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[adventurous music]
[dramatic music]
[adventurous music]
- My lord Arthur, there is a lad outside,
he begs audience and
speaks of a castle besieged
and a damsel in distress.
- We will hear his story.
[gentle music]
- Sire, I have traveled on
foot two days and a night.
My master's castle is besieged.
The fair maiden Helen is in danger.
- Calm yourself, lad.
What is your name?
- Brian, my lord.
- [Arthur] And who is your master?
- He is named Urgan the Strong.
His castle lies in the black hills.
- In what capacity do
you serve Lord Urgan?
- I am the kitchen boy.
- This would seem a likely
mission for Sir Lancelot.
- No, Lancelot is new to the round table.
The lifting of a siege is no light matter.
- But sire, he is anxious to serve you.
- Very well, Merlin.
- I will fetch him myself.
- Who is it that lays siege
to your master's castle?
- A villainous lord
named Melias the Mighty
and his two sons, both powerful knights.
- Your pardon, Queen Guinevere.
Sir Lancelot, the king
commands your presence.
You are about to be
given your fist mission
for the Round Table.
- Good. Is the mission important?
- Who can tell?
Fair maiden in castle,
besieged by wicked knight.
They all sound important.
But come, the king awaits you.
- Will you pardon me, my lady?
- I wish you luck, Sir Lancelot.
- Come on.
Come.
There is the lad that
will lead you to the fray.
- Sir Lancelot?
But no one's ever heard of him.
Sire, if you can just spare one knight,
can it not be a champion like
Sir Gawain, or Sir Tristan,
or one of the others the
minstrels sing about.
- All the Knights of the
Round Table are champions.
Furthermore, we are not
used to having our decisions
questioned by a kitchen boy.
- I spoke not for myself,
sire, but for my master.
- It would seem that this is
a most particular kitchen boy.
Stay here a moment and
I will stage an entrance
for your arrival.
- But sire--
- Rise, Brian.
Sir Lancelot is a good knight.
It matters not that minstrels
have yet to sing about him.
- Yes, but sir--
- Any more of your insolence,
and I'll have your ears boxed.
- Sire, I feel sure
that your young friend,
when he sees Sir Lancelot,
will be more than satisfied.
Brian, Prince of Pots and Pans,
I present to you Sir Lancelot.
[bangs]
- Ah, there you are, Lancelot.
Sir Lancelot, you will
accompany this youth
to his master's castle.
There to impose justice with your sword
and rescue the fair Helen.
- Sire, I thank you for
granting me this mission.
I shall go at once.
[adventurous music]
[inquisitive music]
Tell me, Brian.
With the castle besieged, how
did you manage to get out?
- There's a wall on one side
that can be climbed easily,
if you know how.
- Didn't they see you?
- One of their bowmen
did, but he missed me.
- So you risked your life.
Why?
- My master ordered me to.
- But once you'd escaped, you
didn't have to go to Camelot.
- Oh, I wanted to.
I've always wanted to go
to King Arthur's court.
Why do knights risk their lives?
- Well, that's what a
knight is supposed to do.
Protect the innocent against
those who att*ck them.
You swear an oath when
you get the accolade.
- Do all knights take the oath seriously?
- Some do, some don't.
- I think if I were a knight,
I'd take the oath seriously.
But who's ever heard of a
kitchen boy becoming a knight.
I'll have to be satisfied
with being a prince.
Like Merlin said, the
Prince of Pots and Pans.
[laughs]
[adventurous music]
[dramatic music]
[yelling]
- Urgan, surrender.
[laughs]
You blackhearted fish-stealing dog.
- Never, you filthy poacher.
- Up again.
[laughs]
[catapult rumbling]
- That's the castle, and
there's Sir Melias and his men.
- How do you like that, Urgan?
[laughs]
- Does Melias or any of
his men know you by sight?
- [Brian] No.
- Then you'll act as my squire.
A squire can't be punished
for the deeds of his knight.
Don't be worried, the laws
of chivalry will protect you.
- Laws of chivalry?
I doubt if Melias or his
sons have ever heard of them.
- Tether the horses, squire.
- Squire.
[laughs]
- Who's this?
Who are you?
- Sir Lancelot, Knight of the Round Table.
- What Round Table?
- King Arthur's.
And in his name, I order you
to raise this siege and go.
- Yes, and what if we don't?
- Force will be used against you.
- How many men did you bring with you?
- I'm alone.
[laughs]
- It's a pity nobody taught
you to keep your nose
out of private fights.
[adventurous music]
Andred, Rolf.
Cut him down, no mercy.
[swords clashing]
[groans]
[yells]
- Well done, Brian.
- Mercy, mercy, sir knight.
You wouldn't let him
strike an unarmed old man.
- Yield.
- I yield.
[laughs]
- You have delivered us
from defeat and death
at the hands of these monsters.
- They seem to have done some damage
with this catapult of theirs.
If I were you, I'd set
them to work repairing it.
- We'll hold them to
account for it, don't worry.
Clodion.
Take these prisoners to the dungeons,
where I can deal with them.
Never did I see such a valiant battle
fought by one against so many.
- Luckily for me, I wasn't alone.
Your young man here helped
me out when I needed it most.
- Brian.
Ah, my daughter Helen,
Sir Lancelot who has
rescued us from our enemies.
- Welcome, Sir Lancelot.
We are indeed grateful for your help.
Will you please enter?
- In one moment, my dear.
Helen is 19 years old, but as yet unwed.
She's a gentle, obedient girl.
And as you see, beautiful.
- She is indeed.
But I must finish telling you about Brian.
Do you realize if it hadn't been for him,
I might well have been overcome?
- [Urgan] You're jesting,
he's but a kitchen boy.
- Your kitchen boy traveled all
the way to Camelot for help.
- Yes, I know he did.
And we missed him.
Your work's been neglected, look.
You'll have to work hard, so
we can entertain our champion.
Now that you have refreshed
yourself, sir knight,
the time has come to discuss your reward.
- Thank you, Sir Urgan,
but I seek no reward.
- No reward?
The idea is unthinkable.
After all you've done for us, unthinkable.
- I am a Knight of the Round Table.
As such, I am pledged
to fight that serpent
which threatens us all.
- Serpent, sir knight?
- A serpent with many heads, Urgan.
One is called injustice, another is greed,
a third is prejudice.
I'm sure you've come across
it from time to time.
- Oh, that serpent.
- Yes, that serpent.
And whenever I'm lucky enough
to land a good solid blow,
as I think I did today,
well, that's reward enough for me.
- And quite right, too, my boy.
But I'm sure there's
nothing in your oath to say
that you're not allowed to
receive a little something extra.
The most valuable gift we have to bestow.
- I'm sure Lady Helen is most--
- No wait.
Wait, let me speak.
With my daughter's hand go
no less than 80 gold pieces
as a dowry.
- Oh, father, how can you?
- Urgan, I don't want to
suggest that your offer
isn't extremely generous.
- All right, all right,
one mustn't quibble at a time like this.
For a Knight of the Round Table,
the dowry is 100 pieces of gold.
- Oh!
- Lady, please.
- She's a sensitive child,
not used to the ways of the world.
Do you find her beautiful?
- Yes, of course, but--
- Good, then tell her so.
I think I better leave
you young people alone.
Get to know her.
Take all the time you want.
[somber music]
- Why are you so sad?
Is the prospect of marriage
to me so unpleasant?
- No, good sir.
- My lady, I'm sorry to
see you like this, but-
- Sir knight, before you speak,
I beg you to understand-
- Helen, you must allow me to explain.
You and I can-
- It won't be fair to let
you go on, Sir Lancelot,
when the truth is, I cannot
accept your proposal.
- You can't what?
- I can never be yours.
- Why do you say that?
- My heart is already pledged to another.
- Ah.
Well, that certainly changes things.
- It's not that I'm not grateful
for all that you've done for us.
I owe you my life, and if
you wish to claim the debt,
you may.
Only...
I implore you, have mercy on me.
- Helen, sweet Helen.
There's no need to talk
of mercy, or of gratitude.
The fact is, I'm rather relieved.
- Do you mean...
You never meant to marry me at all?
- Well, I'm sure you'll make
someone a wonderful husb-
wife, I mean.
- Come come, sir knight. You
must do better than that.
It's not every day that a lady is jilted.
- Jilted?
- You must have been terribly embarrassed
when my father started throwing me at you.
[chuckles]
- No more, I suppose, than you.
That's a situation I would just
as soon avoid in the future.
- Well in the future, you
must confine your rescue
to widows and children.
- I'm not usually given
the choice, but I'll try.
Now, speaking of your father.
How are we going to handle him?
I presume he doesn't
know about your romance.
- Oh, no.
It's the strictest possible secret.
We have to meet where no one can see us.
- Then it's best for both of us
if I turn out to be an
unspeakable scoundrel
and simply walk out on you.
Your father won't be able to
put the blame on you for that,
and he won't find out your secret either.
- I shall never forget you, Sir Lancelot.
- Now, is there anyway I can get back
to where I left my horse
without being seen?
- Yes, I'll show you.
- Perhaps you can tell Sir Urgan
I was tired and went to my bedchamber.
- It's clear.
- By the time they look for me,
I'll be well on my way to Camelot.
- I shall pray for your
happiness, Sir Lancelot.
- And I for yours, Helen.
[somber music]
I have to say goodbye, Brian.
- You're going already, for good?
- I must, unannounced.
- I hoped at least...
I was finishing my work
so I could go out with you in the morning,
show you the best places to hunt.
- I would have liked that.
But it can't be.
- What about your other
horse, the one I rode?
- It's yours.
It's a small enough reward
for what you did for me.
Farewell, Brian.
- Farewell, Sir Lancelot.
[triumphant music]
[adventurous music]
- Brian. What are you doing here?
- Cooking your breakfast.
It was a chilly morning,
so I gathered some wood
and started a fire, and caught a rabbit
and got some water from the-
- Now wait a minute, you know what I mean.
Why aren't you at your master's castle?
- I ran away.
More or less it's your fault.
- Oh?
So I forced you to run away?
- Oh, I didn't say that, quite.
But you did make me your
squire yesterday for a time,
and afterwards you said I'd done well.
- True.
- Well, it had a strange effect on me.
I don't ever want to wash another pot.
All I can think of is being a squire.
Your squire, and riding
around the country,
helping you in your adventures.
Try some broth.
I know I'm a little young, but I'm strong
and can be useful to you
in more ways than one.
I can do-
- We'll see about that.
You go and look to the horses.
[inquisitive music]
[suspenseful music]
What's the meaning of this? Who are you?
- My name is Andred.
And you'll never marry
Lady Helen while I'm alive.
- How do you know I'm going to marry her?
- Urgan her father insisted so.
- You must be the man she really loves.
- I am.
And I'm prepared to fight for her.
Stand and fight,
coward.
[swords clashing]
[crashing]
- What's that?
- What's what?
Oh, oh that, that's only my
castle being att*cked again.
- Well don't just stand there.
- [Andred] Oh, it's all right,
it's happened many times.
- Well, all the more
reason not to stand there.
Come on.
- Me too?
- Why not.
- Adventure already.
I don't care what happens to me.
I'll never wash another pot.
[suspenseful music]
- Ready?
Fire!
- Who is the leader here?
- Lancelot, our champion.
- Urgan.
- I thought you were asleep in my castle.
- Oh, we didn't need your help this time,
so we decided to let you rest.
- Urgan.
Why are you assaulting this castle?
- Why not? There's nobody
there but women and children.
The men are our prisoners thanks to you.
In an hour the castle will be mine.
Let me explain my strategy.
- Nevermind the strategy.
Get back to your castle.
- What are you saying?
- I thought you were on our side.
- I see no difference between
what they were doing yesterday
and what you are doing now.
- Well, difference is, today
they're the helpless ones,
thanks to you.
- You are pledged to our cause,
on your honor as a knight.
- My pledge to you ended
when I freed your castle from the siege.
Now it is you who are breaking the peace.
- What peace?
Between Urgan the Strong
and Melias the Mighty,
there is no peace, and never will be.
- We shall see about that.
You stay here.
- I think he's turning against us.
You'll have to k*ll him.
- You mean me? k*ll Lancelot?
Why, that's the most unfatherly
suggestion I've ever heard.
- Sir Lancelot.
You're not going to k*ll him,
you won't k*ll my Andred.
- I was only going to free
his father and brother.
- Have you been meeting
secretly with that enemy girl?
- Father, I just can't
think of her as an enemy.
- Then you better start.
- Apparently the younger
generation doesn't share
your fierce feelings
about this family quarrel.
Come on, we're gonna
have a peace conference.
- Peace? Never.
- Now.
What's this feud all about,
and how did it start?
- It was a great many years ago.
It was something about fishing rights.
Oh yes.
His people kept fishing in my stream.
- My stream, his poachers
stole all my fish.
- Wasn't it possible
to reach a compromise?
- Compromise? Never.
- Our quarrel can only
be settled in blood.
- Yes, and the pity is it has
to be the blood of your sons
and liege men, while you
two sit back and watch.
Of course, if you weren't
both too old to fight...
- Who's too old?
- I'm still as mighty as I ever was!
- I can cleave you in two in one blow!
- Then that's our solution.
Single combat between the
heads of the families.
- Right!
- Right!
[adventurous music]
- When I give you the signal.
- Now you've started another fight.
- Well, at least you're not taking part.
- It's so ridiculous.
In their minds, they fight major battles,
and in reality, it's just two old men,
a handful of servants, and a catapult.
- Yes.
- And it goes on and on and on.
- Well, maybe this'll be the last one.
Now!
[weapons clashing]
[dramatic music]
- Do you think they'll hurt each other?
- Not a chance. A few bruises maybe.
[dramatic music]
Faster, Sir Urgan!
Stronger, Sir Melias!
They don't look as fierce as
they sounded, do they, Brian?
And they're losing their audience.
Parlay. Time for a parlay.
There can be no victory in this contest.
You are both invincible.
- Water.
- My heart.
- Fetch some water.
Now. You have two choices.
You want to go on fighting?
- Can't.
- My legs.
- Then you must settle
this quarrel for good,
and learn to live as neighbors.
Now, can we reach some agreement
about this fishing stream?
- No stream now.
- Dried up years ago.
- Well.
You might've told me that before.
Anyway, the only thing to
be decided is which child
inherits which castle.
- Not dead yet. Quite.
- Child?
- Look.
Unless I miss my guess, there's
a marriage in the making
between your children.
And there's nothing you can do about it
except give them your blessing.
Unless you wish to fight again?
- Friend.
- Like old times.
- My boy, your girl.
- My girl, your boy.
- You've done a lot for us, Sir Lancelot.
- Yes.
We'd like to give you a boon.
- Well, there's only one
thing I'll accept from you.
- Name it.
- The custody of Brian.
- Brian? The kitchen boy?
Oh, take him, of course.
But we wanted to give
you something valuable.
- I, for one, consider Brian is valuable.
He's cheeky, disobedient,
and he has a lot to learn.
But he has a good head,
and a strong right arm,
and courage.
Coming, Squire?
[adventurous music]
[lighthearted music]
♪ Now listen to my story,
yes listen while I sing ♪
♪ Of days of old in England
when Arthur was a king ♪
♪ Of Merlin the magician
and Guinevere the queen ♪
♪ And Lancelot the bravest
knight the world has ever seen ♪
♪ In days of old, when knights were bold ♪
♪ This story's told of Lancelot ♪
♪ In days of old, when knights were bold ♪
♪ This story's told of Lancelot ♪
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