hat morning, when at last, after the weary years of exile, he again
saw his native land, he laid his head down on his arms and cried like
a child.

And, may be, you too some day may know the joy of coming home, out of
the land of bondage.

CANTERBURY TALES

By GEOFFREY CHAUCER

ADAPTED BY JANET HARVEY KELMAN

I

DORIGEN

Once upon a time a young knight, whose name was Arviragus, dwelt in
Brittany. In the same country lived a beautiful lady called Dorigen.
And the knight loved the lady.

For years Arviragus did not know whether she loved him or not. She was
a great lady and very fair, and he was afraid to ask her. But she knew
that he loved her, for when he rode past her window on his way to the
wars, she could see her colors streaming from his helmet. At first she
did not think much of this, for many knights fought for love of her;
but as she heard of new and greater deeds that this noble knight did
year by year, she began to care for him a great deal. When she thought
of his goodness and of the honor in which he held her, she knew that
there was no one else that she could love as she loved Arviragus. And
when Arviragus knew that she loved him and was willing to be his wife,
his heart was full of joy. So greatly did he wish to make Dorigen
happy with him, that he said to her that he would obey her and do what
she wished as gladly all his life as he had done while he was trying
to win her love. To this she replied:

"Sir, since in thy great gentleness thou givest me so high a place, I
pray to God that there may never be strife between us two by any fault
of mine. Sir, I will be thy true and humble wife until I die!"

Then Arviragus took his bride home with him to his castle by the sea.
He honored Dorigen as much as he had done before his marriage, and
tried to fulfil her wishes in everything. Dorigen was just as eager to
please Arviragus as he was to please her, and they were happy together
in all their work and play.

Arviragus stayed quietly at home for a year, but after that he grew
restless. He felt that no true knight had a right to live on quietly
at home, with nothing to do except to order his castle and to hunt. So
he sailed away to England that he might win honor and renown in the
wars there.

Dorigen stood by the castle and watched his sails disappear in the
north. Poor Dorigen! her husband was gone, and she did not know if he
would ever come back to her. For weeks she wept and mo