Outside the chamber door was a group of knights: Dodinel, Sagremor, Kay, Gawain,
Yvain and his cousin Calogrenant. Calogrenant was beginning a story of something
that had happened to him, even though he could not be proud of what he had done,
and in fact was full of shame.
The Queen could hear his words, and rising from the bed she crept so quietly to the door that she was among the knights before they knew it. Calogrenant was the first to see her and jumped up at once. At which Kay, also leaping to his feet, cried:
'Oh, I suppose we are not as polite as you,Calogrenant, but are too lazy or too rude to stand up when the Queen comes.'
'Don't be silly, Kay', the Queen said. 'No one has been rude. I know you didn't see me'.
'Well then', said Kay, 'since you're here, make Calogrenant continue with his tale for we are all dying to hear the end of it.'
Calogrenant grew very red: 'Please do not make me go on, my lady, for I would much rather say no more today.'
'What's the matter, Calogrenant?' sneered Kay. 'You have to do it if the Queen asks- or are you not so polite after all?'
'Don't take any notice of Kay', the Queen said. 'He always talks like this.
It seems he can't help it - but please go on with your tale. We want very much
to hear it.'
'If I was not afraid to offend you', Calogrenant replied, 'I would rather have my eye plucked out than tell this tale. Yet since I must, let your hearts and ears be mine while I tell it. For words mean nothing if they are heard only with the ears and not understood with the heart. I am not going to talk about a dream or make up lies or spin an idle tale such as you can hear every day. Instead I shall speak of what I saw.'
The knights are outside the bedchamber. What other rooms
might there have been?
What was life like in a Medieval
castle?
