Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year | Page 7

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"Hail to thee, noble 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
class? 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