shaking her head sadly.
Chapter 2
Sir Givret
As it turned out, King Arthur himself captured the white stag, but all the knights had a splendid day of hunting, and with great goodwill they returned to Camelot to celebrate their day with a feast. The goodwill lasted through the meal, and as the last dishes were being cleared, Arthur rose to his feet and said, "There is only one matter left to deal with. By capturing the stag, I have earned the right to kiss the most beautiful lady in the world/' He turned toward Queen Guinevere.
"I suppose I have to allow it," interrupted one of Arthur's knights, Sir Gilbert the Lovestruck, with a sigh. "Here she is, Lady Mariana."
King Arthur hesitated. "Er, Lady Mariana?"
"Yes," declared Sir Gilbert, sighing again. "The most beautiful lady in the world!" Lady Mariana blushed, and King Arthur scratched his head. Things had gotten complicated.
Then another knight, Sir Cadmus the Handsome, rose. "Excuse me, Your Highness," he said. "I believe I can help you."
"Can you?" asked King Arthur. "I would be very grateful."
"Yes," Sir Cadmus said. "You should kiss
my
lady, Lady Gretchen."
Givret put his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands.
Matters got worse. Sir Griflet the Tidy leaped to his feet. "I beg your pardon, Sir Cadmus, but
my
lady, Lady Winifred, is the most beautiful lady in the world!"
"Lady Winifred!" exclaimed Sir Cadmus with a snort. "Compared to my Gretchen? Tm afraid, my friend, that well have to change your name to Sir Griflet the Blind."
Sir Gilbert sniffed. "Well, if Sir Cadmus the Lackwit thinks that his Gretchen can hold a candle to my Marianaâ"
All around the banquet hall, each lady began looking at her knight with raised eyebrowsâas if to say, "Well?"-and the knights began to clear their throats and rise uncomfortably to their feet. "Actually,
my
lady is the most beautiful in the world!" ... "No,
mine
is!" ... "You're all off your heads!
My
lady is far more beautiful!"
Sir Cadmus turned to the king. "Sire!" he called out. "I appeal to your judgment! Will you please tell Sir Griflet the Simplepate that compared to my Gretchenâ"
"My liege," interrupted Sir Griflet, "if Sir Cadmus the Stable-Trash-for-Brains is quite finished, would you please declare that my Winifred isâ"
"Silence!" commanded King Arthur. The room grew still. The king gazed sternly about the room, his eyes pausing briefly at Givret. "I will announce my decision in a moment," he said. "Ah, Givret, would you mind stepping aside with me for a moment?"
When the king and Givret were away from the others, King Arthur whispered, "Is this why you advised against the hunt?"
Givret nodded. "Yes, sire. You see, some knights will do anything to defend their lady's beauty."
The king grinned suddenly "Some will even go to Scotland." Givret blinked with surprise, but the king said, "Guinevere told me how you got rid of that rude knight in the forest. Quite brilliant. I don't suppose you could fix up this mess so neatly, could you?"
Givret thought for a moment. "I can try" he said. He turned to the gathered knights. "My friends, the king has chosen the most beautiful lady in the world."
King Arthur looked alarmed, but his knights began calling out, "Who? Who is it?"
Givret waited until the room was quiet. "I think we
all
know which lady is the most beautiful," he said calmly. "After all, true beauty should be obvious to everyone, or what would be the point of it? And, since we all know who it is, I don't even need to say her name."
The knights glanced at each other uncertainly.
Givret continued, "Moreover, the king has decided that such a beautiful lady should only be [[graphic]]kissed by her own true love, so he freely surrenders his prize to that lady's knight."
Givret paused expectantly. The knights shuffled their feet and scratched their heads.
"Well?" Givret said. "Aren't you going to kiss her?"
With a start, all the knights realized that the tables had been
Chapter 2
Sir Givret
As it turned out, King Arthur himself captured the white stag, but all the knights had a splendid day of hunting, and with great goodwill they returned to Camelot to celebrate their day with a feast. The goodwill lasted through the meal, and as the last dishes were being cleared, Arthur rose to his feet and said, "There is only one matter left to deal with. By capturing the stag, I have earned the right to kiss the most beautiful lady in the world/' He turned toward Queen Guinevere.
"I suppose I have to allow it," interrupted one of Arthur's knights, Sir Gilbert the Lovestruck, with a sigh. "Here she is, Lady Mariana."
King Arthur hesitated. "Er, Lady Mariana?"
"Yes," declared Sir Gilbert, sighing again. "The most beautiful lady in the world!" Lady Mariana blushed, and King Arthur scratched his head. Things had gotten complicated.
Then another knight, Sir Cadmus the Handsome, rose. "Excuse me, Your Highness," he said. "I believe I can help you."
"Can you?" asked King Arthur. "I would be very grateful."
"Yes," Sir Cadmus said. "You should kiss
my
lady, Lady Gretchen."
Givret put his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands.
Matters got worse. Sir Griflet the Tidy leaped to his feet. "I beg your pardon, Sir Cadmus, but
my
lady, Lady Winifred, is the most beautiful lady in the world!"
"Lady Winifred!" exclaimed Sir Cadmus with a snort. "Compared to my Gretchen? Tm afraid, my friend, that well have to change your name to Sir Griflet the Blind."
Sir Gilbert sniffed. "Well, if Sir Cadmus the Lackwit thinks that his Gretchen can hold a candle to my Marianaâ"
All around the banquet hall, each lady began looking at her knight with raised eyebrowsâas if to say, "Well?"-and the knights began to clear their throats and rise uncomfortably to their feet. "Actually,
my
lady is the most beautiful in the world!" ... "No,
mine
is!" ... "You're all off your heads!
My
lady is far more beautiful!"
Sir Cadmus turned to the king. "Sire!" he called out. "I appeal to your judgment! Will you please tell Sir Griflet the Simplepate that compared to my Gretchenâ"
"My liege," interrupted Sir Griflet, "if Sir Cadmus the Stable-Trash-for-Brains is quite finished, would you please declare that my Winifred isâ"
"Silence!" commanded King Arthur. The room grew still. The king gazed sternly about the room, his eyes pausing briefly at Givret. "I will announce my decision in a moment," he said. "Ah, Givret, would you mind stepping aside with me for a moment?"
When the king and Givret were away from the others, King Arthur whispered, "Is this why you advised against the hunt?"
Givret nodded. "Yes, sire. You see, some knights will do anything to defend their lady's beauty."
The king grinned suddenly "Some will even go to Scotland." Givret blinked with surprise, but the king said, "Guinevere told me how you got rid of that rude knight in the forest. Quite brilliant. I don't suppose you could fix up this mess so neatly, could you?"
Givret thought for a moment. "I can try" he said. He turned to the gathered knights. "My friends, the king has chosen the most beautiful lady in the world."
King Arthur looked alarmed, but his knights began calling out, "Who? Who is it?"
Givret waited until the room was quiet. "I think we
all
know which lady is the most beautiful," he said calmly. "After all, true beauty should be obvious to everyone, or what would be the point of it? And, since we all know who it is, I don't even need to say her name."
The knights glanced at each other uncertainly.
Givret continued, "Moreover, the king has decided that such a beautiful lady should only be [[graphic]]kissed by her own true love, so he freely surrenders his prize to that lady's knight."
Givret paused expectantly. The knights shuffled their feet and scratched their heads.
"Well?" Givret said. "Aren't you going to kiss her?"
With a start, all the knights realized that the tables had been
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