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    King Arthur and His Knights by Maude Radford Warren King Arthur by Maude Radford Warren    

Chapter 14: The Knight with the Badly Made Coat

Performer: LibriVox - Robin Cotter


One day when Arthur and his knights were in the hall of the Round Table, a young man entered. He was so large that his shoulders were as wide as the doorway, and he could hardly squeeze through. The knights looked at him in amazement, for he was almost a giant.

When he came closer to them, they saw that he had on a coat which was far too large for him. It hung in wrinkles and folds all over his back, and the sleeves were so long that he had to turn them up almost to the elbow. The coat was of rich material, gold cloth, but it was old and blood-stained.

The young man strode up to the king and said, "My lord, my name is Brune. I can tell you no more than that. I beg you to make me a knight."

At this Sir Kay laughed and said, "He must be called The Knight with the Badly Made Coat."

"Call me what you will," said the young man. "Yes, I take that name, for I will not tell my real one."

Then Arthur spoke to him gently, "Young man, you ask a great thing. All those in my Court who are made knights must serve for a long time as squires. If they prove themselves loyal and brave, I make them knights. But I must always know whence they come, and who their fathers are."

"My lord," said the young man, "I do indeed ask a great thing. I would gladly tell you more of myself, but I am under a vow to reveal no more than you already know. Yet I will tell you this, further. I am the son of a noble who was as big as a giant. My good father was very peaceable and did not care to fight; so he never came to your Court, and you did not hear of him. He lived at home with my mother and me, and the simple people who plowed the land about our castle.
'Fight with the Lion' by Lucas Cranach

"Every one ought to have loved him; but he had one enemy. One day, six years ago, when I was only a boy, my father and I were in the forest. My father was sleeping at the foot of a tree, and I was bathing in a brook near by. This enemy, who wanted my father's lands, came up and drove his sword into my father's heart. Then he rode away. I ran up to my dead father and took off the coat which he wore and put it on. I swore never to take it off, and never to tell my father's name or where I came from, till I had avenged his death.

"Then I rode home to our castle, but our enemy had taken possession of it, and had made my mother prisoner. As I was not yet grown up I vowed that I would stay with the good shepherds near by till I was strong enough to pull up a young tree by the roots. Then I would go to King Arthur's Court and ask to be made a knight. So every month I have tried to uproot a young tree. This morning I succeeded, and here, my lords, I am."

The knights were much moved and prayed the king to make him a knight. They said that they would teach him to use arms. The king said that he would wait to see what sort of man Brune was.

A few days after this all the knights rode off to a tournament and Brune was left at home with a few soldiers. He was in the castle yard practicing some of the lessons in warfare which the knights had been teaching him. While he was hard at work, Queen Guinevere with twelve soldiers who were her bodyguard passed by.

As she was speaking kindly to Brune, they heard a terrible noise, and looking in the direction from which it came, saw a dreadful sight. A fierce lion which had been confined in a tower of stone had broken out of its prison and was rushing towards them. The twelve soldiers fled, leaving the queen and Brune alone.

"Ah," said Brune, "not all the cowards in the world are dead."

He stood still while the lion bounded towards him. He had dropped his sword, and as the beast leaped upon him, he seized its head in his hands. Then he slowly, slowly, bent its head back. It was a strong lion, and with the effort the muscles on Brune's neck stood out like great ropes. Presently, the queen and Brune heard a loud crack and they knew that the lion's neck was broken. Brune loosed his hold, and the huge tawny body dropped to the ground, quivered a moment, and was still.

While this was going on, the king and his knights returned. They saw at a glance what Brune had done, and cheered him loudly. The king rode up to him.

"Kneel down," he said.

Brune knelt down by the body of the lion, and the king touched him lightly with his sword, saying, "Sir Brune, I make you a knight of my Round Table. Be always loyal, brave, and merciful."

Then all the knights were glad, but Sir Brune was gladdest of all.

    King Arthur and His Knights by Maude Radford Warren King Arthur by Maude Radford Warren    

Chapter 14: The Knight with the Badly Made Coat

Performer: LibriVox - Robin Cotter

Directions

Study the chapter for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read and/or listen to the chapter.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Answer the review questions.

Synopsis

An enormous and shabbily dressed young man called Brune asks King Arthur to make him a knight, but refuses to reveal his identity. At first, King Arthur refuses to make Brune a knight. King Arthur only takes on squires if he knows their backgrounds, and squires must serve for years before becoming knights. Brune tells King Arthur he's taken a vow to conceal his identity until he avenges the murder of his noble father and rescues his imprisoned mother. Touched by his story, the knights urge King Arthur to let them train Brune, and Arthur allows him to stay. When Brune single-handedly saves Queen Guinevere from a lion, Arthur knights him, making him Sir Brune.

Vocabulary

Whence: From where.
Brook: A body of running water smaller than a river.
Avenge: To vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
Arms: Weapons.
Tawny: A light brown to brownish orange color.
Quiver: To tremble.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Book Information

  • Recite the name of the author, the title of the book, and the title of the chapter.

Activity 2: Narrate the Story

  • Narrate the events aloud in your own words.

Activity 3: Study the Story Picture(s)

  • Study the story picture(s) and verbally describe the relation to the story.

Activity 4: Discuss the Story

  • In the story, Arthur makes an exception to a rule when he makes Brune a knight.
  • In Brune's case, there were extenuating circumstances, or facts that mitigate a wrongdoing.
  • Describe the extenuating circumstances the led to Brune becoming a knight without serving as a squire or revealing his full identify.

Activity 5: Act Out a Passage

Practice acting out the following passage, with drama and feeling.

  • I beg you to make me a knight. (Brune)
  • He must be called The Knight with the Badly Made Coat. (Sir Kay, laughing)
  • Call me what you will. Yes, I take that name, for I will not tell my real one. (Brune)

Activity 6: Playact King Arthur Knighting Brune

  • Have one person kneel.
  • Have a second person lightly tap the first on the shoulders.
  • Have the second person say, 'Sir Brune, I make you a knight of my Round Table. Be always loyal, brave, and merciful.'

Activity 7: Complete Written Narration   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 159 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'

Activity 8: Complete Copywork and Dictation   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete pages 159-160 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'

Activity 9: Color the Image   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 160 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'

Activity 10: Answer Written Review Questions   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 161 of 'Fourth Grade Prose: Written Narration, Dictation, and Review Questions.'

Review

Question 1

What does Brune want from King Arthur?
1 / 6

Answer 1

Brune wants King Arthur to make him a knight.
1 / 6

Question 2

Why won't King Arthur initially make Brune a knight?
2 / 6

Answer 2

King Arthur refuses to make Brune a Knight unless he serves as a squire for years and reveals his full identify.
2 / 6

Question 3

Why won't Brune reveal his identity?
3 / 6

Answer 3

Brune has taken a vow to conceal his identity until he avenges his father and mother.
3 / 6

Question 4

What does Brune fight and kill to save Queen Guinevere?
4 / 6

Answer 4

Brune fights and kills and escaped lion to save Queen Guinevere.
4 / 6

Question 5

Who doesn't run when the lion charges?
5 / 6

Answer 5

Brune and Queen Guinevere did not run when the lion charged them.
5 / 6

Question 6

What does King Arthur do when he realizes Brune saved Queen Guinevere's life?
6 / 6

Answer 6

King Arthur makes Brune a knight when he realizes Brune saved Queen Guinevere's life.
6 / 6

  1. What does Brune want from King Arthur? Brune wants King Arthur to make him a knight.
  2. Why won't King Arthur initially make Brune a knight? King Arthur refuses to make Brune a Knight unless he serves as a squire for years and reveals his full identify.
  3. Why won't Brune reveal his identity? Brune has taken a vow to conceal his identity until he avenges his father and mother.
  4. What does Brune fight and kill to save Queen Guinevere? Brune fights and kills and escaped lion to save Queen Guinevere.
  5. Who doesn't run when the lion charges? Brune and Queen Guinevere did not run when the lion charged them.
  6. What does King Arthur do when he realizes Brune saved Queen Guinevere's life? King Arthur makes Brune a knight when he realizes Brune saved Queen Guinevere's life.

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