The Red Romance Book

child, a little girl, whom they named Una, and they all lived

arger and more horrible than any dragon which had yet been heard of, arrived one night, seized the king and queen as they were walking in the garden after the heat of the day, and carr

r’s court, but there was not one amongst them to whose hands their rescue could be entrusted. One spent his days in writing pretty verses to the ladies who were about the queen, another passed his time in putting on suits more brilliant than any worn by his friends, a third loved hawking, but did not welcome the rough life and

on the way, but at last she found the knight rest

castle, with a man and wom

RTURE of UN

to the castle, for I know nothing of the countries that lie beyond the sea;’ and Una heard his

, and, placing a blood-red cross upon his breast, swung himself on to his horse’s back. And so they rode over the

and besides, the beauty of the flowers and the sweet scent of the fruit caused them to forget the trouble they would have to find the road again. But when the sound of the thunder ceased, and the lightning no longer darted through the leaves, they were startled to per

his spear to the dwarf; ‘and first, you, lady, shall remain, here, while I enter and make sure

, hated by God and man.’ And the voice of the dwarf cried also, ‘Fly, fly! this is no place for living men.

he darksome

mour made a littl

aw the ugly m

erpent horrib

f did woman’s

round, as if to find a way to flee. Before her stood the knight, his sword drawn, waiting for

und her, while his sword glanced, blunted, from off her skin. Blow after blow he struck, but they only served to increase her fur

l as the darkness would let her; and the knight heard, and seized the monster by the throat, till sh

s thickly, they at last found themselves on the other side of the plain, just as the sun was sinking to rest. They pushed on fast, hoping to find

ago, the professor of lore which could read the secrets of men’s hearts, answered that the hour was late for the undertaking of such things, and bade them res

ave, the monster has the body o

NIGHT ENTERS TH

told them he had always at hand for the entertainment of guests. But, for himself, he crept unseen to a little

und him a crowd of little sprites awaiting his bidding, but he motioned all aside except two — one of

reached his journey’s end. ‘Give me, I pray you, as swiftl

to make people miserable, dreams to stir people to good, and dreams to move them to every kind of wickedness — he took fro

of Una sprang into his mind, till at length, unable to bear any longer the grief of mistrusting her he so loved and honoured, the knight called to the dwarf to bring him his

se’s neck, till a bend in the path brought him face to face with a mighty Saracen, bearing on his arm a shield with the words ‘Sans foy’ written across it. B

evil dream on a sl

’S CELL. The

o had barely time to steady himself to receive the blow, which caused him to reel in his saddle. The blow was indeed so hard that it would have pierced the knight’s

between them, when the boastful Sansfoy fell from his horse, and rolled heavily to the ground. The lady hardly waited for the issue of the combat, and galloped off lest

to the young knight, who listened, believing, to the false tale she told. Pitying her from his heart, he assured her

n rushed out from a thicket with eyes glaring and teeth gleaming, seeking to devour his prey. But at the si

he find it in his cruel heart to hate her that him loved?’ she moaned sadly, and the lion again looked pityingly at her, and at last

a pot of water. At sight of the lion she flung down the pitcher, and ran to the hut where she dwelt, without once looking behind her. In the cottage sat her blind mother, n

ied to Una’s gentle prayer for a night’s lodging, her ‘unruly page’ put his paw on the little door, which opened with a crash. The maiden then stepped softly over the threshold, begging afre

whatever else he had managed to pick up by stealth. To spend the night in thieving was his custom, and hither h

burst the door asunder, as the lion had done before him. He entered the hut, and straightway beheld the dreadful beast, with glaring eyes and gleaming teeth, as Una had f

n and lamb at her side are beside a stream w

he Lion, she flun

he magician Archimago, who had taken on himself the form of him whom she sought. Too true and unsuspecting was she, to dream of guile in others, and the welcome she gave him was from her whole heart. In the guise of the knight, Archimago

owards them wi

armed, and on

ans loy’ could be read, wr

d his skill in war; and his heart was faint from fear, when the Saracen reined back his horse and prepared fo

fallen man to deal him his death-stroke when a cry from Una stayed his hand for a moment, though it was not her prayers for m

is this?’ And still Archimago lay on t

nd wondered what was the meaning of these things. Then she turned to f

ith gaping jaws, and almost tore the shield from his arm. But the knight leapt swiftly back, and swinging his swo

et Una on his steed befo

rie Queene.]