Tales from Spenser, Chosen from the Faerie Queene, Page 3

  HOW THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT SLEW THE DRAGON.

  Faerie Queene. Book I. Cantos XI., XII.

  As Una and the Red-cross Knight rode on their way they came near herfather's wasted lands and the brazen tower in which her parents wereimprisoned.

  "Dear Knight," said Una, "we are now come where our peril must begin,"and warning him that they might encounter the dragon at any moment sheprayed him to be constantly on his guard.

  As she spoke, the maiden pointed out the tower, and at the same time ahideous roar filled the air with horror. They looked up and beheld thedragon stretched out on the sunny side of a hill. The moment that themonster saw the knight's shining armour, he raised his great frame andhastened towards them as if delighting at the prospect of fresh prey.

  Then the knight bade Una leave him and withdraw to a hill at a littledistance, where she could watch the fight and yet be secure from danger.

  The dreadful beast came on steadily, half walking, half flying in hishaste. He covered the ground quickly, and as he went, cast a huge shadowover the wasted land.

  As the dragon approached the knight, he reared his monstrous body onhigh, which looked the more horrible that it was swollen with wrath andvenom. It was covered with brazen scales, so closely placed, thatnothing could pierce them, and the dragon shook the scales until theysounded like the clashing of armour. He had wings which he spread outlike great sails, and when these smote the air, the clouds fled interror before them, and the heavens stood still in astonishment. Histail was twisted in a hundred folds, and lay over his scaly back, andwhen he unfolded its coils and displayed its full length, it swept theland behind him for three furlongs. At its extremity were inserted twodeadly stings, sharper than the sharpest steel. And still sharper andmore cruel were his claws; so cruel and ravenous, that all they touched,and all they drew within their reach, suffered certain destruction.

  But most fearful of all was the dragon's head. It had deep-set eyes,that burned with rage, and shone forth like shining shields; and gapingjaws, in which were set three rows of iron teeth. From these trickledthe blood of the creatures he had lately devoured, while from betweenhis jaws issued clouds of smoke that filled the air with sulphurousstench.

  Such was the foe the Red-cross Knight must face and conquer.

  On came the dragon, raising his haughty crest, shaking his scales, andhastening so joyously to the combat, that the knight inwardly quaked forfear.

  And now began the first of three days' mortal strife.

  The Red-cross Knight couched his spear, and ran fiercely at his foe. Thespear did not wound, but it annoyed the dragon: he turned aside, and ashe turned, swept both the horse and its rider to the ground. In a momentthe knight had risen, and renewed the attack. Never before, althoughmany a knight had fought with him, had the dragon felt such force in thearm of a foe, and yet the deadly thrusts glanced back from hiswell-armed breast, leaving him unhurt.

  But the knight's persistent attacks roused the monster's rage. He spreadhis great wings, and lifting himself into the air, swooped down upon hisfoe, and seized both horse and man in his cruel claws. He carried theman arrow's shot, when their fierce struggles obliged him to let themfall; and the knight, putting the force of three men into a single blow,once more aimed his spear at the impenetrable scales. Again the blowglanced aside, but this time it glided close under the dragon's upraisedwing, and there inflicted so sore a wound, that the monster,unaccustomed to pain, roared aloud with a noise like that of the oceanin a wintry storm.

  The weapon stuck in the dragon's flesh, until he contrived to tear itout with his claws, whereupon black blood streamed forth from his wound,and flames of fire from his nostrils. In his rage, he flung his greattail about: it twisted round the horse's legs, and the steed in itseffort to get free, only became the more entangled, and at length wasforced to throw the knight. Quickly he arose, and laying hold of hispowerful sword, struck the dragon a stroke that seemed as if it mustprove fatal. But the hardened iron took little effect upon the stillmore hardened crest, although it fell with a force that made the dragoncareful to avoid its blows.

  The knight grew angry when he saw his strokes of no avail, and struckagain with greater might, but the steel recoiled, leaving no mark whereit had fallen.

  Now the dragon was suffering from the wound under his wing, andimpatient of the pain, tried again to rise into the air. But the injuredwing impeded his effort, and full of rage and disappointment, he uttereda roar such as had never before been heard, and once more sent outflames of fire. These came right into the face of the knight, and makingtheir way through his armour, burned him so sorely that he could hardlyendure its weight. Faint and weary, burned, and sore with his wounds,worn out with heat and toil, and the very arms he bore, death seemed tohim much easier than life. "But death will never come when needsrequire," and his despair well nigh cost him dear.

  The dragon, seeing his discomfiture, turned upon him, and smiting himwith his tail, felled him to the ground. Very near, then, was the knightto the death he coveted.

  However, it so happened that, unknown to him, a well of rare virtue layclose by. Its waters could cure sicknesses, make the aged young, washsinful crimes away, and even restore the dead to life. In the happy daysbefore the accursed dragon had brought ruin to the land, it had beencalled the Well of Life; and though he had denied its sacred waters withinnocent blood, it still retained many of its ancient virtues. Into thisspring the knight fell.

  And now the sun began to set, and Una, watching from her hill, saw herchampion fall, and saw, too, that the monster swelled out his proudbreast, and clapped his great wings as if in victory. Little knowing theboon that had befallen her knight, the maiden grew very sad at heart,thinking all was lost. No sleep was possible to her. With folded hands,on lowly knees, she spent the long anxious hours in earnest prayer.

  When morning came, Una arose and looked anxiously around to see if,haply, she might discover the warrior still alive, for with the morningnew hopes frequently arise. By-and-bye, to her great joy, she saw himstart up, all fresh and invigorated by the powers of the wondrous well.The dragon was confounded at the sight, and knew not whether this washis foe of yesterday, or another come to take his place, when the knightuplifted his bright blade, and struck the monster a blow upon the skull,which wounded him in right earnest.

  Whether the sword had received some secret virtue from the waters of thewell, or whether they had only increased the strength of the knight'sright arm, none can tell, but never before had a blow taken such effecton the cruel monster. He yelled aloud as if he were a hundred lions allin one; he tossed his great tail aloft, and scourged the air into atempest, and flung about its mighty length, so that it overthrew hightrees, and tore rocks into pieces. Then advancing his tail high abovehis head, the dragon struck the knight and smote him to the ground. Thecruel sting pierced through his shield and fixed itself in his shoulder.There it remained, causing him very severe pain.

  The knight was nearly overcome, but more mindful of the issues involvedin the combat than of his own suffering, he rose and tried to freehimself. Unable to loose the sting, and inflamed with wrath and anguish,he struck the dragon on the tail, and at one blow cut off five of themighty joints. Deeply enraged, the creature thought to avenge himselfonce for all, and gathering himself up, fell fiercely on the knight'sshield, and kept fast hold of it.

  And now was the Red-cross Knight terribly encumbered. Three times hestrove to release his shield from the dragon's clutch, and three timesfailed. In despair he summoned his trusty sword to his aid, and laidabout with it so ruthlessly that at length the creature was forced towithdraw one foot in order to defend himself. Then the knight directedall his blows against the other foot, still fast fixed on the shield,until, by happy fortune, the sword fell upon the ankle-joint, andsevered it.

  Upon this there burst forth from the beast such smoke and flames andbrimstone as to dim the light of heaven itself and force the warrior toretreat, lest he should be scorched alive. As he did so,
his weary feetslipped, and he fell down, sore terrified with the dread of shame.

  Now it chanced that close by where he fell, there grew a goodly tree,laden with apples. Great virtue had belonged to this tree, and even nowthere trickled forth from it a stream of balm that fell on the groundand watered it as if with dew. This little stream imparted life and longhealth to all whom it benefited, and into its soothing power the knightfell, on this, the close of the second day's fight.

  Once more his life was saved, for the dragon, who was of death anddarkness, dared not approach aught life-giving. And now the daylightbegan to fade, and Una, seeing her lord again fall and lie motionless,knowing not that he lay in the healing balm, was once more stricken withsore affright, and watched and prayed for him all through the wearydarkness.

  When morning again dawned Una saw her knight arise, healed andrefreshed, ready for renewed combat. And the dragon, who had lainwaiting for the day that he might destroy him, grew afraid when hebeheld his foe as fresh as if he had not fought at all. Nevertheless, headvanced, full of his wonted pride and rage, with jaws wide open,thinking to devour his foe at the first encounter.

  But the knight was prepared to meet him; thrusting his keen weaponbetween the monster's open jaws, he ran it through his mouth, andwounded him with a mortal wound. Then the dragon fell, and as he fellthe earth groaned as if unable to support his weight. And the valiantknight himself trembled, so huge and hideous did the slain dragon look.

  Una, who had seen all from her hill, dared not at first approach; but atlength finding that the huge mass made no movement, she shook off herterror, and, drawing near, saw that the terrible monster was indeeddead. Then praising God, she thanked her brave champion for the greatdeliverance.

  The sun had scarcely risen above the eastern horizon, when the watchmanwho stood on the battlements of the brazen tower, saw the last breath ofthe monster fade away, and knowing then that the dragon was dead,shouted out the glad tidings.

  The king heard the shout, and rose in joyful haste, although for hisfeebleness he could not make much speed, and looked forth to see if thetidings were indeed true. When he found that they were, he commanded thebrazen gate, long closed, to be thrown open, and peace and joy to beproclaimed throughout the land--for the dragon was slain! Then thetrumpets sounded the happy victory, and the people, with one accord,assembled as in solemn festival, to rejoice over the fall of the greatand terrible beast.

  From the tower came forth the king and queen, clad in worn and sobergarments. Grave nobles attended them, and a band of young men, bearinglaurel boughs, followed in glad procession. Headed by the king thesemade their way to the Red-cross Knight, and, prostrating themselvesbefore him, loudly proclaimed him their lord and patron, casting thelaurels at his feet.

  As they did so, there issued from the brazen gate maidens adorned withgarlands, bearing sweet-sounding timbrels, and dancing as they went;while with them were children who sang to the maidens' music.

  This second procession wended its way until it came where Una stood, andthere they stayed and sang aloud her praises, and set a green garland onher head, crowning her "'twixt earnest and 'twixt game."

  Last of all came the mob, hurrying to see the dragon-slayer, whom theylooked upon as sent from heaven, and at whom they stared with gapingwonder. But when they arrived where lay the dead dragon they were filledwith fear. Some, indeed, were so terrified that they fled away; otherspretended to conceal their fear, while one who wished to be thoughtwiser than all the rest, suggested that the dragon might not be reallydead. At this another immediately declared that he could see firesparkle in his eye, while a third was persuaded he had seen the monsterwink. Others, more bold, stood near its carcase, in order to measure howmany acres it covered.

  Thus the people flocked about the dead dragon, while the king and histrain were entertaining the knight with gifts of ivory and gold. Afterthanking him a thousand times, and embracing their fair daughter Una,the king and queen conducted them to the palace, while the peoplestrewed the way with their garments and shouted aloud for joy.

  Now when the Red-cross Knight had rested and been feasted, the king andqueen called upon him to relate the story of his adventures. Tears randown their cheeks as they listened, and when he had ended, the kingagain welcomed him to the palace, and spoke of his resting there fromall further toil.

  But the knight declared that he might not rest yet, for he was bound byvow to Gloriana, Queen of Faeryland, to return and serve her for thespace of six years. Then the king called for Una, his only daughter andsole heir, and with his own hands betrothed her to the knight.

  Never in all her loveliness had Una looked so fair as when her fathercalled her forth. The toil of the journey over, she had put aside hersober mournful robe, and was arrayed in a dress of pure and shiningwhite, while the brightness of her beautiful countenance astonished evenher own true lord. There was great joy among both old and young at themarriage, and a solemn feast was ordered throughout the land.

  The Red-cross Knight held himself a thrice happy man, and ever as helooked on his dear lady rejoiced anew. In great peace and happiness heremained with Una until his conscience and his vow compelled him toreturn for a time to the court of Gloriana, leaving her in her dearparent's care.

  After this he was no longer known as the Red-cross Knight, but as St.George, the slayer of the dragon--the great Saint George whom Englandhas made her patron saint.