The Questing BeastBy Jessica NorvelleENG 320 Final ProjectKaren Bollermann7 December 2012

Written by:

Jessica Norvelle

Illustrated by:

Emmanuel Rios

A long time ago in a land far, far away,There once lived a hound who loved to play.Daphne she was called and she had a strong nose,She could follow anything as long she chose. She lived in a castle of heavy grey stoneAnd in her soft, comfy bed she kept a favorite bone.She loved to swim in the moat and laze in the sun,Daphne was always looking for new ways to have fun.

But her master, the king, had a very special quest

A long one that left him with very little rest.For King Pellinore had to chase a Beast, you

see,And to help him find it he needed Daphne.

 The Beast Glatisant was the name of the foe

With the head of a snake and deer feet below,And legs like a lion and spots all around

The Beast was surprisingly hard to be found.  

One special thing that made the creature unique

Was the sound that it made before it stopped for a drink.

Barking was heard from the belly of the bruteLike sixty great hounds in heavy pursuit.

The King saddled his horse and looked for the leashBecause Daphne loved rabbits and would run out of reach.Once she was tethered they set out all a-clankFor the King was also a knight of great rank. Through winter and summer they searched high and low,Through forests and swamps, across farm and meadow.In the spring and the fall poor Daphne would sigh And wish for her bed in the castle up high.

For years they searched for their magical quarryBut one day little Daphne started to worry.

She looked up at her king on his horse meant for war

And saw that he was tired, and hungry, and a bit saddle-sore.

 She determined to find him a place he could rest

To put up his feet and hold off on his quest.She lifted her head and scented the breeze,

Turned round in circle, and tangled up in the trees.

A young man in the woods saw the pair in their needAnd came to their aid and untangled the lead.He patted her head and he calmed the great horseThen he talked to the king and asked what was their course. “Sir,” said the king, “We have searched far and longFor the Beast Glatisant that is heard of in song.But now we need rest for a day, perhaps twoFor my horse is quite weary, and my hound a bit, too.”

Little Daphne’s tail wagged, her plan working quite well

And the young man was honest and nice, she could tell.

The young man said, “If you like, you can come to my home.

I’ll the give the horse some hay and the hound a few bones.”

 Then the King was well pleased and had cause for

great joy,Because with the quest and Beast he was getting

annoyed.He followed the boy home and he met with his dad

And when everything was settled, little Daphne was glad.

Her master had food, and the horse out in the stableThe young man, Arthur, fed her scraps under the table.The king was quite happy to put up his feet,And curl up in the bed in Sir Ector’s best suite. But one was forgotten outside in the coldThe Beast Glatisant, I’m afraid, hadn’t been toldThat the quest was put off, and that the tired old KingWould keep his feet up throughout winter and spring.

Though Christmas and Easter came and went No one thought about poor Beast Glatisant.

Through summer and fall they stayed in the castleChasing the beast seemed too much of a hassle.

 Daphne and the horse grew round and well fed

On scraps and hay and bits of old bread.King Pellinore’s belly became quite large indeed,

The last thing on his mind was riding out on his steed.

But one winter day there was a big kerfuffleWhen several strong sneezes were heard, and a snuffle.King Pellinore stuck his head out of the window And saw his poor Questing Beast quite ill in the snow.

The poor thing forgotten, out there in the weatherHad patiently waited in the bracken and heatherBut the hound and her king had not come out for the huntAnd the Questing Beast’s health had gone down in a slump.

Her teeth were quite chattery and her lips had gone blue,

It seemed the great Beast had developed the flu.The King brought her inside and wrapped her up tight

And Daphne snuggled up to keep her warm in the night.

After a few weeks or so, the Beast was now goodAnd ready to run and hide in the woods.King Pellinore, too, was ready to rideAnd little Daphne was keen to be his guide. They were happy to give Glatisant a head-startAnd the king felt a glow way down in his heart.After counting to 10, little Daphne gave chaseAnd helped lead her master all over the place.

Daphne and the King for the rest of their yearsFollowed the Beast to the end, without any

fears.They had become the best of friends, you know,

And were always careful to keep out of the snow.

 So every year when the snow started to fall,

They stopped at Sir Ector’s and put the horse in his stall

They sat down by the fire and warmed up their toes

And all winter rested in the greatest repose

And all four friends would set off in the spring,And look for the adventure the next year would bring.And sometimes they would, to mix things up,Have Glatisant cover her eyes and chase after the pup. For rest of their lives they ran hard and longAnd became well heard of through story and song. With the King on his horse and his hound in the leadChasing the Beast was a happy quest, indeed.

The End