PELLEAS AND ETTARDE
Far away in a dreary land there lived a lad called Pelleas. The men were rough and the women grave in the dreary land where Pelleas lived.
To this far-away country there had come tales of the gay lords and ladies of Arthur’s court.
Pelleas heard, in great astonishment, that the men in Arthur’s country were brave and gentle, and that the women smiled. He would go away from his own land, he thought, and see these strange and happy people.
Soon the rough men in his country laughed at Pelleas, for he began to grow brave and gentle like the knights who were so often in his thoughts.
And the grave women looked at each other in surprise, as they saw the lad’s bright face and caught the smile on his lips. Pelleas had been dreaming about the gay ladies he had heard of, till some of their gladness had passed into his face.
When he was older Pelleas left his country and all the land that belonged to him there. He would take his horse and his sword and ask the great King Arthur to make him one of his knights, for had he not learned knightly ways from the wonderful tales he had heard long ago?
After many days Pelleas reached the court. And when the King had listened to the young man’s story, and had seen his beauty and strength, he gladly made him his knight.