stories to tell to children-第33章

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Arthur　to　ride　for　it。



〃I　will　well；〃　said　Arthur；　and　rode　back　for

it。　　But　when　he　came　to　the　castle；　the　lady

and　all　her　household　were　at　the　jousting；　and

there　was　none　to　let　him　in。



Thereat　Arthur　said　to　himself；　〃My　brother

Sir　Kay　shall　not　be　without　a　sword　this　day。〃

And　he　remembered　the　sword　he　had　seen　in

the　churchyard。　　〃I　will　to　the　churchyard；〃

he　said；　〃and　take　that　sword　with　me。〃　　So　he

rode　into　the　churchyard；　tied　his　horse　to　the

stile；　and　went　up　to　the　stone。　　The　guards

were　away　to　the　tourney；　and　the　sword　was

there；　alone。



Going　up　to　the　stone；　young　Arthur　took　the

great　sword　by　the　hilt；　and　lightly　and　fiercely

he　drew　it　out　of　the　anvil。



Then　he　rode　straight　to　Sir　Kay；　and　gave　it

to　him。



Sir　Kay　knew　instantly　that　it　was　the　sword

of　the　stone；　and　he　rode　off　at　once　to　his　father

and　said；　〃Sir；　lo；　here　is　the　sword　of　the

stone；　I　must　be　king　of　the　land。〃　　But　Sir

Ector　asked　him　where　he　got　the　sword。　　And

when　Sir　Kay　said；　〃From　my　brother；〃　he

asked　Arthur　how　he　got　it。　　When　Arthur

told　him；　Sir　Ector　bowed　his　head　before　him。

〃Now　I　understand　ye　must　be　king　of　this

land；〃　he　said　to　Arthur。



〃Wherefore　I？〃　said　Arthur。



〃For　God　will　have　it　so；〃　said　Ector；

〃never　man　should　have　drawn　out　this　sword

but　he　that　shall　be　rightwise　king　of　this　land。

Now　let　me　see　whether　ye　can　put　the　sword

as　it　was　in　the　stone；　and　pull　it　out　again。〃



Straightway　Arthur　put　the　sword　back。



Then　Sir　Ector　tried　to　pull　it　out；　and　after

him　Sir　Kay；　but　neither　could　stir　it。　　Then

Arthur　pulled　it　out。　　Thereupon；　Sir　Ector

and　Sir　Kay　kneeled　upon　the　ground　before　him。



〃Alas；〃　said　Arthur；　〃mine　own　dear　father

and　brother；　why　kneel　ye　to　me？〃



Sir　Ector　told　him；　then；　all　about　his　royal

birth；　and　how　he　had　been　taken　privily　away

by　Merlin。　　But　when　Arthur　found　Sir　Ector

was　not　truly　his　father；　he　was　so　sad　at　heart

that　he　cared　not　greatly　to　be　king。　　And　he

begged　his　father　and　brother　to　love　him　still。

Sir　Ector　asked　that　Sir　Kay　might　be　seneschal

when　Arthur　was　king。　　Arthur　promised　with

all　his　heart。



Then　they　went　to　the　archbishop　and　told

him　that　the　sword　had　found　its　master。　　The

archbishop　appointed　a　day　for　the　trial　to　be

made　in　the　sight　of　all　men；　and　on　that　day

the　princes　and　knights　came　together；　and　each

tried　to　draw　out　the　sword；　as　before。　　But　as

before；　none　could　so　much　as　stir　it。



Then　came　Arthur；　and　pulled　it　easily　from

its　place。



The　knights　and　kings　were　terribly　angry

that　a　boy　from　nowhere　in　particular　had　beaten

them；　and　they　refused　to　acknowledge　him　king。

They　appointed　another　day；　for　another　great

trial。



Three　times　they　did　this；　and　every　time　the

same　thing　happened。



At　last；　at　the　feast　of　Pentecost；　Arthur

again　pulled　out　the　sword　before　all　the　knights

and　the　commons。　　And　then　the　commons

rose　up　and　cried　that　he　should　be　king；　and

that　they　would　slay　any　who　denied　him。



So　Arthur　became　king　of　Britain；　and　all

gave　him　allegiance。







TARPEIA





There　was　once　a　girl　named　Tarpeia；　whose

father　was　guard　of　the　outer　gate　of　the　citadel

of　Rome。　　It　was　a　time　of　war；the　Sabines

were　besieging　the　city。　　Their　camp　was　close

outside　the　city　wall。



Tarpeia　used　to　see　the　Sabine　soldiers　when

she　went　to　draw　water　from　the　public　well；

for　that　was　outside　the　gate。　　And　sometimes

she　stayed　about　and　let　the　strange　men　talk

with　her；　because　she　liked　to　look　at　their

bright　silver　ornaments。　　The　Sabine　soldiers

wore　heavy　silver　rings　and　bracelets　on　their

left　arms；some　wore　as　many　as　four　or　five。



The　soldiers　knew　she　was　the　daughter　of　the

keeper　of　the　citadel；　and　they　saw　that　she　had

greedy　eyes　for　their　ornaments。　　So　day　by

day　they　talked　with　her；　and　showed　her　their

silver　rings；　and　tempted　her。　　And　at　last　Tarpeia

made　a　bargain；　to　betray　her　city　to　them。

She　said　she　would　unlock　the　great　gate　and

let　them　in；　IF　THEY　WOULD　GIVE　HER　WHAT　THEY　WORE

ON　THEIR　LEFT　ARMS。



The　night　came。　　When　it　was　perfectly　dark

and　still；　Tarpeia　stole　from　her　bed；　took　the

great　key　from　its　place；　and　silently　unlocked

the　gate　which　protected　the　city。　　Outside；　in

the　dark；　stood　the　soldiers　of　the　enemy；　waiting。

As　she　opened　the　gate；　the　long　shadowy　files

pressed　forward　silently；　and　the　Sabines

entered　the　citadel。



As　the　first　man　came　inside；　Tarpeia　stretched

forth　her　hand　for　her　price。　　The　soldier　lifted

high　his　left　arm。　　〃Take　thy　reward！〃　he　said；

and　as　he　spoke　he　hurled　upon　her　that　which

he　wore　upon　it。　　Down　upon　her　head　crashed

not　the　silver　rings　of　the　soldier；　but　the

great　brass　shield　he　carried　in　battle！



She　sank　beneath　it；　to　the　ground。



〃Take　thy　reward；〃　said　the　next；　and　his

shield　rang　against　the　first。



〃Thy　reward；〃　said　the　nextand　the　next

and　the　nextand　the　next；　every　man　wore

his　shield　on　his　left　arm。



So　Tarpeia　lay　buried　beneath　the　reward

she　had　claimed；　and　the　Sabines　marched　past

her　dead　body；　into　the　city　she　had　betrayed。







THE　BUCKWHEAT＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Hans　Christian　Andersen。





Down　by　the　river　were　fields　of　barley　and

rye　and　golden　oats。　　Wheat　grew　there；　too；

and　the　heaviest　and　richest　ears　bent　lowest；

in　humility。　　Opposite　the　corn　was　a　field　of

buckwheat；　but　the　buckwheat　never　bent；　it

held　its　head　proud　and　stiff　on　the　stem。



The　wise　old　willow…tree　by　the　river　looked

down　on　the　fields；　and　thought　his　thoughts。



One　day　a　dreadful　storm　came。　　The　field…

flowers　folded　their　leaves　together；　and　bowed

their　heads。　　But　the　buckwheat　stood　straight

and　proud。



〃Bend　your　head；　as　we　do；〃　called　the　field…

flowers。



〃I　have　no　need　to；〃　said　the　buckwheat。



〃Bend　your　head；　as　we　do！〃　warned　the

golden　wheat…ears；　〃the　angel　of　the　storm　is

coming；　he　will　strike　you　down。〃



〃I　will　not　bend　my　head；〃　said　the　buckwheat。



Then　the　old　willow…tree　spoke：　　〃Close　your

flowers　and　bend　your　leaves。　　Do　not　look　at

the　lightning　when　the　cloud　bursts。　　Even　men

cannot　do　that；　the　sight　of　heaven　would　strike

them　blind。　　Much　less　can　we　who　are　so

inferior　to　them！〃



〃‘Inferior；'　indeed！〃　said　the　buckwheat。

〃Now　I　WILL　look！〃　　And　he　looked　straight

up；　while　the　lightning　flashed　across　the　sky。



When　the　dreadful　storm　had　passed；　the

flowers　and　the　wheat　raised　their　drooping

heads；　clean　and　refreshed　in　the　pure；　sweet

air。　　The　willow…tree　shook　the　gentle　drops

from　its　leaves。



But　the　buckwheat　lay　like　a　weed　in　the

field；　scorched　black　by　the　lightning。







THE　JUDGMENT　OF　MIDAS＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Old　Greek　Folk…Stories；　by　Josephine　Preston

Peabody。　　（Harrap　&　Co。　　9d。）





The　Greek　God　Pan；　the　god　of　the　open　air；

was　a　great　musician。　　He　played　on　a　pipe　of

reeds。　　And　the　sound　of　his　reed…pipe　was　so

sweet　that　he　grew　proud；　and　believed　himself

greater　than　the　chief　musician　of　the　gods；

Apollo；　the　son…god。　　So　he　challenged　great

Apollo　to　make　better　music　than　he。



Apollo　consented　to　the　test；　for　he　wished　to

punish　Pan's　vanity；　and　they　chose　the　mountain

Tmolus　for　judge；　since　no　one　is　so　old　and

wise　as　the　hills。



When　Pan　and　Apollo　came　before　Tmolus；

to　play；　their　followers　came　with　them；　to　hear；

and　one　of　those　who　came　with　Pan　was　a

mortal　named　Midas。



First　Pan　played；　he　blew　on　his　reed…pipe；

and　out　came　a　tune　so　wild　and　yet　so　coaxing

that　the　birds　hopped　from　the　trees　to　get　near；

the　squirrels　came　running　from　their　holes；

and　the　very　trees　swayed　as　if　they　wanted　to

dance。　　The　fauns　laughed　aloud　for　joy