The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True Read Free

Reynold scout around and see what you can find?" The two knights nodded. "And remember," added King Arthur, "
ask.
"
    So the two knights set off in opposite directions. Sir Reynold rode west and within an hour came upon a clearing in the forest, where two huge cook fires roared. Over one blaze a whole ox was roasting, and over the other sizzled a gigantic wild boar. On a blanket by the fire were heaped several freshly cooked fowl. "Now
there's
something like!" exclaimed the knight.
    "What do you want?" snapped a stern, rather high-pitched voice. Sir Reynold had to look about the clearing twice before he located the speaker, a red-bearded dwarf standing near the ox.
    "Some food, of course! I'm starving!"
    "Well, you can't have any!" sniffed the dwarf. "This is my food."
    "All yours?" demanded Sir Reynold.
    "Do you see anyone else here?" retorted the dwarf.
    "Don't be ridiculous!" gasped Sir Reynold. "A little fellow like you? You don't need all this!"
    "I'm
very
hungry," replied the dwarf. He turned his back on Sir Reynold and began turning the ox on its spit.
    "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Why, you'd pop if you ate a tenth of this! I'm having lunch!" With that, Sir Reynold dismounted and lifted a chicken from the stack on the blanket. At once, brilliant green and yellow lights seemed to burst in front of his eyes, and that was the last thing Sir Reynold remembered for some time.
    Not long after this, Sir Gawain rode into the dwarf's clearing. Having found nothing to the east, he had circled around, hoping to meet up with Sir Reynold. Like Sir Reynold, Sir Gawain gazed at all the dwarf's food with amazement. "My goodness!" he exclaimed.
    "What do you want?" demanded the dwarf's thin voice.
    Sir Gawain nodded his head in greeting. "Good afternoon," he said.
    The dwarf grunted. "Good afternoon," he replied, grudgingly. "Who are you?"
    "My name is Sir Gawain," said Sir Gawain. Then he added, "And what's your name?"
    The dwarf's scowl lightened a little bit. "I'm called Spinagras. Now are you going to answer my question? What do you want?"
    "I'm traveling with King Arthur, and we were separated from our supplies during the storm. I was scouting for food."
    Spinagras nodded slowly, then turned back to the ox. "Well, good luck."
    Sir Gawain hesitated. "Er ... I say, friend Spinagras..."
    "Yes?"
    "
You
seem to have a good deal of food."
    "So?"
    "I was just wondering if maybe you had enough to share with King Arthur's party."
    Spinagras didn't even turn around. "This is
my
food."
    "Yes, of course," Sir Gawain replied. "But are you quite sure that you need all of it?"
    At last the dwarf turned and gazed challeng-ingly into Sir Gawain's eyes. "What if I said that I did? What would you do then?"
    Sir Gawain sighed. The smell of roasting meat was tantalizing, but he only said, "I suppose I'd have to ride on and keep looking."
    Spinagras's eyes widened with surprise. "Just ride on? You wouldn't take even a little bit? You could, you know; you're bigger than I am. You could cut off my head in a second."
    Sir Gawain shook his head. "I don't think I will, though, if it's all right with you. King Arthur told us if we found someone with food, we were to ask politely. That's all."
    "So why haven't you?"
    Sir Gawain blinked. Thinking back over their conversation, he realized that he never had actually asked. "Would you share your food with us?"
    "Would I share my food with you
what?
"
    "Er, please?"
    Spinagras smiled broadly. "Well said, Sir Gawain! Go fetch your king and tell him to come to dinner."
    "Really?"
    "I was just waiting to be asked. You'd be amazed at how rude some passing knights can be. Why, the fellow before you was an absolute lout."
    From this description, Sir Gawain guessed he had found Sir Reynold. "And, if I may ask, what happened to that knight?"
    "He had an accident, and I sent him off tied to his horse's saddle. He'll be fine, barring a bit of a bump on the head. Well? What are you waiting for? Your king's