A STORK OF CHARLEMAGNE

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1935, Page 28

A STORK OF CHARLEMAGNE

; A-great number of legends grew up inthe; Middle',Age's';arquhd t ;thei figure of Charlemaigne,' the celebrated: ruler, general, and- statesman, .jwho lived about;!the^end of .the'niutti century. From" being; Kingjbf the' Franks, Chariemagne!; rose: to' bey Emperor of the Romans, governing, an Empire made up pfQaul," Italy, and large parts of Spain "and' Germany.' , Such a powerful and 'wise ruler as he proved to be naturally drew great '.and'; chivalrous warriors to him, and perhaps the greatest • and best known: of' these. was his nephew,-Roland. ..■ • • :.- ' ' . There is: a, story told'of Roland and the great, giant,; Ferragus; ■ Ferragus was of superhuman strength, and had a skin- so-tough that ho sword could piercel it. : That was why ■, Christian knights'feared him,-they could never manage to i wound ■ him^ : Roland was determined to conquer, him, but for all his efforts he could only just manage to'save" himself from- the giant's clutches. ' • ' ■■. ; , ..\After long -fighting,-; even. Ferragus grew weary, and offered a truce, and lying down on. the. ground the giant fell''asleep.'- Seeing his uncomfortable position, Roland found a smooth stone, and slipped it under the giant's head to serve as a pillow. -

When Ferragus woke he saw what Roland had done, and in Return for his kind action he became quite "friendly with Roland, and in the course of conversation .he told Roland that the onlyplace he, could be wounded was the middle of his breast. '■

Soon the truce was up and the fighting resumed, and then Roland remenv bered what Ferragus had said, and he pierced '. the giant" in his vulnerable ■SpOt. " ■■ .' ■ ■■■'■'■■-■ ■-. ■':■■'■:

There was;'-'great joy amongst the other .princes when they heard that the .'giant, who liad "caused them so much'trouble ahd!b'ldodshed was dead, and great honour and ienovfai"were accorded ,-to. Roland, the follower and phampion of .Charlemagne. ■