By Austin Grisham
“My king, I will be the one to find the answer to Merlin’s riddle,” Sir Percival yelled back to Arthur. He galloped ahead of the other knights as they made their way through the dark forest.
Sage, the king’s squire, looked over to his lordship. “Sir Percival seems quite eager to gain your lordship’s attention.”
King Arthur rode beside his squire, his walnut eyes taking in the path before him. “I—”
“Have no worries, king, I will be the one!” Sir Gallahad charged by, his armor clinking as he whipped his horse forward.
“Arthur needs his greatest knight to find it.” Lancelot’s blonde locks flashed past right behind.
A weary sigh left Arthur’s lips as he watched his knights try to beat each other to the lead.
Sage’s eyes wandered from the knights to his king. “At least this may not be a lengthy crusade, my lord.”
Arthur chuckled. “Indeed, squire, although I still puzzle over Merlin’s prophecy. In the dark wood you will find a crown touched by above. At its end, your kingdom’s wisdom will be found.”
“Yes, rather cryptic, my lord,” Sage replied.
“Indeed, but half of a court wizard’s job is to be bewildering,” Arthur said with a wink. “They will throw you out of the guild otherwise.” He dug his heels into his steed, galloping to catch up with his knights.
“My king, I see the crown before me!” Gallahad called, his voice a high timber as he pointed in the direction of the wood ahead. “Wait, did it move?” He sounded a little perplexed.
“That’s a goldfinch. Your old eyes are betraying you!” Lancelot pointed to the bird flying into the foliage above them.
“At least I have eyes for something other than myself. I am surprised you have not found a stream to stare at yourself lovingly yet. I would expect more from the prettiest knight in the land.”
“Gallahad, you wish you had these blonde locks.” Lancelot twisted his fingers in his hair. “That bald head of yours must get cold during the winter.”
“Why must you two be such miscreants?” Sir Percival asked. “If you followed my lead—”
Gallahad scoffed. “We would be drowning in that pond you wanted to jump into. You were so eager to find the crown—”
“That turtle’s shell could grace many a lordship’s head!”
Sage spoke up, “My lord, I think that might be Merlin’s prophecy.”
The squire pointed at a great tree before them. It was massive, with a width that was greater than three of the king’s great war horses standing one in front of the other. It dwarfed the other trees beside it.
“And it has been touched by above,” Sage said.
He was right. The topmost branches were blackened by lightning, and a large crack zigzagged its way through the top third of the trunk.
“But the crown… ” Arthur rubbed his chin, then he snapped his fingers. “It is not a king’s crown, but the crown of a tree!”
“That is exactly what I thought too! Two minds alike, my lord!” Percival galloped ahead to the trunk. Jumping off his steed, he tried in desperation to claw his way up. He only made it a few feet before falling.
“I am the strongest, I should have the best shot!” Gallahad pushed Lancelot to the side as he made his way to the trunk. Soon enough, he got a bump on his bald head as he fell too.
The king and Sage watched the knights for a few minutes as they tried in vain to make their way up.
I wish there was this much competition to clean the king’s stalls. I’d let any man beat me in that, Sage thought to himself before he turned to his lordship. “My king, I think there is only one way we may see that crown.” He pulled a couple axes from the side satchel on his saddle.
“Good thinking, Sage.” Arthur called to his bickering knights, his voice full of bite, “Enough! Sir knights, we have work to do.”
For a second you could only hear the breeze whisper through the trees as all three knights turned a half circle to their king.
“Yes, my lord,” they chorused.
Sage couldn’t help but grin. Truly, Arthur is a great king if he can get those three to agree on anything.
It took several hours, but eventually the great tree fell.
Arthur looked through the tree’s burnt branches, but he couldn’t find anything of value.
“My king, like I said before, I think this was a vain hope.” Sir Percival looked at his king sadly.
“Oh please!” Gallahad snorted.
Arthur stepped a few dozen paces from the tree trunk, Sage by his side. “The way those men quarrel. The constant one upmanship!” he said quietly.
“I do remember the last full meeting we had, my lord. The row over who would sit at the end of your table, it almost split the kingdom.”
“Indeed, how do I unite them?”
Sage pulled at his lip. “That last part of the prophecy. At its end, your kingdom’s wisdom will be found.”
“Yes?”
“Maybe we are at the wrong end?”
The king looked at the large circle of wood at the trunk’s base, then turned back to his squire. “Two minds… ”
It took two days to haul the half foot cut they had taken from the bottom of the tree, but after a week, the king’s carpenter presented Arthur with his round table.
It was a wonder how well it worked. As far as his knights were concerned, they each got to sit at the end of the table, and all were equal.
“It is funny how one piece of furniture can make such a big difference, aye knight?”
“Indeed, my lord.” Sir Sage responded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
That was great. I love how you used the simple idea of the Round Table to say such a profound lesson. I like how Sage was promoted at the end.
Thanks Joseph!
a wonderful retelling!! ingenious origin of the round table!
Thanks Laurie!
Loved your rendition of Arthurian legend. More fun than Sir Thomas Malory’s version of Arthur and the Round Table!
That’s high praise!
hat tip to Alfred, Lord Tennyson!
Funny stuff!
Thanks Pamela!
AWESOME background/origin story. :D
Thanks Rose!
Wow, this was a great and clever story! :D I loved the vibe and that it was a King Arthur story! The journey in the woods made me think of the journey in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.