Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, this is Stefania over at Positive Informations and all
your stories, bringing you happy thoughts, inspiration, motivation and entertainment
to start your day. We use the power of positive
words to help you live the positive, uplifting lifestyle that
you deserve. Today's episode is a sleep story. It's time
(00:26):
to head off to a peaceful, enjoyable sleep with the
relaxing bedtime story. We continue with our tales of King
Arthur and the round Table. This story is called the
Story of Sir Balin. In those days, many kings reigned
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in the islands of the Sea, and they constantly waged
war upon each other and on their leech lord and
news came to Arthur that Ryan's, king of North Wales,
had collected a large host and had ravaged his lands
and slain some of his people. When he heard this,
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Arthur rose in anger and commanded that all lords, knights
and gentlemen of arms should meet him at Camelot, where
he would call a consul and hold attorney from every part.
The knights flocked to Camelot, and the town was full
to overflowing of armed men and their horses. And when
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they were all assembled there rode in a damsel, who
said she had come with a message from the great
Lady Lile of Avelion, and begged that they would bring
her before King Arthur. She was led into his presence.
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She let her mantle of fur slip off her shoulders,
and they saw by her side a richly wrought sword
was buckled. The king was silent with wonder at the
strange sight, but at last he said, dumbsel, why do
you wear this sword? The swords are not the ornaments
(02:24):
of women, Oh, my lord, answered she. I would I
could find some knight to rid me of this sword,
which weighs me down and causes me much sorrow. But
the man who will deliver me of it must be
one who is mighty of his hands and pure in
his deeds, without villainy or treason. If I find a
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knight such as this, he will draw this sword out
of his sheath. And he only for I have been
at the court of King Irons, and he and his
knights tried with all their strength to draw the sword.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
And they could not.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Let me see if I can draw it, said Arthur,
not because I think myself the best knight, For well
I know how far I am outdone. By others, but
to set them an example that they may follow me.
With that. The King took the sword by the sheath
and by the girdle, and pulled at it with all
his force, But the sword stuck fast. Sir, said the damsel,
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You need not pull half so hard, for he that
shall pull it out shall do it with little strength.
It is not for me, answered Arthur. And now my
barons let each man try his fortune. So most of
the knights at the round table there present fulled one
after another at the sword, but none could stir it
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from its sheath. Alas Alas, cried the damsel, in great grief.
I thought to find in this court knights that were
blameless and true of the heart, and now I know
not where to look for them. By my faith, said Arthur,
there are no better knights in the world than these
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of mine. But I am sore displeased that they could
not help you in this matter.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Now.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
At that time, there was a poor knight at Arthur's
court who had been kept prisoner for a year and
a half because he had slain the king's cousin. He
was of high birth, and his name was Balin. And
after he had suffered eighteen months the punishment of his misdeed,
the barons prayed to the king to set him free,
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which Arthur did willingly. When Balin, standing apart, bay all
the knights one by one try the sword and failed
to draw it, his heart beat fast. Yet he shrank
from taking his turn, for he was mainly dressed and
could not compare with the other barons. But after the
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Damosel had bid farewell to Arthur in his court and
was setting on her journey homewards, he called to her
and said, Damnsel, I pray you to suffer me to
try your sword as well as these lords, for though
I am so poorly clothed, my heart is as high
as theirs. The Damosel stopped and looked at him and answered, sir,
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it is not needful to put you to such trouble,
for where so many have failed, it is heartly likely
that you will succeed. Ah fear a damsel, said Balin.
It is not fine clothes that make good deeds. You
speak truly, replied the damsel. Therefore do which you can.
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Then Balin took the sword by the girdle and the sheath,
and pulled it out easily and When he looked at
the sword, he was greatly pleased with it. The king
and the knights were dumb with surprise that it was
Balin who had triumphed over them, and many of them
envied him and felt anger towards him. In truth, said
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the damsel, this is the best knight that I have
ever found. But Sir, I pray you give me the
sword again. No, answered Balin. I will keep it till
it is taken from me by force. It is for
your sake, that mind that I ask for it, said
the damsel. For with that sword you shall slay the
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man you love best, and it will bring about your
own ruin. I will take what befalls me, replied Balin.
But the sword I will not give up by the
faith of my body. So the damsel departed in great sorrow.
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The next day, Sir Balin left the court, and, armed
with his sword, set forth in search of adventures, which
he found in many places where he had not thought
to meet with them. In all the fights that he fought,
Sir Balin was the victor, and Arthur and Merle and
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his friend knew that there was no knight living of
greater deeds or were worthy of worship, and he was
known to all as Sir Balin le Savage, the Knight
of the Two Swords. One day he was riding forth
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when at the turning of a road he saw a cross,
and on it was written in letters of gold. Let
no knight ride towards this castle. Sir Balin was still
reading the writing when there came towards him an old
man with white hair, who said, Sir Balin le Savage,
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this is not the way for you, so turn again
and choose some other bath. And then he vanished, and
a horn blew loudly as the horn is blown at
the death of a beast. That blast, said Balin, is
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for me. But I am still alive. And he rode
to the castle, where a great company of knights and
ladies met him and welcomed him and made him a feast.
Then the lady of the castle said to him, Knight
with the two swords, you must now fight a knight
the guards an island, for it is our law that
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no man may leave us without he first fight attorney.
There is a bad custom, said Balin, But if I must,
I am ready, for though my horse is weary, my
heart is strong. Sir said a knight to him, Your
shield does not look whold to me. I will lend
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you another. So Balin listened to him and took the
shield that was offered and left his own, With his
own coat of arms behind him, he rode down to
the shore and led his horse into a boat, which
took them across. When he reached the other side, a
damnsel came to him, crying, oh.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Knights, Balin, why have you left your own shield behind you?
Alos you have put yourself in great danger, for by
your shield you should have been known. I grieve over
your doom, for there is no man living that can
rival you for courage and the bold deeds. I repent,
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answered Balin, ever having come into this country, but for
very shame, I must go on. Whatever befalls me, either
lie or death, I am ready to take it. Then
he examined his armor and saw that it was whole,
and mounted his horse. As he went along the path,
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he beheld the knight come out of the castle in front,
clothed in red, riding a horse with red trappings. When
this red knight looked on the two swords, he thought
for a moment it was Balin, but the shield did
not bear Balin's device, so they rode at each other
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with their spears and smote each other's shields so hard
that both horses and men fell to the ground with
a shock, and the knights lay unconscious on the ground
for some minutes. But soon they rose up again and
began to fight afresh. And they fought till the place
was red with their blood, and they had each seven
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great wounds.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
What knight are you, asked Balin le savage, pausing for birth.
For never have I fought any knight to match me.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
My name, said he is Balin, brother to the good
knight Balin. Alas cried Balin, that I should ever live
to see this day, and he fell back, fainting to
the ground. At this sight, Balan crept on his feet
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and hands and pulled off Balin's helmet so that he
might see his face. The fresh air revolved Balin, and
he awoke and said, O, Balan, my brother, you have
slain me.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
And I you and the whole world who speak ill
of us. Both Alas sighed Balin, if i'd only known you,
I saw you two sores, but from your shield I
thought you had been another knight. Woe is me, cried Balin.
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All this was wrought by an unhappy knight in the castle,
who caused me to change my shield for his. If
I lived, I would destroy that castle that he should
not deceive other men. You have done well, answered Balan,
for they have kept me prisoner ever since I slew
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a knight that guarded this island, and they would have
kept you captive too. Then came the lady of the
castle and her companions, and listened as they made their moan,
and Balan prayed that she would grant them the grace
to lie together there where they died, and their wishes
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given to them, And she and those that were with
her wept with pity. So they died, and the lady
made a tomb for them, and put Balan's name alone
on it. For Balin's name she knew not, but Merlin knew,
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And next morning he came and wrote it in letters
of gold, and he ungirded Balin's sword and unscrewed the
pommel and put another pommel on it, and bade a
knight that stood by handle it. But the knight could not.
At that Merlin laughed. What you laugh, asked the knight,
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Because said Merlin, no man shall handle this sword but
the best knight in the world, and that is either
Sir Launcelot or his son, Sir Galahad. With this sword,
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Sir Launcelot shall slay the man he loves best, and
his name is Sir Gawaine. And this was later done
in a fight across the seas. All this Merlin wrote
on the pommel of the sword. Next, he made a
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bridge of steel to the island, six inches broad, and
no man could pass over it that was guilty of
any evil deeds. The scabbard of the sword he left
on this side of the island, so that Galahad should
find it. The sword itself he put in a magic stone,
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which floated down the stream to Camelot that is now
called Winchester. And that same day Galahad came to the river,
having in his hand the scabbard, and he saw the
sword and pulled it out of the stone, as is
told in another place. And that's it for our story
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about King Arthur and the round table. We'll be back
soon with the next part what Boumaine asked of the king.
Before that, we'll have another story for you. Take a
little break. We have many stories planned for you, some
of which are original ones written just for you. The
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next story will be one of those. That's it for now.
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of coloring, we do have some coloring pages for grown
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good day, stay well, be happy, and buy for now,
(17:01):
sleep well,