Stories from the Faerie Queen, Told to the Children

by Edmund Spenser

  VI

  CAMBELL AND TRIAMOND

  Once upon a time a fairy had a lovely daughter called Cambina, and threesons who were born on the same day.

  The eldest son she named Priamond, the second Diamond, and the thirdTriamond.

  Priamond was very stout and big, but he could not strike hard. Diamondstruck very hard, but he was little and thin. But Triamond was tall andstout and strong as well.

  Priamond used to fight on foot. Triamond fought on horseback. But Diamondcould fight equally well on a horse or off it.

  Triamond fought with a spear and shield. Diamond fought with a battle-axe.But Priamond could fight just as well with an axe as he could with a spearand shield.

  Their fairy mother was so fond and so proud of her gallant sons, that shecould not bear to think of one of them dying.

  So she went to see three witches called the Three Fates, who lived in adark place underground, and worked at their spinning-wheels day and night.She asked the Fates to let her sons have long, long lives. That they wouldnot promise, but they promised that if Priamond died first, all hisstrength should go into the other two. And if Diamond should then die, allhis strength and Priamond's were to go into their brother Triamond.

  Priamond, Diamond, and Triamond loved each other very dearly. When theygrew up and all fell in love with the same lady, it did not make them lessgood friends.

  The name of this lady was Canacee. She was very beautiful, and was thecleverest lady in all that land. She knew all about birds and beasts andplants and flowers, and was as witty as she was wise.

  Many knights wished to marry her, and these knights were so jealous ofeach other that they were constantly fighting about her.

  Canacee had a brother named Cambell, a wise young knight, who was sorry tosee how often the knights fought with each other about his sister.

  One day, when they were all gathered together, Cambell told them thathe had made a plan by which they could decide which of them was to marryCanacee.

  She asked the Fates to let her sons have long, long lives(page 80)]

  'Choose from amongst yourselves,' said he, 'the three knights that you allthink the bravest and the best fighters, and I shall fight them, one byone. The knight who beats me shall have my sister Canacee for his wife.'

  Now all the knights knew that Canacee had given her brother a magic ring,and that, as long as he wore it, no matter how deep a wound he got, thewound would not bleed, and he would not die.

  'It is very well for Cambell,' they said. 'We cannot kill him, but he cankill us.'

  So they would not fight, even to win Canacee.

  But the three brothers, Priamond, Diamond, and Triamond, were not afraid.

  'We will fight with you, Cambell,' they said, 'for all of us loveCanacee.'

  So a day was fixed for this great fight. On the morning of the day, nosooner was it light than the three brothers in their shining armour wereready on the field. Crowds of people came to watch the fight, and therewere six judges to see that the knights fought fairly. Canacee, in abeautiful dress, sat on a high platform whence she could see all that wenton. When Cambell strode into the field, he looked as if he were quite sureof defeating all three knights.

  Then came Priamond, Diamond, and Triamond, marching together, in splendidarmour, with their gay-coloured banners flying.

  They bowed low before Canacee, the lady they loved, and the trumpetssounded and sweet music played.

  Then a trumpet blew loudly, and Cambell and stout Priamond began to fight.

  Furiously they struck at each other, and at last Priamond's spear wentthrough Cambell's shoulder. But although the shoulder was pierced, and thepain from the wound was terrible, not a single drop of blood fell from it.So they fought and fought, until Cambell's spear was driven through bravePriamond's neck. Like a great oak-tree that the storm has struck, Priamondtottered, then fell with a mighty crash. There, on the ground, he laybleeding and dead.

  When he died, all his strength passed into his two brothers, as the ThreeFates had promised to his fairy mother.

  A second time the trumpet sounded, and slight little Diamond, hisbattle-axe in his hand, fiercely rushed at Cambell.

  So furiously did they hew and hack at each other, that their armour wascut and gashed as if it had been rotten wood. No blood flowed fromCambell's wounds, but Diamond's blood gushed fast, and reddened the greenturf.

  Fierce little Diamond grew tired at last of hacking and hewing and yetnever killing Cambell. So he put all his strength into one terriblestroke, and swung his axe round with all his might. Had the blow reachedCambell it must have chopped his head in two, but Cambell swerved aside.Diamond had used so much force, that when he missed his aim his footslipped. Cambell took the chance, let drive at him with all his power, andwith his axe cut Diamond's head clean off.

  For a moment Diamond's headless body stood still. Then gallant littleDiamond fell dead on the ground. As he fell, all his strength, and thestrength of Priamond, went into Triamond, the youngest brother.

  Then Triamond, stronger and more angry than he had ever been before,lightly sprang up from where he had sat to watch the fight.

  His strokes fell like hail on Cambell's armour. He struck, he thrust, hehewed, he hacked, till the sparks flew from his sword like the shiningdrops that are dashed from a waterfall.

  Sometimes Triamond seemed to be winning; sometimes Cambell. The bloodgushed from Triamond's wounds, till he grew faint. But although Cambellwas covered with wounds the magic ring stopped his blood from flowing, sothat he grew no less strong. When he saw Triamond growing weak, he smotehim in the throat with all his might, and Triamond fell down as if he weredead.

  But Triamond did not die. From the fearful wound all the strength that hadbelonged to his brother Priamond ebbed away. Still he had his own strengthand Diamond's strength left.

  So he rose up again, and Cambell, who had thought him dead, was so amazedthat Triamond gave him a hard stroke before he had time to defend himself.Then Cambell fought with more care, and seemed rather to try to savehimself than to try to kill Triamond. Triamond, seeing this, thought thatCambell must be tired, and that he could easily beat him now. With thathe whirled up his sword to give a fearful blow. But Cambell, quick aslightning, thrust his sword under Triamond's upraised arm, so that itpassed right through his body and came out at the other side. Even thenthe blow that Triamond struck was such a terrible one, that it cut throughCambell's steel helmet and gashed open his head, and he fell senseless tothe ground.

  Triamond, too, fell down, and out of his wound all Diamond's strengthebbed away.

  When those who looked on saw this, they thought that the fight was at anend, because the fighters all lay dead.

  Canacee began to cry because her brother and the brave knight who lovedher were slain. But in a moment both knights rose to their feet again.

  Those who watched could not believe their eyes when they saw them begin tofight as fiercely as before.

  While every one stared in wonder and in fear, because they knew that soonthe knights must surely kill each other, a loud noise suddenly drowned theclash of weapons.

  It was a sound as of women and boys shouting and screaming in a panic.

  Cambell and Triamond stopped their fight for an instant to listen and tolook at the place from whence the noise came.

  They saw a golden chariot, decked with wonderful ornaments, whirlingtowards them with the force of a storm. Two fierce lions drew the chariot,and in it sat a lady, whose face shone with beauty and goodness.

  It was Triamond's sister, Cambina, who knew more about magic than almostany one else in all Fairyland.

  When the crowds who watched saw her and her growling lions, they huddledtogether like frightened sheep. Some laughed, most of them screamed, andall of them ran till the dust flew up in clouds.

  In one hand Cambina carried a magic wand with two serpents twisted roundit. In the other she held a golden cup filled with a magic drink, thatmade those who drank of it forget
all anger and bitterness, and filledtheir hearts with happiness and friendship and peace.

  When Cambina came to the wooden barrier that shut off the watchers fromthe field where the knights had fought, she softly struck the rail withher wand.

  It flew open, and the lions dashed in with Cambina's glittering chariot.

  She got out of her chariot and ran up to the two knights, and begged themto fight no more. But they would not listen, and began to fight again.

  Then she knelt on the bloodstained ground, and besought them with tears tolay down their swords. When they still went fiercely on, she smote themlightly with her magic wand.

  Their swords fell to the ground, and while they stared at each other inwonder, Cambina handed them her golden cup. They were so hot and thirstythat they gladly drank. And, as they drank, all anger went out of theirhearts, and love for each other took its place. They kissed, and shookhands, and vowed that they would be friends for evermore.

  When the people saw this, they shouted and cheered for gladness till allthe air rang.

  And Canacee ran down from her platform and kissed Cambina, who had stoppedthe fearful fight and made Canacee's brother and her lover friends.

  Then the trumpets sounded, and Cambina took Canacee into her chariotbeside her, and the lions galloped off to Canacee's palace. And all thepeople thought how beautiful were these two lovely ladies, whose faceswere fresh as morning roses and radiant with happiness.

  Cambell and Canacee gave a great feast that lasted for days and days.

  And Triamond married Canacee, and Cambell married Cambina, and they alllived happily and peacefully ever afterwards.