Long ago there lived a young scholar who studied in Orleans. There he discovered the magicians who lived there and who knew how to perform marvelous feats. But when the young man returned home to Brittany, he forgot for many years all the magic he had seen.
The scholar had a brother whose name was Aurelius, and as much as the scholar loved his books, Aurelius loved a young woman whose name was Dorigen. Aurelius could think of nothing else but this lady, but his love, he feared, was in vain.
Dorigen had married a handsome knight named Averagus. Some time after the wedding, he sailed away to England to seek honor in arms. When Averagus departed, Aurelius rejoiced. "Perhaps now she will love me," he said to his brother.
But Dorigen mourned and thought only of her husband. He had promised to return in two years, and she vowed to wait for him.
Two years passed, but still Averagus did not return. As time went by, Aurelius began to hope that Dorigen might one day love him.
Each day Dorigen walked to the giant cliffs that ran along the coast. There she stood and watched the ships sailing past. "Won't one of these ships carry my husband to me?" she cried. She cursed the great black rocks that ran all along Brittany's coast, for she knew that many ships were driven by the wind against those mighty rocks. "For my husband's sake," Dorigen wept, "I wish these rocks would sink into the sea."
Aurelius, standing near, heard Dorigen's pleas. His heart ached for her, and he wanted to bring her joy, but when he walked to her side, he could think of nothing but his love for her.
"Dear lady," the sad squire said, bowing before her, "have pity on me. I love you with all my heart."
Dorigen stared. "Do you not know I am another's wife?" she asked angrily. And then in jest she said, "I would love you if you removed all the rocks along these shores."
Aurelius returned home, ashamed and unhappy. Dorigen, he told his brother, refused to love him unless he performed an impossible feat. "I shall never feel joy," he said.
But then the scholar remembered the magicians of Orleans. "Dear brother," he said, "all is not lost. I know magicians who can make seas disappear and flowers bloom in air and vines grow to the sky. You and I must go find a magician who can banish the rocks of Brittany. Then Dorigen would have to keep her promise to you."
The two men set off the nest day. In Orleans they visited the home of a famous magician and told him of their request. He bade them leave while he searched for the magic.
The magician sat down at his desk. Surrounding him were his books of magic, and these he studied. After many hours, he sent for the brothers. When they arrived, he smiled at them and said:
"Bubbles and frogs and sticks and bones
"I can move those giant stones.
"And when the rocks no one can see
"A thousand pounds you'll pay to me."
"I shall give you the world!" Aurelius cried, overjoyed.
Back in Brittany, the magician worked night and day, calculating and chanting. And then one day, the rocks vanished.
Aurelius hurried to the cliffs to find Dorigen. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her, for she stood beside her beloved husband. While the magician worked, and Aurelius dreamed, Averagus had returned from his journey.
"Good lady," Aurelius cried, "I have kept my word. Look below." Dorigen looked down and saw the rocks were gone. She turned pale as the wintry sky.
"What is it?" her husband asked, and Dorigen wept as she told him the story.
Averagus, sad to hear of his wife's promise, looked into her eyes. "Dear wife, love you I do, but you must keep your word to this man, for he has kept his to you." And Averagus wept too.
When Aurelius saw their grief, he bowed low. "Friends," he said, "I would rather be sad forever than part you from each other. I now take my leave from the best and truest wife I have ever known, and I prove to you that a squire can be as generous as a knight."
Aurelius hurried home and opened his money chest. He drew out 500 pounds, and the chest was empty. "How will I ever pay my debt?" he cried. He set off with a heavy heart to see the magician.
"Master," said Aurelius, "here is all that I have in the world. I give you my word that I shall pay my debt to you, even if I must go begging."
"Did I keep my word?" asked the magician.
"Yes, you did," Aurelius said sadly.
"And did you win your love?"
"No," Aurelius sighed, and he told the magician his tale. "I gave to the husband as generously as he offered to give to me."
The magician thought for a moment, then said:
"You need not pay your debt to me
"From this I now will set you free,
"For noble deeds magicians too
"Can offer to the brave and true."
And with those words, the rocks of Brittany returned, and the magician mounted his horse and rode home to Orleans.
And from that day on, people have wondered which of these three men was most generous.
(This story is based on Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Franklin's Tale" from his "Canterbury Tales.")
The second book collection of wonderful tales from "Tell Me a Story" is available for $14.95, plus $2 for postage and handling. Send your orders to "The Spectacular Gift," in care of Andrews McMeel Publishing, P.O. Box 419242, Kansas City, Mo. 64141; or call (800) 642-6480. Be sure to indicate your newspaper's name on your order. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.
The scholar had a brother whose name was Aurelius, and as much as the scholar loved his books, Aurelius loved a young woman whose name was Dorigen. Aurelius could think of nothing else but this lady, but his love, he feared, was in vain.
Dorigen had married a handsome knight named Averagus. Some time after the wedding, he sailed away to England to seek honor in arms. When Averagus departed, Aurelius rejoiced. "Perhaps now she will love me," he said to his brother.
But Dorigen mourned and thought only of her husband. He had promised to return in two years, and she vowed to wait for him.
Two years passed, but still Averagus did not return. As time went by, Aurelius began to hope that Dorigen might one day love him.
Each day Dorigen walked to the giant cliffs that ran along the coast. There she stood and watched the ships sailing past. "Won't one of these ships carry my husband to me?" she cried. She cursed the great black rocks that ran all along Brittany's coast, for she knew that many ships were driven by the wind against those mighty rocks. "For my husband's sake," Dorigen wept, "I wish these rocks would sink into the sea."
Aurelius, standing near, heard Dorigen's pleas. His heart ached for her, and he wanted to bring her joy, but when he walked to her side, he could think of nothing but his love for her.
"Dear lady," the sad squire said, bowing before her, "have pity on me. I love you with all my heart."
Dorigen stared. "Do you not know I am another's wife?" she asked angrily. And then in jest she said, "I would love you if you removed all the rocks along these shores."
Aurelius returned home, ashamed and unhappy. Dorigen, he told his brother, refused to love him unless he performed an impossible feat. "I shall never feel joy," he said.
But then the scholar remembered the magicians of Orleans. "Dear brother," he said, "all is not lost. I know magicians who can make seas disappear and flowers bloom in air and vines grow to the sky. You and I must go find a magician who can banish the rocks of Brittany. Then Dorigen would have to keep her promise to you."
The two men set off the nest day. In Orleans they visited the home of a famous magician and told him of their request. He bade them leave while he searched for the magic.
The magician sat down at his desk. Surrounding him were his books of magic, and these he studied. After many hours, he sent for the brothers. When they arrived, he smiled at them and said:
"Bubbles and frogs and sticks and bones
"I can move those giant stones.
"And when the rocks no one can see
"A thousand pounds you'll pay to me."
"I shall give you the world!" Aurelius cried, overjoyed.
Back in Brittany, the magician worked night and day, calculating and chanting. And then one day, the rocks vanished.
Aurelius hurried to the cliffs to find Dorigen. His heart nearly stopped when he saw her, for she stood beside her beloved husband. While the magician worked, and Aurelius dreamed, Averagus had returned from his journey.
"Good lady," Aurelius cried, "I have kept my word. Look below." Dorigen looked down and saw the rocks were gone. She turned pale as the wintry sky.
"What is it?" her husband asked, and Dorigen wept as she told him the story.
Averagus, sad to hear of his wife's promise, looked into her eyes. "Dear wife, love you I do, but you must keep your word to this man, for he has kept his to you." And Averagus wept too.
When Aurelius saw their grief, he bowed low. "Friends," he said, "I would rather be sad forever than part you from each other. I now take my leave from the best and truest wife I have ever known, and I prove to you that a squire can be as generous as a knight."
Aurelius hurried home and opened his money chest. He drew out 500 pounds, and the chest was empty. "How will I ever pay my debt?" he cried. He set off with a heavy heart to see the magician.
"Master," said Aurelius, "here is all that I have in the world. I give you my word that I shall pay my debt to you, even if I must go begging."
"Did I keep my word?" asked the magician.
"Yes, you did," Aurelius said sadly.
"And did you win your love?"
"No," Aurelius sighed, and he told the magician his tale. "I gave to the husband as generously as he offered to give to me."
The magician thought for a moment, then said:
"You need not pay your debt to me
"From this I now will set you free,
"For noble deeds magicians too
"Can offer to the brave and true."
And with those words, the rocks of Brittany returned, and the magician mounted his horse and rode home to Orleans.
And from that day on, people have wondered which of these three men was most generous.
(This story is based on Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Franklin's Tale" from his "Canterbury Tales.")
The second book collection of wonderful tales from "Tell Me a Story" is available for $14.95, plus $2 for postage and handling. Send your orders to "The Spectacular Gift," in care of Andrews McMeel Publishing, P.O. Box 419242, Kansas City, Mo. 64141; or call (800) 642-6480. Be sure to indicate your newspaper's name on your order. Allow three to four weeks for delivery.
No comments:
Post a Comment