Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Canterbury Tales: Selections
And what do you think this youth asked for himself? Was it money or power? N o, it was such a thing as in those days brave men considered to be the greatest privilege they could obtain. He requested that he might have the chance to perform a brave deed. He Wished that he might be chosen for the accomplishment of the first advent ure that might happen during that feast. This youth seemed to the Queen to be but a raw and awkward young man, and by no means the most promising of the men pres ent to whom to give such an Opportunity, but she could not refuse. Therefore she granted his desire. This youth was much gratified by her reply, and then rested himself upon the floor, since he on account of his rude appearance did not seem to be suited for any better place. Soon afterward, there entered a fair Lady, dressed in black garments, riding upon a white ass. Behind her came a Dwarf leading a warlike steed. That borethe arms of a knight, and his spear was in the Dwarf's hands. This Lady, falling be fore the Queen of Fairies, complained that her father and mother, who were an ancient king and queen, had been shut up for many years in their brazen castle, by a huge Dragon that lay before 'their gates and would allow no one to enter in nor to come out of that palace. She said that many knights had come from various parts of the world to slay the Dragon, but they had all failed and lost their lives. They had been attracted thither by the desire to do a great deed, and also by the reward which her fa ther offered, for he had proclaimed through out the world that he would make the man who would kill the monster heir to his king dom, and he would give him the hand of his daughter, Una, who was this Lady herself. She said that since so many men had failed in this attempt she had now come to the Queen of the Fairies, having learned that her knights were much abler to per form wonderful deeds than were any other men. She therefore asked Gloriana to appoint one of her knights to take upon himself the adventure of setting her parents free by slaying the Dragon. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.