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One time Merlin fell in love with one fair but cunning lady. He wouldn’t leave her alone, but would always be with her. She didn’t answer him, but asked Merlin to teach her his crafts. So he was teaching her, until she learned all she wanted, and then he wasn’t useful to her. Merlin came to King Arthur, and said: “Sir, soon I will be put in the earth, despite all my crafts. You will never see me again, so let me give you my last counsel.”
And he told the king many things to come, and told him to always keep well his sword and the scabbard, because the scabbard would be stolen from him by a woman that he most trusted. He also told King Arthur that he will miss him.
“You are wise,” said King Arthur, “Please, use your craft to live more, so that you won’t be put in the earth anytime soon, because I would miss you, too.”
“I cannot do so,” said Merlin. And he left.
The lady that he was in love with travelled a lot, and Merlin followed her everywhere. She wanted to get rid of him, so once, when Merlin showed her a wonderful cave with a big stone that could close the entrance. She asked Merlin to go into the cave, and then she used the crafts Merlin had taught her to move the stone to cover the entrance. She then enchanted the stone so that nobody could move it, and then she left, and Merlin was alone in a closed cave.
One time King Arthur decided to go for an adventure. Early in the morning he set out alone to visit his sister, Queen Morgana-le-Fay, who lived in a small castle on a distant marsh. It was a far and dangerous road. For many days he rode through the forests and across the meadows, until he came to a forest so dark and deep that he had to dismount and continue his way on foot, leading his horse by the rein. Soon, he was so deep in the forest that there was barely any light. Arthur continued through the darkness, and after some time he saw a small light at some distance away from him. He turned there and tried to reach the light, but the light was getting farther and farther away. Very soon Arthur had to tie his horse to a tree and continue alone, because the light got into the trees and bushes, where a horse couldn’t go.
Finally, Arthur came to a small clearing, and the light was blinking right in the middle of it. The king came closer, and then he saw lots of fireflies appear all around him, dancing in the air. They lit so bright, and there were so many of them, that Arthur couldn’t see the forest, or his horse, or anything. Then they disappeared all at once, and Arthur saw that he was on a small island in the middle of the marsh. There was nowhere to go, so Arthur lay down and went to sleep.
He saw a strange dream. He was in a small room in a castle, lit up by candles on the walls. Arthur wasn’t wearing any armour, but his sword and his scabbard were lying on a bed near one of the walls. He tried looking out the window, but it was too dark to see anything. Then a lady in grey silk came into the room, and as she opened the door, all the candles went dark. Arthur could barely see the lady, and he couldn’t see her face at all. She took him by the hand and led him to the bed. They lay together, and then the lady disappeared right from his arms.
Arthur was very surprised, but there was nothing he could do, and there was no light. He wanted to go to sleep, but then he remembered what Merlin had told him earlier. He took his sword by the handle with both his hands and went to sleep holding to it tightly.
He woke up in the same room, and it was morning on the marsh. He was still holding on to his sword, but now he remembered the second part of Merlin’s advice. The scabbard was gone, and only his sword Excalibur was left. “Alas!” said Arthur, “For I have lost my scabbard, despite what Merlin had told me. It was a good scabbard, and only my armour can protect me now. I wonder where it had gone.”
Arthur looked around and found a table with food and wine, so he ate and drank, and then he went to see if there was anybody else in the castle. But it was empty, and it looked like no one had lived there for a long time. Arthur found his horse in the stables, it was fed and cleaned.
“That is very strange,” said Arthur, “But I should be on my way now.” So he saddled his horse, mounted, and went from the castle. When he looked back, he thought that he had seen this castle before. “This is indeed the castle of my sister, Queen Morgana-le-Fay!” he exclaimed. “That is very strange.”
He then realized that the lady dressed in grey silk must have been his sister, and that it was her who took his scabbard. But the castle was empty when he left it, and he couldn’t remember how he or his horse got into the castle from the opening where he first fell asleep. So there was nothing to do for Arthur other than to return to his castle. Everything went like Merlin had told him, his scabbard was taken by the woman he trusted most.
Some time later a great war has started. A knight named Sir Mordred claimed to be the son of King Arthur and his sister, Queen Morgana-le-Fay, and since Arthur didn’t have an heir, Mordred wanted to take land from Arthur, and become king after Arthur’s death. Arthur disagreed, and Mordred was very angry about that. He told Arthur to prepare for war, and left.
He then went to every baron that was unhappy with King Arthur’s rule, and asked them to join him. He promised them great rewards and many lands if they fought for him. The barons that lived far from Arthur, and didn’t spend much time in London, were particularly angry. And some of the barons that didn’t want Arthur to be king long ago, joined Sir Mordred, too. Very soon Sir Mordred had a large army, and with it he went to battle with Arthur. He went through Arthur’s lands, and laid a siege to one of Arthur’s castles near the field of Camlann.
And there is where their big battle happened.
1. Выберите верный вариант:
a) How did Merlin die?
1. Merlin fell in love with a lady, and died fighting for her with a knight.
2. Merlin was lost in the marshes and disappeared.
3. Merlin was killed by the bandits.
4. Merlin was left alone in a closed cave.
b) How did King Arthur lose his scabbard?
1. It was taken by Queen Morgana-le-Fay.
2. He dropped it somewhere in the woods.
3. It was stolen by the lady who trapped Merlin.
4. It was stolen by Sir Mordred.
c) Where did Queen Morgana-le-Fay live?
1. In a castle near London.
2. In a castle in a forest.
3. In a castle on a marsh.
4. In a small shack on a marsh.
d) How did Arthur get to Morgana’s castle?
1. He rode to it through the forest.
2. He fell asleep in the forest and woke up there.
3. He came there in a boat.
4. He walked there leading his horse by the rein.
e) How could the lady move the big stone?
1. She was very strong.
2. She had squires to help her.
3. She asked Merlin to do it.
4. She used magic that Merlin had taught her.
f) How did the woman he lay with look to Arthur?
1. She looked like Guenever wearing grey silk.
2. He didn’t know her face, and she was wearing grey silk.
3. He could see her face, and she was dressed in grey.
4. He couldn’t see her face, and she was dressed in grey.
So upon Trinity Sunday at night, King Arthur saw a wonderful dream. He sat in a chair that stood on a wheel, and he was dressed in the richest golden clothing that can be made. And under his feet there was a deep well, and in that well there was black water, and all kinds of serpents, and worms, and wild beasts, foul and horrible. And suddenly the wheel below Arthur’s chair moved, and Arthur fell from his chair into the black water, among the serpents. And every beast bit him, and the king cried as he lay in his bed sleeping, “Help!”
So the knights and squires woke up the king, and he was very surprised to see that that was a dream. Then the king started slumbering again, not sleeping, but not awaken either. He saw one of his fallen knights, Sir Gawaine, alive and with a number of fair ladies with him. And when King Arthur saw him, he said, “Welcome, my sister’s son. I thought you were dead, but I am glad to see that you are alive. Who are these ladies with you?”
“Sir,” said Sir Gawaine, “These ladies are all the ladies I fought for when I was alive. And because I battled for them in righteous quarrel, God has rewarded me, and I am amongst those ladies all the time now. But now God let me come here to warn you of your death. If you fight with Sir Mordred tomorrow, you will die, and many men on both parties will be killed. And for all the grace Jesus has for you, He let me come here to tell you this warning.”
“Do not fight with Sir Mordred tomorrow,” Sir Gawaine continued. “Instead, try to make peace with him for at least a month. Within a month Sir Launcelot will come with his noble knights, and then you will join with him and slay Sir Mordred.”
Then Sir Gawaine and all the ladies vanished. The king called his knights and squires and told them what Sir Gawaine had said to him. He then commanded Sir Lucan and his brother Sir Bedivere to take two bishops with them and go ask Sir Mordred for peace for a month, and to give him whatever he wants. So they departed, and came to the camp of Sir Mordred and his hundred thousand men. After a long negotiation, Sir Mordred agreed to a peace.
Now King Arthur and Sir Mordred needed to meet to sign the peace treaty. They agreed to meet the next day between the two armies, having only fourteen men with each of them as guards.
The next day came. Before leaving to sign the treaty, Arthur warned his fourteen knights: “We go to make peace, but I do not trust Sir Mordred. If you see any sword drawn, that means treason, so you should battle and slay as many enemies as you can.”
Sir Mordred also warned his fourteen knights: “I do not trust King Arthur, because he will want to take revenge on me. If you see any sword drawn, there will be no peace, and we will battle.”
So the two parties met in the middle of the field, and drank wine, and negotiated, and agreed with each other. But before they signed the treaty, one of the knights felt that something bit him on the foot. He looked down and saw a snake that came out of a bush. The knight drew his sword and killed the snake. But when the others saw a sword drawn, everybody yelled “Treason! Treason!” and blew trumpets and horns, and shouted.
King Arthur took his horse, and said “Alas! This unhappy day!” and rode back to his army. And Sir Mordred did the same. And never was there seen a more glorious and horrible battle in no Christian land. There was rushing and riding, striking and beating, and many men were slain that day. Many times did King Arthur ride through the field of battle, striking his enemies to the right and to the left and doing great deeds of arms. And so did Sir Mordred.
Many fair knights got deadly strokes that day. The battle went on from the early morning till almost night, and by that time a hundred thousand laid dead on the field. Arthur was very mournful to see so many of his people die.
By the end of the battle Arhur was left with only two knights, Sir Lucan and his brother Sir Bedivere, and they were both wounded. “Jesus, have mercy,” said the king, “Where have all my knights gone? Alas that I ever should see this horrible day, I must be coming to my end. I wish I could find that traitor Sir Mordred, to take revenge for all the evil that he has done.”
At that time Arthur saw Sir Mordred standing in the field.
“Now, give me my spear,” said Arthur to Sir Lucan, “I see the traitor, and I want to slay him.”
“My lord, remember what Sir Gawaine told you last night,” said Sir Lucan. “Please, do not fight Sir Mordred. You have won the field, because there are three of us, and Sir Mordred is alone. God has granted you victory, and kept you alive, what else do you want? You will die if you fight him tonight, and we will lose our good king for nothing.”
“Tide me death, betide me life,” said King Arthur, “I see the traitor alone in the field, and I must slay him. Now, give me my spear.”
“God help you,” said Sir Lucan, and gave Arthur his spear.
“Traitor, I come for you!”, Arthur yelled, and charged to strike Sir Mordred with his spear. Sir Mordred heard Sir Arthur, so he turned to him with a sword in his hand. Arthur ran to Mordred and hit him with his spear, under the shield. The spear went through Sir Mordred’s armour and throughout his body, and Arthur kept pushing it, so he came close to Sir Mordred. Sir Mordred then stroke Sir Arthur with his sword, and the sword pierced Arthur’s helm and his skull.
Both the king and the traitor fell to the ground, Sir Mordred dead, and Arthur gravely wounded. Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere helped Arthur stand up and led him from the field. Then they heard people cry loudly in the field, because robbers came to kill the wounded and rob the dead from their valuables.
“Now go back to the field,” said the king to Sir Lucan, “And drive the bandits away.”
Sir Lucan departed.
“Alas!” said King Arthur, “I am dying, as Sir Gawaine has told me. I have one last debt to pay, before I can die. I need to return my sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Sir Bedivere, take it, go to the Lake, throw the sword into the water, and then come back.”
“My lord, I will do that,” said Sir Bedivere. He then took the sword and went to the Lake. But then he looked at the sword, and said to himself: “This sword is very good, and its hilt has many precious stones. If I throw it into the water, all of it will go to waste.”
So he hid the sword in the grass near the lake, and hurried back to Arthur.
“I have done as you told me,” he said. “I threw the sword into the Lake.” “What did you see when you threw it?” Arthur asked.
“I saw nothing, but waves.” Sir Bedivere answered.
“No,” said Arthur, “You didn’t do as I asked. Now go there again, and throw the sword into the water.”
So Sir Bedivere went to the Lake again, and took the sword, but then he thought: “It is a sin and shame to throw away such a good sword.” So he hid it in the grass again, and came back to Arthur.
“I have done as you told me,” he said. “I threw it into the water.”
“What did you see when you did it?” Arthur asked.
“Only waves and circles on the water.” Sir Bedivere answered.
“Alas!” said Arthur, “Now you have betrayed me twice. Was I not good to you? You are called an honourable knight, but you value a precious sword more than your king’s words? Now go again, and go fast, because I feel cold already. But if you betray me again, I swear I will slay you myself.”
So for the third time Sir Bedivere went to the Lake. He took the sword by the hilt with both his hands, and threw it far into the lake. Then a hand appeared from the water, caught the sword by the handle, and went back down. Sir Bedivere went back to Arthur.
“I have done what you told me,” he said.
“What did you see this time?” Arthur asked.
“I saw a hand catch the sword by the handle and drag in under water.” Sir Bedivere said.
“Finally, you were loyal to me,” said Arthur. “I am dying, so carry me to the Lake now.”
Then Sir Bedivere took the king on his back, and went with him to the Lake. When they came close, they saw a barge near the bank, and on that barge were many fair ladies in black hoods, and among them all was a queen, and all the ladies wept when they saw King Arthur.
“Now put me in the barge,” said the king.
Sir Bedivere did that, softly, and the ladies took him, and set him down, and in one of their laps King Arthur laid his head. And the ladies rowed from the land, and Sir Bedivere looked at all those ladies going from him.
Then he cried: “Ah my lord Arthur, what will happen to me, now that you go from me and leave me here among my enemies?”
“It is all right,” said the king, “Do whatever you like. I cannot help you anymore, because I need to go to the vale of Avalon to heal my grievous wound. And if you never hear of me again, pray for my soul.”
But when he was saying that, the queens and ladies wept, and it was pity to hear. And soon Sir Bedivere lost the sight of the barge, and he wept, and went to the forest.
That is all there is to know about King Arthur, his glorious deeds, his battles, and his knights of Table Round. And this is where our tale ends.
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