ion, whereof his knights were passing glad. And
when they heard of his adventures, they marveled that he would jeopard
his person so, alone. But all men of worship said it was merry to be
under such a chieftain, that would put his person in adventure as other
poor knights did.

This meanwhile came a messenger from King Rience of North Wales, and
king he was of all Ireland, and of many isles. And this was his message,
greeting well King Arthur in this manner wise, saying that King Rience
had discomfited and overcome eleven kings, and every each of them did
him homage, and that was this, they gave him their beards clean flayed
off, as much as there was; wherefore the messenger came for King
Arthur's beard. For King Rience had purfled a mantle with king's beards,
and there lacked one place of the mantle; wherefore he sent for his
beard, or else he would enter his lands, and burn and slay, and never
leave till he have the head and the beard.

"Well," said Arthur, "thou hast said thy message, the which is the most
villainous and lewdest message that ever man heard sent unto a king;
also thou mayest see my beard is full young yet to make a purfle of it.
But tell thou thy king this: I owe him none homage, nor none of mine
elders, but or it be long to, he shall do me homage on both his knees,
or else he shall lose his head, by the faith of my body, for this is the
most shamefulest message that ever I heard speak of. I have espied thy
king met never yet with worshipful man, but tell him I will have his
head without he do me homage." Then the messenger departed.

"Now is there any here," said Arthur, "that knoweth King Rience?"

Then answered a knight that hight Naram, "Sir, I know the king well. He
is a passing good man of his body, as few be living, and a passing proud
man, and Sir, doubt ye not he will make war on you with a mighty
puissance."

"Well," said Arthur, "I shall ordain for him in short time."

404

The story of "Arthur and Sir Accalon" is taken
from Maude Radford Warren's _King Arthur and
His Knights_. (By permission of the publishers,
Rand McNally & Co., Chicago.) The stories in
Malory are retold in a simple and direct style
that can be read easily by children in the
fifth grade. Most teachers will probably find
themselves obliged to use some such book for
any of these great cycles which they desire to
teach, owing to the