The Giant Green Knight |
On New Year's Eve, Arthur had a grand party. Then a mysterious knight rode into the room. He challenged anyone to try to chop his head off if he would get to try to chop off theirs a year later, if he was still alive. Sir Gawain tried and succeeded, but instead of the knight falling down, he walked over, picked up his head, and rode away! A year passed and soon it was winter and Gawain knew he must ride off to find the Green Knight and his Green Chapel. On Christmas he found a castle whose Lord said he knew where the Chapel was. In the Castle, he was greeted by a nice man and an old lady. They said they would give him room until New Year's when they must find the giant. He and the Lord agreed to a bet that whatever they got on that day they would give to each other. So the first day the Lord found animals to hunt and Gawain received one kiss by a young pretty lady in the Castle. The next day the lord got good animals and Gawain received two kisses. On the final day of the bet, Gawain received three kisses and a green silky magical sash. The lord received some foxes from the hunt. Gawain only gave the kisses and hid the sash. Then the Lord agreed to guide the Knight to the Chapel. He found the Green Knight and prepared for the Knight to try to chop Gawain's head off. The green Knight interrupted himself two times and the third time, drew a trickle of blood. The green Knight explained that he actually was the Lord at the Castle, disguised by the old lady Morgana. He did not chop the first two times, since the first two days Gawain had been truthful. He did chop the third time because Gawain had lied the third time. The moral of this story is never to lie. |