Heroes Every Child Should Know eBook

Hamilton Wright Mabie
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 369 pages of information about Heroes Every Child Should Know.

Heroes Every Child Should Know eBook

Hamilton Wright Mabie
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 369 pages of information about Heroes Every Child Should Know.

After this King Don Alfonso assembled together all his power and went against the Moors.  And the Cid should have gone with him, but he fell sick and perforce therefore abode at home.  And while the King was going through Andalusia, having the land at his mercy, a great power of the Moors assembled together on the other side, and entered the land, and did much evil.  At this time the Cid was gathering strength; and when he heard that the Moors were in the country, laying waste before them, he gathered together what force he could, and went after them; and the Moors, when they heard this, began to fly.  And the Cid followed them as far as Toledo, slaying and burning, and plundering and destroying, and laying hands on all whom he found, so that he brought back seven thousand prisoners, men and women; and he and all his people returned rich and with great honour.  But when the King of Toledo heard of the hurt which he had received at the hands of the Cid, he sent to King Don Alfonso to complain thereof.  And the King was greatly troubled.  And he went with all speed to Burgos, and sent from thence to bid the Cid come unto him.

Now my Cid knew the evil disposition of the King toward him, and when he received his bidding he made answer that he would meet him between Burgos and Bivar.  And the King went out from Burgos and came nigh unto Bivar; and the Cid came up to him and would have kissed his hand, but the King withheld it, and said angrily unto him, “Ruydiez, quit my land.”  Then the Cid clapt spurs to the mule upon which he rode, and vaulted into a piece of ground which was his own inheritance, and answered, “Sir, I am not in your land, but in my own.”  And the King replied full wrathfully, “Go out of my kingdoms without any delay.”  And the Cid made answer, “Give me then thirty days’ time, as is the right of the hidalgos”; and the King said he would not, but that if he were not gone in nine days’ time he would come and look for him.  The counts were well pleased at this; but all the people of the land were sorrowful.  And then the King and the Cid parted.  And the Cid sent for all his friends and his kinsmen and vassals, and told them how King Don Alfonso had banished him from the land, and asked of them who would follow him into banishment, and who would remain at home.  Then Alvar Fanez, who was his cousin-german, came forward and said, “Cid, we will all go with you, through desert and through peopled country, and never fail you.  In your service will we spend our mules and horses, our wealth and our parments, and ever while we live be unto you loyal friends and vassals.”  And they all confirmed what Alvar Fanez had said; and the Cid thanked them for their love, and said that there might come a time in which he should guerdon them.

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Heroes Every Child Should Know from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.