Король Артур и рыцари Круглого стола
Chapter III
”
“Ah,fool,”saidtheknight,“thydesireisutterlyinvain,foritshallneverbeachievedbutbyme,orbymynextofkin.”
Therewithhestartedtotheking’shorse,andmountedtothesaddle,cryingout,“Grammercy,thishorseismine!”
“Well,”saidtheking,“thoumayesttakemyhorsebyforce,andIwillnotsaynay;buttillweprovewhetherthouorIbebestonhorseback,Ishallnotrestcontent.”
“Seekmehere,”saidtheknight,“wheneverthouwilt,andherebythisfountainthoushaltfindme;”andsohepassedforthonhisway.
ThensatKingArthurinadeepfitofstudy,andbadehisyeomenfetchhimyetanotherhorseasquicklyastheycould.AndwhentheylefthimallalonecameMerlin,disguisedasachildoffourteenyearsofage,andsalutedtheking,andaskedhimwhyhewassopensiveandheavy.
“Imaywellbepensiveandheavy,”hereplied,“forhereevennowIhaveseenthestrangestsightIeversaw.”
“ThatknowIwell,”saidMerlin,“aswellasthyself,andalsoallthythoughts;butthouartfoolishtotakethought,foritwillnotamendthee.AlsoIknowwhatthouart,andknowthyfatherandthymother.”
“Thatisfalse,”saidKingArthur;“howshouldstthouknow?thyyearsarenotenough.”
“Yea,”saidMerlin,“butIknowbetterthanthouhowthouwastborn,andbetterthananymanliving.”
“Iwillnotbelievethee,”saidKingArthur,andwaswrothwiththechild.
SoMerlindeparted,andcameagaininthelikenessofanoldmanoffourscoreyearsofage;andthekingwasgladathiscoming,forheseemedwiseandvenerable.
