The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris Read Free Book Online Page A

himself cleaned up. "Serves you right," he said to the third challenger after unhorsing him like the others. "You were very rude, you know."
    In all, Sir Lancelot defeated sixteen knights, and was glad that English recreant knights attacked one at a time. If they had charged all at once instead of taking turns, he probably would have had to put down his towel. As it was, in between knights he was able to wipe the mud from one leg and half his breastplate.
    After the parade of knights had ceased, though, a new sound disturbed Sir Lancelot's labors. Looking up, Sir Lancelot was astonished to see that he was surrounded by a crowd of people, all cheering wildly. As he stared, a smiling man in a long red cape walked up to where Sir Lancelot sat. "My goodness," said Sir Lancelot. "Where did all of you come from?"

    "Unknown knight, I congratulate you!" the smiling man said. "Never have I seen such skill. You have won our tournament!"

    "Tournament?" repeated Sir Lancelot blankly. "Oh! So that's why those fellows kept attacking me. They weren't recreant knights at all."
    "You didn't know you were in a tournament?" the smiling man asked.
    "I wasn't paying very close attention," explained Sir Lancelot. "I was busy, you see."
    The man smiled more broadly. "You overcame my greatest knights without paying attention? Please, tell me your name, Sir Knight!"
    "I am Sir Lancelot, just come to this land from France."
    "I am delighted to meet you," the man said. "You know, I thought you must be from another land. There aren't very many left-handed knights, and I thought I knew—"
    "Oh, I'm not left-handed," said Sir Lancelot.
The man's eyes widened. "But you used your left hand to unhorse all those knights!"

    "My right hand was busy."
    "Sir Lancelot," the man said earnestly, "I beg you to join my court, for I have never seen such skill as yours!"
    "That is most kind of you, sir," replied Sir Lancelot, "but I'm afraid I cannot accept your generous offer." The man looked so disappointed that Sir Lancelot added, "Please don't be sad. It's just that I've come all this way to join King Arthur's court."
    At that, the man began to laugh. "But I
am
King Arthur!"
    Sir Lancelot stared for a moment, then cried out, "Oh, no! But this is awful!"
    "Awful? But why?"
    Sir Lancelot gestured at himself. "Look at me! I'm covered with mud! And I
did
want to make a favorable first impression!"

Chapter 2
The Fastest Knight in England

    In no time at all, the storytellers say, Sir Lancelot became the most famous of all King Arthur's knights in shining armor. No other knight rescued so many damsels in distress or slew so many dragons or overcame so many recreant knights or, for that matter, kept his armor so tidy. He performed so many great deeds that he soon became known as Sir Lancelot the Great. Minstrels sang
songs of his adventures, damsels sighed when he passed by, boys playing knights all wanted to be Sir Lancelot, and young knights dreamed of one day defeating Sir Lancelot, because whoever did that, they thought, would take his place as the greatest knight in England.

    That last part soon got to be a problem. Everywhere Sir Lancelot went, knights were waiting to challenge him, all hoping to win fame and glory with one battle. Sir Lancelot defeated them all, but fighting every knight he met grew rather tiresome. So, when he rode out on a quest, he chose lonely paths. This was why he was riding alone through a quiet forest one day when he heard an unexpected sound.
    "WAAAAAH!"
    It was a damsel in distress. When you ride out on enough quests, you get to know that sound. Sir Lancelot turned toward the wailing and soon
came to a woman sitting alone beneath a great oak tree, crying with gusto.

    "Good day, my lady," Sir Lancelot said politely. It was hard to know the right thing to say at times like this.
    "WAAAAAH!" the lady said.
    Sir Lancelot said, "May I be of service, my lady?"
    "WOOOO-HOOOO-WAAH!"
    "Can you tell me what is distressing you, my