Tales from Tennyson Read online

  THE MARRIAGE OF GERAINT.

  King Arthur had come to the old city of Caerleon on the River Usk tohold his court, and was sitting high in his royal hall when a woodman,all bedraggled with the mists of the forests came tripping up in hastebefore his throne.

  "O noble King," he cried, "today I saw a wonderful deer, a hart allmilky white running through among the trees, and, nothing like it hasever been seen here before."

  The king, who loved the chase, was very pleased and immediately gaveorders that the royal horns should be blown for all the court to go ahunting after the beautiful white deer the following morning. QueenGuinevere wished to go with them to watch the hounds and huntsmen anddancing horses in the chase. She slept late, however, the next day withher pleasant dreams, and Arthur with his Knights of the Round Table hadsped gloriously away on their snorting chargers when she arose, calledone of her maids to come with her, mounted her palfrey and forded theRiver Usk to pass over by the forest.

  A WOODMAN ALL BEDRAGGLED CAME IN HASTE BEFORE HISTHRONE.]

  There they climbed up on a little knoll and stood listening for thehounds, but instead of the barking of the king's dogs they heard thesound of a horse's hoofs trampling behind them. It was Prince Geraint'scharger as he flashed over the shallow ford of the river, then gallopedup the banks of the knoll to her side. He carried not a single weaponexcept his golden-hilted sword and wore, not his hunting-dress, but gayholiday silks with a purple scarf about him swinging an apple of gold ateither end and glancing like a dragon-fly. He bowed low to the sweet,stately queen.

  "You're late, very late, Sir Prince," said she, "later even than we."

  "Yes, noble queen," replied Geraint, "I'm so late that I'm not going tothe hunt; I've come like you just to watch it."

  "Then stay with me," the queen said, "for here on this little knoll, ifanywhere, you will have a good chance to see the hounds, often they dashby at its very feet."

  So Geraint stood by the queen, thinking he would catch particularly thebaying of Cavall, Arthur's loudest dog, which would tell him that thehunters were coming. As they waited however, along the base of theknoll, came a knight, a lady and a dwarf riding slowly by on theirhorses. The knight wore his visor up showing his imperious and veryhaughty young face. The dwarf lagged behind.

  "That knight doesn't belong to the Round Table, does he?" asked thequeen. "I don't know him."

  "No, nor I," replied Geraint.

  So the queen sent her maid over to the dwarf to find out the name of hismaster. But the dwarf was old and crotchety and would not tell her.

  "Then I'll ask your master himself," cried the maid.

  "No, indeed, you shall not!" cried the dwarf, "you are not fit even tospeak of him," and as the girl turned her horse to approach the proudyoung knight, the misshapen little dwarf of a servant struck at her withhis whip, and she came scampering back indignantly to the queen.

  HE STRUCK OUT HIS WHIP AND CUT THE PRINCE'S CHEEK.]

  "I'll learn his name for you," Geraint exclaimed, and he rode offsharply.

  But the impudent dwarf answered just as before and when Prince Geraintmoved on toward his master he struck out his whip and cut the prince'scheek so that the blood streamed upon the purple scarf dyeing it red.Instantly Geraint reached for the hilt of his sword to strike down thevicious little midget but then remembering that he was a prince anddisdaining to fight with a dwarf, he did not even say a word, butcantered back to Queen Guinevere's side.

  "Noble Queen," he cried fiercely. "I am going to avenge this insult thathas been done you. I'll track these vermin to the earth. For evenalthough I am riding unarmed just now, as we go along I will come tosome place where I can borrow weapons or hire them. And then when I havemy man I'll fight him, and on the third day from today I'll be backagain unless I die in the fight. So good-bye, farewell."

  "Farewell, handsome prince," the queen answered. "Good fortune in yourquest and may you live to marry your first love whoever that may be. Butwhether she will be a princess or a beggar from the hedgerows, beforeyou wed with her bring her back to me and I will robe her for herwedding day."

  Prince Geraint bowed and with that he was off. One minute he thought heheard the noble milk-white deer brought to bay by the dogs, the next hethought he heard the hunter's horn far away and felt a little vexed tothink he must be following this stupid dwarf while all the others wereat the chase. But he had determined to avenge the queen and up and downthe grassy glades and valleys pursued the three enemies until at last atsundown they emerged from the forest, climbed up on the ridge of a hillwhere they looked like shadows against the dark sky, then sank again onthe other side.

  Below on the other side of the ridge ran the long street of a clamoringlittle town in a long valley, on one side a new white fortress and onthe other, across a ravine and a bridge, a fallen old castle in decay.The knight, the lady and the dwarf rode on to the white fortress, thenvanished within its walls.

  "There!" cried Geraint, "now I have him! I have tracked him to his hole,and tomorrow when I'm rested I'll fight him."

  Then he turned wearily down the long street of the noisy village to lookfor his night's lodging, but he found every inn and tavern crowded, andeverywhere horses in the stables were being shod and young fellows werebusy burnishing their master's armor.

  "What does all this hubbub mean?" asked Geraint of one of these youths.

  The lad did not stop his work one instant, but went on scouring andreplied, "It's the sparrow-hawk."

  As Prince Geraint did not know what was meant by the sparrow-hawk hetrotted a little farther along the street until he came to a quiet oldman trudging by with a sack of corn on his back.

  "Why is your town so noisy and busy to-night, good old fellow?" hecried.

  "Ugh! the sparrow-hawk!" the old fellow said gruffly.

  So the prince rode his horse yet a little farther until he saw anarmor-maker's shop. The armor-maker sat inside with his back turned, alldoubled over a helmet which he was riveting together upon his knee.

  "Armorer," cried Geraint, "what is going on? Why is there such a din?"

  The man did not pause in his riveting even to turn about and face thestranger, but said quickly as if to finish speaking as rapidly as hecould, "Friend, the people who are working for the sparrow-hawk have notime for idle questions."

  At this Geraint flashed up angrily.

  "A fig for your sparrow-hawk! I wish all the bits of birds of the airwould peck him dead. You imagine that this little cackle in your babytown is all the noise and murmur of the great world. What do I careabout it? It is nothing to me. Listen to me, now, if you are not gonehawk-mad like the rest, where can I get a lodging for the night, andmore than that, where can I get some arms, arms, arms, to fight myenemy? Tell me."

  The hurrying armor-maker looked about in amazement to see this gorgeouscavalier in purple silks standing before his bit of a shop.

  "O pardon me, stranger knight," said he very politely. "We are holding agreat tournament here tomorrow morning and there is hardly any time todo one-half the work that has to be finished before then. Arms, did yousay? Indeed I cannot tell you where to get any; all that there are inthis town are needed for to-morrow in the lists. And as for lodging, Idon't know unless perhaps at Earl Yniol's in the old castle across thebridge." Then he again picked up his helmet and turned his back to theprince.

  So Geraint, still a wee mite vexed, rode over the bridge that spannedthe ravine, to go to the ruined castle. There upon the farther side satthe hoary-headed Earl Yniol, dressed in some magnificent shabby oldclothes which had been fit for a king's parties when they were new.

  "Where are you going, son?" he queried of Geraint, waking from hisreveries and dreaminess.

  "O friend, I'm looking for some shelter for the night," Geraint replied.

  "Come in then," Yniol said, "and accept of my hospitality. Our house wasrich once and now it is poor, but it always keeps its door open to thestranger."

  "Oh, anything will do for me," cried
Geraint. "If only you won't serveme sparrow-hawks for my supper I'll eat with all the passion of a wholeday's fast."

  The old earl smiled and sighed as he rejoined, "I have more seriousreason than you to curse this sparrow-hawk. But go in and we will nothave a word about him even jokingly unless you wish it."

  Whereupon Geraint passed into the desolate castle court, where thestones of the pavement were all broken and overgrown with wild plants,and the turrets and walls were shattered. As he stood awaiting the EarlYniol, the voice of a young girl singing like a nightingale rang outfrom one of the open castle windows.

  It was the voice of Enid, Earl Yniol's daughter as she sang the song ofFortune and her Wheel:

  "Turn, Fortune, thy wheel with smile or frown, With that wild wheel we go not up or down; Our hoard is little, but our hearts are great."

  "The song of that little bird describes the nest she lives in," criedEarl Yniol approaching. "Enter."

  Geraint alighted from his charger and stepped within the large duskycobwebbed hall, where an aged lady sat, with Enid moving about her, likea little flower in a wilted sheath of a faded silk gown.

  "Enid, the good knight's horse is standing in the court," cried theearl. "Take him to the stall and give him some corn, then go to town andbuy us some meat and wine."

  GERAINT STEPPED WITHIN THE DUSKY COBWEBBED HALL.]

  Geraint wished that he might do this servant's work instead of thispretty young lady, but as he started to follow her the old gray earlstopped him.

  "We're old and poor," he said, "but not so poor and old as to let ourguests wait upon themselves."

  So Enid fetched the wine and the meat and the cakes and the bread; andshe served at the table while her mother, father and Geraint sat around.Geraint wished that he might stoop to kiss her tender little thumb as itheld the platter when she laid it down.

  ENID FETCHED THE WINE AND THE MEAT AND THE CAKES.]

  "Fair host and Earl," he said after his refreshing supper, "who is thissparrow-hawk that everybody in the town is talking about? And yet I donot wish you to give me his name, for perhaps he is the knight I sawriding into the new fortress the other side of the bridge at the otherend of the town. His name I am going to have from his own lips, for Iam Geraint of Devon. This morning when the queen sent her maid to findout his name he struck at the girl with his whip, and I've swornvengeance for such a great insult done our queen, and have followed himto his hold, and as soon as I can get arms I will fight him."

  "And are you the renowned Geraint?" cried Earl Yniol beaming. "Well, assoon as I saw you coming toward me on the bridge I knew that you were noordinary man. By the state and presence of your bearing I might haveguessed you to be one of Arthur's Knights of the Round Table at Camelot.Pray do not suppose that I am flattering you foolishly. This dear childof mine has often heard me telling glorious stories of all the famousthings you have done for the king and the people. And she has asked meto repeat them again and again.

  "Poor thing, there never has lived a woman with such miserable lovers asshe has had. The first was Limours, who did nothing but drink and brawl,even when he was making love to her. And the second was the'sparrow-hawk,' my nephew, my curse. I will not let his name slip fromme if I can help it. When I told him that he could not marry my daughterhe spread a false rumour all round here among the people that his fatherhad left him a great sum of money in my keeping and that I had neverpassed it over to him but had retained it for myself. He bribed all myservants with large promises and stirred up this whole little old townof mine against me, my own town. That was the night of Enid's birthdaynearly three years ago. They sacked my house, ousted me from my earldom,threw us into this dilapidated, dingy old place and built up that grandnew white fort. He would kill me if he did not despise me too much todo so; and sometimes I believe I despise myself for letting him have hisway. I scarcely know whether I am very wise or very silly, very manly orvery base to suffer it all so patiently."

  "Well said," cried Geraint eagerly. "But the arms, the arms, where can Iget arms for myself? Then if the sparrow-hawk will fight tomorrow in thetourney I may be able to bring down his terrible pride a little."

  "I have arms," said Yniol, "although they are old and rusty, PrinceGeraint, and you would be welcome to have them for the asking. But inthis tournament of tomorrow no knight is allowed to tilt unless the ladyhe loves best come there too. The forks are fastened into the meadowground and over them is placed a silver wand, above that a goldensparrow-hawk, the prize of beauty for the fairest woman there. Andwhoever wins in the tourney presents this to the lady-love whom he hasbrought with him. Since my nephew is a man of very large bone and isclever with his lance he has always won it for his lady. That is how hehas earned his title of sparrow-hawk. But you have no lady so you willnot be able to fight."

  Then Geraint leaned forward toward the earl.

  "With your leave, noble Earl Yniol," he replied, "I will do battle foryour daughter. For although I have seen all the beauties of the daynever have I come upon anything so wonderfully lovely as she. If itshould happen that I prove victor, as true as heaven, I will make her mywife!"

  Yniol's heart danced in his bosom for joy, and he turned about for Enid,but she had fluttered away as soon as her name had been mentioned, sohe tenderly grasped the hands of her mother in his own and said:

  "Mother, young girls are shy little things and best understood by theirown mothers. Before you go to rest to night, find out what Enid willthink about this."

  So the earl's wife passed out to speak with Enid, and Enid became soglad and excited that she could not sleep the entire happy night long.But very early the next morning, as soon as the pale sky began to reddenwith the sun she arose, then called her mother, and hand in hand,tripped over with her to the place of the tournament. There they awaitedfor Yniol and Geraint. Geraint came wearing the Earl's rusty, worn oldarms, yet in spite of them looked stately and princely.

  Many other knights in blazing armor gathered there for the jousts, withmany fine ladies, and by and by the whole town full of people floodedin, settling in a circle around the lists. Then the two forks were fixedinto the earth, above them a wand of silver was laid, and over it thegolden sparrow-hawk. The trumpet was blown and Yniol's nephew rose andspoke:

  "Come forward, my lady," he cried to the maiden who had come with him."Fairest of the fair, take the prize of beauty which I have won for youduring the past two years."

  "Stay!" Prince Geraint cried loudly. "There is a worthier beauty here."

  The earl's nephew looked round with surprise and disdain to see hisuncle's family and the prince.

  "Do battle for it then," he shouted angrily.

  Geraint sprang forward and the tourney was begun. Three times the twowarriors clashed together. _Three times they broke their spears._ Thenboth were thrown from their horses. They now drew their swords; andwith them lashed at one another so frequently and with such dreadfullyhard strokes that all the crowd wondered. Now and again from the distantwalls came the sounds of applause, like the clapping of phantom hands.The perspiration and the blood flowed together down the strong bodies ofthe combatants. Each was as sturdy as the other.

  "Remember the great insult done our queen!" Earl Yniol cried at last.

  This so inflamed Geraint that he heaved his vast sword-blade aloft,cracked through his enemy's helmet, bit into the bone of his head,felled the haughty knight, and set his feet upon his breast.

  "Your name!" demanded Geraint.

  "Edryn, the son of Nudd," groaned the fallen warrior.

  "Very well, then Edryn, the son of Nudd," returned Geraint, "you must dothese two things or else you will have to die. First, you with your ladyand your dwarf must ride to Arthur's court at Caerleon and crave theirpardon for the insult you did the queen yesterday morning, and you mustbide her decree in the punishment she awards you. Secondly, you mustgive back the earldom to your uncle the Earl of Yniol. You will do thesetwo things or you die."

  "I will do them," cried
Edryn. "For never before was I ever overcome.But now all of my pride is broken down, for Enid has seen me fall."

  With that Edryn rose from the ground like a man, took his lady and thedwarf on their horses to Arthur's court. There receiving the sweetforgiveness of the queen, he became a true knight of the Round Table,and at the last died in battle while he fought for his king.

  But Geraint when the tourney was over and he had come back to thecastle, drew Enid aside to tell her that early the next morning he wouldhave to start for Caerleon and that she should be ready to ride awaywith him to be married at the court with tremendous pomp. For that wouldbe three days after the King's chase, when the prince had promised QueenGuinevere he would be back. But of that he did not speak to Enid, whowondered why he was so bent on returning immediately, and why she couldnot have time at home to prepare herself some pretty robes to wear.

  Imagine, she thought, such a grand and frightful thing as a court, thequeen's court, with all the graceful ladies staring at her in that fadedold silk dress! And although she promised Geraint that she would go ashe wished, when she woke to the dread day for making her appearance atcourt, she still yearned that he would only stay yet a little while sothat she could sew herself some clothes, that she had the flowered silkwhich her mother had given her three years ago for her birthday andwhich Edryn's men had robbed from her when they sacked the house andscattered everything she ever owned to all the winds. How she wishedthat handsome Geraint had known her then, those three years ago when shewore so many pretty dresses and jewels!

  But while she lay dreamily thinking, softly in trod her mother bearingon her arm a gorgeous, delicate robe.

  "Do you recognize it, child?" she cried.

  It was that self-same birthday dress, three years old, but as beautifulas new and never worn.

  "Yesterday after the jousts your father went through all the town fromhouse to house and ordered that all sack and plunder which the men hadtaken from us should be brought back, for he was again to be in hisearldom. So last evening while you were talking with the prince some onecame up from the town and placed this in my hands. I did not tell youabout it then for I wished to keep it as a sweet surprise for you thismorning. And it is a sweet surprise, isn't it? For although the princeyesterday did say that you were the fairest of the fair there is nohandsome girl in the world but looks handsomer in new clothes than inold. And it would have been a shame for you to go to the court in yourpoor old faded silk which you have worn so long and so patiently. Thegreat ladies there might say that Prince Geraint had plucked up someragged robin from the hedges."

  BEARING A GORGEOUS ROBE.]

  So Enid was put into the fine flowered robe.

  Her mother said that after she had gone to the queen's court, she, thepoor old mother at home, who was too feeble to journey so far with herdaughter, would think over and over again of her pretty princess atCamelot. And the old gray Earl Yniol went in to tell Geraint of Enid'sfanciful apparel.

  But Geraint was not delighted with the magnificence.

  "Say to her," he answered the earl, "that by all my love for her,although I give her no other reason, I entreat Enid to wear that fadedold silk dress of hers and no other."

  This amazing and hard message from Geraint made poor little Enid's facefall like a meadowful of corn blasted by a rainstorm. Still shewillingly laid aside her gold finery for his sake, slipped into thefaded silk, and pattered down the steps to meet Geraint. He scanned herso eagerly from her tip to her toe that both her rosy cheeks burned likeflames. Then as he noted her mother's clouded face he said very kindly:

  "My new mother don't be very angry, or grieved with your new son becauseof what I have just asked Enid to do. I had a very good reason for itand I will explain it all to you. The other day when I left the queen atCaerleon to avenge the insult done her by Edryn, the son of Nudd, shemade me two wishes. The one was that I should be successful with myquest and the other was that I should wed with my first love. Then shepromised that whoever my bride should be she herself with her own royalhands would dress her for her wedding day, splendidly, like the very sunin the skies. So when I found this lovely Enid of yours in her shabbyclothes I vowed that the queen's hands only should array her in handsomenew robes that befitted her grace and beauty. But never mind, dearmother, some day you will come to see Enid and then she will wear thegolden, flowered birthday dress which you gave her three years ago."

  Then the earl's wife smiled through her tears, wrapped Enid in a mantle,kissed her gentle farewells, and in a moment saw her riding far, faraway beside Geraint.

  The queen Guinevere that day had three times climbed the royal tower atCaerleon to look far into the valley for some sign of Geraint, who hadpromised to be back that day, if he did not fall in battle, and whowould certainly come now, since Edryn had been vanquished and had cometo the court. At last when evening had fallen she spied the prince'scharger pacing nobly along the road, and Enid's palfrey at his side.Instantly Queen Guinevere sped down from the small window in the highturret, tripped out to the gate to greet him and embrace the lovely Enidas a long-loved friend.

  The old City of Caerleon was gay for one whole week, over the weddingweek of Geraint and Enid. The queen herself dressed Enid for hermarriage like the very sunlight, Dubric, the highest saint of thechurch, married them, and they lived for nearly a year at the court withArthur and sweet Guinevere.

  And so the insult done the queen was avenged, and her two wishes werefulfilled. For Geraint overcame his enemy and wedded with hisfirst-love, dressed for her marriage by the queen.