return."

"To-day is New Year's Day," answered the prince. 15 "I give them from this hour till the last day of the year."

And having said these words, he dismounted from his steed and went and sat by King Arthur's side in the midst of the heroes of the Table Round.

--_Fifty Famous Rides and Riders._

1. This is a capital story in its representation of the knight in olden days. Do you think Kilhugh would be an agreeable fellow to have in your cla.s.s?

Give reasons for your answer.

2. What other legends of Arthur do you know?

3. The Arthurian tales have long furnished English writers with themes for stories and songs.

Tennyson's _Idylls of the King_, for example, is a group of narrative poems describing the adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

THE GIFT OF THE WHITE BEAR

BY GEORGE WEBBE DASENT

A long time ago there lived in Iceland a man whose name was Audun. His means were small, but everybody knew of his goodness. In order to see the world and to add to his wealth, he once sailed to Greenland with a sea captain named Thorir. Before he went, he gave everything 5 that he had to his mother--and this was not much.

In Greenland Audun bought a white bear that was well tamed and trained--and it was the greatest treasure of a bear that had ever been thought of. The next summer Thorir sailed back to Norway, and Audun went with him, 10 taking the bear.

Now Audun had made up his mind to give the bear to Sweyn, the king of Denmark; and so, leaving Thorir, he made his way south to the Cattegat. While he was waiting for some vessel that would carry him across the channel, it 15 so happened that Harold, the king of Norway, came also to the same place.

Of course some one soon told King Harold about the Icelander who had lately come from Greenland with a wonderful white bear, and he at once sent for Audun. 20

"I have heard about your white bear," said Harold, "and I wish to buy it."

"I will not sell it," answered Audun.

"But I will pay you twice as much as you gave for it,"

said the king. 25

"Not for any price will I sell it," said the Icelander.

"Then will you give it to me?" asked the king.

"No, my lord, I will not do that," answered Audun.

"What, then, will you do with it?" asked the king.

Audun answered, "I have made up my mind to take it to Denmark and give it to King Sweyn, for he is also the 5 king of my own country."

Then Harold spoke up sharply: "Don't you know, my fellow, that there is war between Norway and Denmark, and between myself and your King Sweyn? Don't you know that I have the power to prevent you from ever 10 getting to his land?"

Audun answered, "I know that you have the power, and that all rests with you. But I will consent to nothing save to do as I have told you."

The king sat in thought for a moment and then said, 15 "Well, I see no reason why you should not do as you please in this matter. But promise me that when you come this way again, you will tell me how King Sweyn rewarded you for the beast."

"I give you my word to do that," answered Audun. 20

Then, leading the bear behind him, he went away. But it was a long time before he could find any means to cross over into Denmark, and when at last he set foot upon the sh.o.r.es of that country he had not even a penny with which to buy food. Both he and the bear were starving, and it 25 was a long way to the place where the king was staying.

In his distress, Audun went to a rich man named Auki and begged for food for himself and his bear.

"What are you going to do with the beast?" asked Auki. 30

"Give him to King Sweyn," answered the Icelander.

"And how much do you expect to receive for him?"

"Only so much as the king in his bounty wishes to give."

Then the rich man answered, "If you will give me one half of the bear, I will feed you both."