For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17350, 15 May 1924, Page 3

For the Children

(By

AUNT EDITH.)

You may think that writers who lived years and years ago. in the time we think of as “ history,” were very dull, but some of them were not at ail dull. On© of the earliest writers in England was Geoffrey Chaucer, who lived hundreds of years ago. for he was born in the year 1340. This is a talo he wrote about DORIGEN’S JEWEL. Once upon a time* many, many years ago, there lived in Brittany a very beautiful lady called Dorigen. She was not only very beautiful, but good and sweet and kind: and she was greatly beloved by a knight named Arviragus, who had won fame by many a noble and brave deed. Arviragus worshipped iJongen from afar: he had heard of her great beauty, ami he did not think she would ever I OV e him. so he contented himself by declaring himself as her knight by fastening her colours to his helmet when he went into battle or to joust at a tournament. Dorigen saw hor colours blowing in the wind when Arviragus r °d e by her window, but she did not think much about him (for hsViY \ kH'gkts wore her colours into battle) until she heard how brave and true he w ? s, and that ho was always protecting the noor and weak and attacking the biillv. She was told, too in ti hat high honour he held her, and her heart was touched, and she grew to ° V I? a'S' Arviragus learnt this, and ®“ ed Dorigen to marrv him savin“tr wou “ a , hvays ' lo his utmost to serve her and please her After they were married they lived m a big castle, standing on top of a Cliff, looking out across the sea to where England lay. For a rear they lived very happily ■ then Arvirao„ s {c )[ that he had been idle too long, and more ? '7 s , ? knight he oneo more g° to fight and suffer. \„ expedition was heing sent' to England He joined it and away he sailed to the mirth in a little brown ship, leavin-r Dorigen disconsolate behind him. After uDme. although Dorigen still misse i e t r Mtl Breat’y. her grief became .t little less, and her friends, who were Z7:°7! f 0 to comfort her and turn her thoughts, managed to Ma'd \ Br r to for wnlk * them inland, out of sight of the sea she so greatly feared One day. earlv in tlia summer, she went for a picnic with lot of friends. As usual. Dorigen wore a beautiful jewel, something like a large crystal, which hung on a long gold chain given her bv Arviragus on her wedding day. The crystal jewel had been given her on the day she was born, and her mother had told her that ti she kept it safely, always bright and pure, she would always have the love ot all who were good and true, and that it would bring her joy and peaeo and love; but if she lost it or gave it away, she would lose ail her beauty ami youth, she w ould he. lost to all" her friends, no one would love her, and she would be alone in the world. So Dongen guarded her jewel very carefully always wearing it in order that it should never be out of her sight. On the day of the picnic Dorigen was standing watching her friends dancing (for she was too unhappy to dance herself), and the sun gleamed on her i<* wel ’ making it shine magnificently. At the picnic was a handsome young man. named Aurelius, who envied Dorigen her beautiful jewel, and would do anything to get oo&wession of it. Afc last he went to Dorigen and asked her to give it to him. saying that lie would give Eer half the price of it. Dorigen was very angry with Aurelius, and said that she would never part with it. even if she were starving Then she suddenly thought of Arviragus, and she longed to see him again . but between her and him there seemed to rise the grim black cliffs of the Bre-

toil coast. Shuddering, she turned to Aurelius and said :

“ I will willingly give you my jewel if you will remove every rock ou tho chore of Brittany.” Aurelius knew that that was impossible, and he turned away sadly. When he reached home ho became quite ill with his intense longing for Dorigen’s jewel, and be remained ill for some months, nursed by his brother. Meanwhile Arviragus had reached home safely, and Dorigen was happy once again.

One day Aurelius's brother remembered an old book of magic in whicn he read strange tales of how magicians were able to make things seem different from what they really were. Howsplendid, thought lie. if a magician could make the rocks of Brittany seem to disappear! Then would bis brother gain the jewel and he would be again. He told his brother of his idea, and together they set out to find the book or magic and a magician. They had ridden far into France before the/ reached the city ip which the book oF magic lay. They were met by a magician, who seemed to know all about them and the reason they had travelled so far. Tlie young visitors told the magician all about the rocks, and he agreed to make them disappear—or appear to disappear—for £IOOO.

The next day Aurelius and his brother returned home, accompanied by the magician. For some days nothing happened. The magician shut himseif iii Ins room with books and plans. Then one morning Aurelius saw tlie magician standing at the end of the shore, his arms stretched towards the sea: and as he watched Aurelius saw the big black rocks disappear from sight. He thanked the magician, and hurricih to find Dorigen to remind her of her promise. He met her walking along ■•■ ho cliff. At first she was angry with him for asking for her jewel, but when he reminded her of her promise, and showed her the smooth stretch of sea. she became frightened and horrorstricken, and hurried home without sav•riy anything to Aurelius. Arviragus saw how troubled she was, and aske-i her the reason: and then he. too. grew very sad, for be knew that Dorigen. if she were honourable, could not break a promise; and he was so honourable that he would rather die than break a promise.

Next morning Dorigen left, alone, tu give Aurelius the jewel. When Aurelius saw her approaching, looking so pale and sad, he was suddenly struct u ith remorse at what he was doing, and he repented of his greed. To Dorigen he said, when ho saw her sorrow and realised the honour ot Arviragus that he was resolved to abandon all hope of possessing the jewel, tor b-e would not have it at the expense of so much suffering. Then he thought of the thousands pounds he owed the magician, and he decided to sell liis house and lands to pay. He went to see thq» magician. and explained the matter to him ; but, to his surprise, when the magician heard of the nobility of Dori gen and Arviragus and the generosity of Aurelius in not claiming the jewel, he. too. showed that he could be generous, and he said that he would put the rocks back again and not charge a penny as a fee. The magician stretched out his arms towavds the sea. and. lo! the rocks were back again! Then, mounting his horse, the magician rode

Meanwhile Dorigen bad returned home and told her husband of the good news. They were \ k

the cliffs when suddenly the rocks ap peared again in tlie sea. At the same time the sun shone on Dorigen’s jewel, giving it an extraordinary brilliance, which ft never afterwards although Dorigen wore it for many happy years.