A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

and touched an ancient common looking man on the sho

elong to the asylum, or are you jus

over stupid

ir sir, me

said; "I reckon

nce passenger in his right mind that might come along and give me some light.

head keeper a minute

do not

you w

e who was idle enough for my purpose, and was seeking me besides, no doubt. This was an airy slim boy in shrimp-colored tights that made him look like a forked carrot, the rest of his gear was blue silk and dainty laces and ruffles; and he had long yellow curls, and wore a plumed p

; "you ain't more

we walked along, and made himself old friends with me at once; asked me all sorts of questions about myself and about my clothes, but never waited for an answer-always chattered s

reep over me! I stopped a

t right. Say it again-and sa

13

a stranger and friendless; be honest and hon

id he

r people in the

d they

I mean, it isn't a place wh

d it w

c, or something just as awful has happened.

Arthur'

t that idea shudder its

your notions, wh

eteenth

hall never see my friends again-never, never again. They w

erve-my reason would say they were lunatics, and throw out their evidence. But all of a sudden I stumbled on the very thing, just by luck. I knew that the only total eclipse of the sun in the first half of the sixth century occurred on the 21st of June, A.D. 528, O.S., and began at 3 minutes af

my motto-and just play that thing for all it is worth, even if it's only two pair and a jack. I made up my mind to two things: if it was still the nineteenth century and I was among lunatics and couldn't get away, I would presently boss that asylum or know the reason why; and if, on the other hand, it was really the sixth cent

me-I'll get you to post me up a little if you don't mind.

night and great lord Sir Kay the Senesch

o on, tell me

ste any bother about that; time was too precious. The page said, further, that dinner was about ended in the great hall by this time, and that as soon as the sociability and the heavy drinking should begin, Sir Kay would have me in and exhibit me before King Arthur and his illustrious knights seated at the Table Round, and would brag about h

d about this time a lackey came to say I was wanted; so Clare

he floor was of big stone flags laid in black and white squares, rather battered by age and use, and needing repair. As to ornament, there wasn't any, strictly speaking; though on the walls hung some huge tapestries which were probably taxed as works of art; battle-pieces, they were, with horses shaped like those which children cut out of paper or create in gingerbread; with men on them in scale armor whose

d around it sat a great company of men dressed in such various and splendid colors that it hurt one's eyes to look at them. They wore their plumed

ous chaos of plunging heads and bodies and flashing tails, and the storm of howlings and barkings deafened all speech for the time; but that was no matter, for the dog-fight was always a bigger interest anyway; the men rose, sometimes, to observe it the better and bet on it, and the ladies and the musicians stretched themselves out over their balusters with the

erval. And plainly, too, they were a childlike and innocent lot; telling lies of the stateliest pattern with a most gentle and winning naivety, and ready and willing to listen to anybody else's lie

ess, and hunger and thirst, no doubt; and at least none had given them the comfort of a wash, or even the poor charity of a lotion for their wounds; yet you never heard them utter a moan or a groan, or saw them show any sign of restlessness, or any disposition to complain. The thought was forced upon m