Stories from the Faerie Queen, Told to the Children

ed a beautiful princess

ut she loved to ride and to play boys' games. And when she grew older she le

n had once given a wonderful gift

that looked like a ball

appen to him, and which of his friends were false and which true.

o her father's room and lo

sh to see?' she

rry. I should like the crystal ball to

aw, like a moving picture, a kn

ooked out the handsome face that his friends loved and his foes feared. He wore beautiful armour, all inlaid with gold, an

mes which Art

thing but the knight whose picture had ri

uld not sleep, for she feared it wa

softly crying to herself, the old woman was very unhappy. Night after night she heard her, till

n she tucked the bedclothes round Britomart, and put out the flickering lamp. When Britomart, much comforted, had fallen quietly asleep, her nurse sat and w

en pot. Round the pot she bound three of her hairs plaited together. Then she said a charm over the pot, and made Britomart turn round and round and round about it. She tho

t of Merlin, the magician

rincess is so sad,' she said;

herself in shabby old cloth

ift-rushing river that ran down between thickly wooded hills. Hollow,

ut at length they plucked up courage and entered the cave, and found Merlin writing magic words on the dark floor. He knew very well, although they wore shabby

nce this fair maid first turned ill. I do not know wh

in s

,' he said, 'you had bet

urse, 'I should not have troubled you. But I fear th

n burst ou

. 'I know all about it. This is the beautifu

blushed rosy red,

ef, then have pity on us

ht, and one of the bravest and noblest that lived. His home was in Fairyland,

ian, 'and bring him back from Fairyland to

great things that should be done in the days to co

ith happy hearts, came away fr

ght?' asked Britomart of her

r father has taken from his enemies. You shall be a knight, and I will

sed her as carefully as she had dressed her long ago in her baby-clothes, and, when all her armour was on, she put into her han

ger a princess and her nurse, but a gallant knight and a little ol

y far, they saw two knights riding towards th

horse and sitting heavily down on the ground. He was very much ashamed and very angry, and would have rushed at Britomart with his sword. But the old palmer, who was w

art asked the Red Cross Knight if he

the Red Cross Knight angrily. 'He

d scarcely hide her joy. But she went on pretending that she thought

ffer wrong, and little children who have none to care for them, are always sure of havin

e was so true to his friend, and more than eve

ss Knight parted, and she rode on with he

e rocks, and moaning as it cas

lace her helmet, and sat down a

the sea,' she said. 'When shall I ever re

saw a knight cantering along the sand, and quickly put on

and told her to fly,

'Words only frighten babies. I

t gave the knight a terrible wound, and rode

she sought Artegall, and always h

e where a great many knigh

g with jewels, was to be the prize

fought, until the ground was stre

with silver and gold like those of the other knights, but looked like an old tree all overg

e not fought so well. All day long he fought, and one knight after another he threw wounded or dead on the

with her golden armour gle

ode at the Savage Knight, a

e at her, but them, too, she t

itomart was the victor, an

savage knight. He was no other than A

hrown him from his horse, that when the tournament was over, he r

hall fight me once again,' he angrily said,

hed his horse grazing, he saw Britomart riding

th his steel-headed lance. But, in the twinkling of an eye, he f

h force on its back that it fell to the ground, and Britomart had to jump off. She threw aside her spear and furiously smote Artegall with her sword. She cut his armour through, and wounded him so deeply that blood from his wound

ed she was, he gathered up all his strength and struck her a terrific blow, hoping to kill her

e air. For instead of the grim face of the fierce knight he thought he was fightin

at was so long that it reached her feet, had burst fro

round. He knelt at Britomart's feet and begged her

angry with him for that

all kill you!' and she hel

, but only prayed her the m

w near and begged Brit

le,' she said, 'and let t

raised the front of his helmet

, she knew at once that the Savage Knight that she ha

and her sword f

ly to him, but her tongu

where they stayed till they were r

rt more and more, until at last he could stay no longer sil

ss Britomart found her husband, the