سر تریسترم

CHAPTER 7 Sir Tristram

One day the King of Lyonesse went into the woods because he wanted to catch animals. He made a long journey and at the end of the day he could not find the road home. His queen waited in their castle, but he did not come back.

‘ Where is the King?’ she thought.’ He knows that I am going to have a child.’

So the Queen went out into the woods and looked for the King. She walked a long way and began to feel very tired. In the evening she slept under a tree. There her baby boy was born.

‘I am going to die, ‘she thought.’ I am very ill.’ She took the baby in her arms.

‘Oh, my little son,’ cried the Queen. ‘I will give you the name Tristram. It means ’’sad”, and I am sad. I know I am not going to live. But you, my dear child, will be a brave knight when you are a man.’ The King found a way back to his castle, but the Queen was not there. His men went into the woods and looked for her.

They found the Queen and the child under a tree and took them back to the castle. The Queen told the King the baby’s name — and then she died.

For many days the King did not speak or eat. ’He will die too,’ people said, ‘and the little boy Tristram will be our king.’ But after a long time the King began to enjoy life again.

♦

Seven years later the King of Lyonesse married again, and the new queen had a son. She loved her son very much, but she did not like Tristram, the son of her husband’s first wife.

One day the Queen thought of a plan. She made a drink for Tristram and put some poison in it.

‘He will think it is wine,’ she thought? But when he drinks it, he will die.’ She put the glass on the table, ready for Tristram. ‘Everything is ready,’ she thought. ‘Good! ’ But the Queen’s son came into the room before Tristram. He was very thirsty and he drank from the glass. Then he fell on the floor and died.

The Queen tried to kill Tristram a second time. Again she put some poison into his drink. She put the glass on the table and again waited for Tristram. This time the King came into the room. He put his hand out to the glass of wine, but the Queen cried,’do not drink it!’

The King suddenly remembered his second son. There was poison in his drink! Then he understood the Queen’s evil plan.

‘You wanted to kill Tristram, but your son drank the poison! So you tried to kill Tristram again, but I nearly drank it! ’ The King was very angry. ‘Make a fire! Take the Queen and put her in it!’ he shouted to his men.

But when the fire was ready, Tristram came to his father. He fell down at his father’s feet.

‘Father, dp not do this! Take your wife back. Love her, and she will love you. She hates me - so send me away then you will be happy again.’ So Tristram went to live with his father’s brother, Mark. Mark was King of Cornwall. He loved Tristram and Tristram loved his uncle. He was happy there. When he arrived there, Tristram was a boy. Some years later, he was a strong, brave man.

♦

The King of Ireland also had a son, Sir Marhaus. Nobody could fight him and win. One day, Sir Marhaus came across the sea to King Mark’s castle.

‘I am the best and strongest knight in Ireland! Send a knight to me and I will fight him. Then you will see!’ Not one of King Mark’s knights wanted to fight Sir Marhaus.

Then Tristram went to his uncle and said, ‘I am not a boy now — I am a man. Make me a knight and send me. I can fight Sir Marhaus and win.’ King Mark thought for a long time. ‘I do not want to send you, but the other knights will not fight him,’ he said.

So the King made his brother’s son, Tristram, a knight and Tristram got ready for the fight.

Many people came and watched the two men. They fought with their swords all day. Sir Marhaus was strong, but he was older than Sir Tristram. He was not as quick on his feet. He could not hit Tristram.

The sun was hot, and Sir Marhaus started to feel tired. Tristram’s sword cut through Sir Marhaus’s helmet and killed him. His men took the dead man away to his ship.

Sir Marhaus also wounded Tristram badly in the fight, and the young man was very ill. There was poison in the wound.

Nobody could make Sir Tristram’s wound better. After some time, an old woman came and looked at it.

She said, ‘Ah! The poison in this wound came from Ireland Send your knight there and somebody will make him better.’ So King Mark sent Sir Tristram in a ship to Ireland. Sir Tristram used another name because he killed the son of the King of Ireland.

On the ship Sir Tristram looked out at the green sea water. Birds Hew in the sky. He took his harp and began to play a song. He played the harp very beautifully. When his ship came near Ireland, the King heard the sound of the music. He asked Tristram to his castle, because he wanted his daughter to play the harp.

‘Where did you get that wound?’ the King of Ireland asked.

‘Some bad men fought me on my journey,’said Tristram. He could not tell the King about his fight with Sir Marhaus.

‘I will ask my daughter, Isolt, to make your wound better. Then will you teach her to play the harp? ’

‘Yes, Sir,’ said Tristram.

The King told his daughter about his idea.

‘I will be a good student, Father,’ said Isolt.

She carefully cleaned the wound and stayed near Tristram’s bed for many days and nights. Then, when he was well again, Tristram taught Isolt the harp. She enjoyed playing it and learned well. They were very happy. Tristram liked Isolt very much and she liked him too.

♦

Isolt knew another knight. His name was Sir Palamides. He loved Isolt and wanted to marry her. He asked her again and again. She did not like him, but he did not listen to her.

One day there was a big fight between the great men and knights in the country. A lot of people watched these fights. The knights were on the horses, with swords in their hands.

Sir Palamides wanted to fight. He had a black helmet and black clothes, and he sat on a black horse. Tristram had a white helmet, white clothes and a white horse. The two knights began to fight. Sir Tristram moved quickly and hit Sir Palamides with his sword. The black knight fell off his horse onto the ground. Then Tristram stood over him with his sword.

‘Leave here! Do not speak to Isolt again — or I will kill you! ’ he cried.

♦

Alter the fight, Sir Tristram went back to Cornwall. He told his uncle about Isolt.

‘So Isolt is beautiful and kind? I can marry Isolt, and then the King of Ireland and I will be friends. It will be good for our two countries,’ King Mark said. ‘Ask the King of Ireland for me’ So Tristram went back to Ireland.

‘King Mark wants to marry. Will you give him your lovely daughter, Isolt? He is a good man and he will love her,’Tristram said to the King of Ireland.

‘Yes, it will be a good thing for this country and for Cornwall,’ answered the King of Ireland. And he sent Isolt to King Mark.

Tristram took Isolt on his ship. He played beautiful songs on his harp for her. Tristram loved Isolt and she loved him.

‘I cannot marry you because you are going to marry King Mark. But he is a good man and he will love you well, ’said Tristram.

After many days at sea, the ship came to Cornwall.

‘I have to leave you now, dear Isolt, ’Tristram said sadly. ‘ I am going away to Camelot. I want to be a Knight of the round Table. I will fight for King Arthur. But please remember this — I am your friend and I will always love you. When you want my help, I will come.’ ♦

So Isolt married King Mark, and he gave her many lovely things. But one day Sir Palamides suddenly arrived and carried Isolt away on his horse.

Another knight went after him, and Sir Palamides fought him.

Isolt ran away. She ran and ran through the wood.

‘Night is coming,’ thought Isolt? Nobody will find me here in the dark wood.’ She sat down and cried. Then she saw a lake.

‘I will jump into the water and die! Then that evil Sir

Palamides cannot hurt me or take me away.’

Isolt stood by the lake and looked into the cold water.

She heard the sound of a horse and turned round. It was not

Sir Palamides. It was another knight.

‘Who are you ? ’ asked Isolt. She was afraid.

‘I am Sir Atherp,’ answered the knight. ‘Why are you here in the wood at night, Queen Isolt? Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you. I hope I can help you.’ ‘I ran away from Sir Palamides. He wants to take me away!

Oh, please help me! ’

‘It is dangerous for you here,’ Sir Atherp said? Come with me to my castle.’

Later that night, Sir Palamides arrived at the castle of Sir Atherp. ‘Open the doors!’ he shouted, but nobody answered.

♦

Sir Tristram was on his way to Camelot when a man ran to him. ‘Sir Palamides took Isolt away,’ he said.

Tristram was very angry. He went back to Cornwall quickly and looked for Isolt. He saw a knight on the ground in a wood.

‘Sir Palamides wounded me in a fight,’said the man. Tristram gave the brave knight a drink of water.

‘Where did Isolt go?’ Sir Tristram asked the knight.

‘I do not know,’ answered the knight. ‘She ran away when she saw the fight.’

‘I have to find her,’ said Sir Tristram, and he jumped back on his horse. He came to a lake and looked at the ground.

‘Isolt was here,’ he thought. ‘And another person on a horse. I will follow them! ’

After a short time he came to a castle. Outside the castle was Sir Palamides.

Sir Palamides saw Sir Tristram and fought him. But Sir Tristram was stronger. Tristram threw Palamides oft his horse and the evil knight fell onto the ground. Sir Palamides stood up and pulled his sword out of its scabbard. Then Tristram got off his horse and took out his sword. The two men fought there in front of the castle.

Isolt was inside the castle. She heard the noise of the fight, and looked down from her window.

‘Tristram is here! ’ she cried. ‘He will help me! ’

She watched the fight. Palamides fell again and Tristram stood over him with his sword.

‘No,’ shouted Isolt loudly. ‘Do not kill him!’ Sir Atherp’s men opened the castle doors and Isolt ran outside? Please do not kill him, kind Sir Tristram. He fought bravely. Send him to King Arthur and he will learn to be a good knight. Then he can fight for the King.’

‘I will do this for you,’ answered Tristram.

So Sir Palamides went to Camelot and learned to be a very good knight.

Sir Tristram took Isolt to King Mark, and he stayed in Cornwall with them. But the King began to be afraid of him.

‘Sir Tristram is young and brave,’ he thought. ‘He fought Sir Palamides for my queen, Isolt. Perhaps now she will love Tristram, and will not love me.’ One day Tristram went with Isolt to the beach. King Mark followed them there and watched them. Tristram played a beautiful song for Isolt on his harp. She listened with a smile on her face.

Suddenly King Mark came with his sword.

‘Why are you singing love songs to my wife?’ he shouted.’1 am going to kill you for this!’Tristram had no sword and could not stop King Mark. The King wounded Tristram very badly and he fell at Isolt’s feet and died.

Day after day, Isolt sat and looked at the sea. She did not eat or drink. She did not speak to anybody again. She cried because Tristram was dead. Then she died too.

♦

When King Arthur heard the story of Tristram and Isolt, he was very sorry. Tristram was a brave Knight of the Round Table. Arthur was very angry with King Mark, so he sent another knight to Cornwall. That knight killed him.