Английские легенды / The English Legends

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“You’re telling me the truth,” said Uther, “Because it was I who came to lay with you that night. And I am the father of the child.” And he told her how all of that happened as Merlin planned. She was happy to know that Uther was the father.

Soon Merlin came to the king.

“Sir,” he said, “You swore that you would give the child to me to nourish.”

“As you wish,” Uther said.

“I know a lord of yours in this land,” said Merlin, “his name is Sir Ector, and he is a true and faithful knight, and he owns many parts in England and Wales.

Send for him, and tell him that in the name of his love to you, he should put his own child to nourishing of another woman, and that your child should be nourished by Sir Ector’s wife. And when the child is born, have him secretly brought to me unchristened, through the back door of the castle.”

Uther did as Merlin said. He called Sir Ector, and granted him great rewards. Sir Ector swore to do as the king told him. When the child was born, Uther commanded two knights and two ladies to bring the child, bound in a cloth of gold, through the back door of the castle and give him to the poor man they meet outside.

So the child was brought to Merlin, and Merlin took him to Sir Ector and brought a priest to christen the child, and he called him Arthur.

And Sir Ector’s wife nourished the child as her own.

Excercises

I. Выберите верный вариант:

a) Why did the duke of Tintagil and Igraine leave king Uther’s keep?

1. Because they didn’t like the food.

2. Because they didn’t want Uther to dishonour Igraine.

3. Because they didn’t want to stay for too long.

4. Because they were afraid of the war.

b) What was the lords’ advice to king Uther?

1. To send messengers to ask the duke to come back to Uther.

2. To declare a war to the duke and lay siege to his castles.

3. To send knights to catch the duke and Igraine midway and bring them back by force.

4. To come to the castle of Tintagil at night, dressed as the duke.

c) Where did the Duke of Tintagil put his wife for the time of war, and where did he go himself?

1. He put Igraine to the castle of Tintagil, and himself to the castle of Terrabil.

2. He put Igraine to the castle of Terrabil, and himself to the castle of Tintagil.

3. He stayed with Igraine in the castle of Tintagil.

4. He stayed with Igraine in the castle of Terrabil.

d) How did the Duke of Tintagil die?

1.