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Page 26
The second knight was Gerald the Glad, who was so happy himself that he
made everybody around him happy too; for his sweet smile and cheery
words were so comforting that none could be sad or cross or angry when
he was near.
Sir Kenneth the Kind was the third knight, and he won his name by his
tender heart. Even the creatures of the wood knew and loved him, for he
never hurt anything that God had made.
The fourth knight had a face as beautiful as his name, and he was called
Percival the Pure. He thought beautiful thoughts, said beautiful words,
and did beautiful deeds, for he kept his whole life as lovely as a
garden full of flowers without a single weed.
Tristram the True was the last knight, and he was leader of them all.
The king of the country trusted these five knights; and one morning in
the early spring-time he called them to him and said:--
"My trusty knights, I am growing old, and I long to see in my kingdom
many knights like you to take care of my people; and so I will send you
through all my kingdom to choose for me a little boy who may live at my
court and learn from you those things which a knight must know. Only a
good child can be chosen. A good child is worth more than a kingdom. And
when you have found him, bring him, if he will come willingly, to me,
and I shall be happy in my old age."
Now the knights were well pleased with the words of the king, and at the
first peep of day they were ready for their journey, and rode down the
king's highway with waving plumes and shining shields.
No sooner had they started on their journey than the news spread abroad
over the country, and many fathers and mothers who were anxious for the
favor of the king sent messengers to invite the knights to visit them.
The parents' messages were so full of praises of their children that the
knights scarcely knew where to go. Some of the parents said that their
sons were beautiful; some said theirs were smart; but as the knights
cared nothing for a child who was not good, they did not hurry to see
these children.
On the second day, however, as they rode along, they met a company of
men in very fine clothes, who bowed down before them; and while the
knights drew rein in astonishment, a little man stepped in front of the
others to speak to them.
He was a fat little man, with a fat little voice; and he told the
knights that he had come to invite them to the castle of the Baron
Borribald, whose son Florimond was the most wonderful child in the
world.
"Oh! there is nothing he cannot do," cried the fat little man whose name
was Puff. "You must hear him talk! You must see him walk!"
So the knights followed him; and when they had reached the castle,
Florimond ran to meet them. He was a merry little fellow, with long fair
curls and rosy cheeks; and when he saw the fine horses he clapped his
hands with delight. The baron and baroness, too, were well pleased with
their visitors, and made a feast in their honor; but early the next
morning, the knights were startled by a most awful sound which seemed to
come from the hall below.
"Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" It sounded something like the howling of a dog; but
as they listened, it grew louder and louder, until it sounded like the
roaring of a lion.
The knights seized their swords and rushed down to see what was the
matter; and there, in the middle of the hall, stood Florimond, his
cheeks puffed up and his eyes swollen,--and right out of his open mouth
came that terrible noise: "Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!"
His mamma and papa were begging him to be quiet. The cook had run up
with a pie, and the nurse with a toy, but Florimond only opened his
mouth and screamed the louder, because the rain was coming down, when he
wanted to play out of doors!
Then the knights saw that they were not wanted, and they hurried
upstairs to prepare for their journey. The baron and baroness and fat
little Puff all begged them to stay, and Florimond cried again when they
left him; but the knights did not care to stay with a child who was not
good.
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