[dramatic music]
[bright music]
[dramatic music]
- And so, always the gentleman, mind,
I said, "Madam, my armor
is not pinching me.
[knights laughing]
"It's simply that you
are standing on my toe."
[all laughing]
And I walked the last 20 leagues.
Oh, but that's not all.
On the next day, I--
- [King Arthur] Master Merlin.
What is this?
- Your pardon, My Lord,
for this intrusion,
but this is a fisherman.
He has suffered great shock.
I thought you would like
to hear from him personally
what he has told me.
- Let him proceed.
- He spoke of a sea monster.
- A sea monster?
- A terrible creature with a dragon's head
on either end of its body.
He says that this creature seizes
the fisher folk of the village
and carries them off into the sea
and they are never seen again.
- It's true, My Lord.
I swear it.
This monster rises from the sea
and makes away with the men of our village
where they fish.
- You have seen this monster?
- Yes, My Lord, only yesterday.
It had the head of a giant
and many legs.
And it swam with the
speed of the fastest boat.
- What did you do when you saw it?
- We ran.
- Very wise.
- Everyone in our village is running away.
We're afraid.
We need help, Sire.
- [Lancelot] What do you think, My Lord?
- Have you ever seen a sea monster?
- No, sir, I haven't.
- Have you?
- I?
Well...
But I'm naturally well acquainted
with monsters and dragons.
I have seen things
that would strike terror
into the bravest hearts.
I remember on one--
- Yes, yes, Merlin, but the question.
Have you seen a sea monster?
- My Lord, in a word,
no.
- Nor have I.
And yet, this man has
come to us with a fear
that to him and his neighbors
is very real.
Lancelot.
- My Lord?
- Go to this village.
Find out the cause of the people's fear.
And remove it.
- I will, My Lord.
[dramatic music]
- It certainly looks deserted.
- We'd better go and have a look.
[dramatic music]
- Well, there's no monster here.
Shall we go?
[suspenseful music]
Ah!
[Lancelot laughs]
[cat meows]
[playful music]
[gentle music]
[dramatic music]
The monster!
The monster!
- Where?
- There!
- [laughing] Brian, you are an ox!
Your monster's nothing
more terrible than a boat.
- It's only a boat?
- Yes.
Look at the other end.
- A dragon head there, too.
- Mm.
So this is the terrible two-headed dragon
with many legs that comes from the sea.
- But where does it come from?
- Looks like a viking ship to me.
- Vikings?
What are vikings doing here?
- No good, I'm afraid.
- Do you mean raiding the villages?
- Yes.
We've got to stop them
before they get away.
[dramatic music]
[vikings clamoring]
- They're all ready, sir.
[birds cawing]
- Take your hands off me!
- [laughing] This one
thinks he's a something.
How dare you talk to Horg like that.
You are nothing but a sl*ve.
You may thank your gods,
if you have any,
that for the rest of your lives,
you'll have the privilege
of serving vikings!
- You know, you're not being very clever.
Why sell us as slaves
when you could get more by
ransoming us to our king?
- Ah, Horg is too clever to
make a trade with a savage!
Take them to the boat!
[dramatic music]
- Come on, come on.
Come on!
Come on!
[dramatic music]
- Row!
Row!
Row!
Row!
[dramatic music]
Row!
Row!
[dramatic music]
Heave!
Come on!
Hey, come on, get on with it!
- Can't you see the boy's exhausted?
- Why, I--
- Be careful with those oars!
- Hey, you!
Come on, get on with it!
[dramatic music]
[whip snaps]
Come on, move.
Move.
[dramatic music]
Over there.
- Ah, Eck of Voltz.
When I was in that dark
land they call England,
I said that Eck of Voltz
would be at my homecoming
and here you are.
- Welcome, noble Horg.
- Let us drink, my friend.
- Skol.
- Skol.
Can this be...
- [Eck] Yes, it is.
- [Horg] Sella.
- Noble king.
- She is a real beauty, my friend.
- Yes, but one day, very soon, perhaps,
she will leave me to be a wife.
- When I have sold my slaves,
I'll talk to you about her.
[crowd chattering]
- Now, good people, your attention.
The auction is about to begin.
- You are in luck.
Horg is a great man and
he's taken a liking to you.
- Well, you all know the breed: Britons.
Perhaps the best specimens the
noble Horg has ever brought
from the land of savages.
You, come here.
- Do as you're told!
- What's your name, sl*ve?
- I'm no man's sl*ve!
- [Overseer] Give him your name!
- My name is Sir Lancelot of the Lake.
- Sir Lancelot of the Lake!
[all laughing]
There's a fine name.
How these savages love to put on airs.
[all laughing]
Well, never mind what he calls himself,
he's got muscles like rock.
A type to till the fields
or to labor in a granite quarry.
Now what am I bid?
- Three pieces of gold.
- Eck of Voltz bids three pieces of gold.
- Yes!
That's all I buy today.
- [Auctioneer] Now, who offers four?
- Wait.
You buy only one sl*ve?
There was a time you'd have
taken the whole shipload.
- Yes, there was.
But while you were away,
sickness k*lled many.
I am poor now and must rebuild slowly.
- Ah, 'tis the will of
the might God Woden.
- I bid four pieces of gold.
- Wait!
- [Eck] No, not 10 pieces of gold.
- Deal?
I have made a bargain with my friend.
The slaves now belong to Eck of Voltz.
- Daughter, you should be very proud.
The noble Horg has consented
to make you his wife.
- Do you mean that you've exchanged me
for a group of slaves?
- It's good trading for such a husband.
He wanted 10 pieces of gold as well,
but I drive a hard bargain.
- It doesn't matter, I
suppose, that I detest him?
- Now, now, daughter.
Once you're married, the hate will go.
The gods forbid it.
It is Woden's will
that a woman serves
her husband faithfully.
Besides, he'll be away most of the time.
- Take them to Eck of Voltz's compound.
- Come on!
Come on, get moving.
Come on!
[dramatic music]
[chains clanging]
[dramatic music]
- What are you thinking about, Brian?
- Home.
- So was I.
I was also thinking about how to escape.
- Escape?
- You know they'd k*ll
us if they catch us.
- I'd rather be k*lled
than stay here and die.
- Tomorrow we'll see
how many of the others
are as brave as you.
- Why bother about the others?
You and I would have
a better chance alone.
- Do you really think that's a good idea?
- No.
I suppose it's not.
- We'll tell all those who
want to escape to be ready.
When the time comes,
we must have a signal.
- What'll it be?
- I don't know.
Ought to be something they can remember.
Dragon head!
[dramatic music]
Water!
[hammers banging]
- All right, that's enough!
Now, come on, back to your work!
Come on!
To your work!
- What do you think you're doing?
- [Brian] I want a drink.
[bucket clatters]
- Get back to your work or I'll put this--
Use that whip on me and you'll die!
- Use it on him and he'll die!
Can't you see his hands are raw?
What do you people think we are?
Cattle?
- Stop!
[rooster crowing nearby]
Your job is to get work from a sl*ve,
not to injure him so that he can't work.
- But you don't know this one.
He's a troublemaker.
- Not even a viking could
work with hands like these.
Let his hands heal.
Otherwise I shall be forced
to speak to my father.
Now, go back to the fields.
You may stay.
- But mistress,
you can't be left alone with a sl*ve.
- Do as you are told.
Otherwise, I shall report you.
[birds chirping]
I want to help you.
- Help me?
To escape?
- Yes.
- Why?
- Because no one has the right
to make free men into slaves.
- Well, that's true, but...
I'm grateful, but why me?
- Because you remind me of someone I knew.
- Oh?
Who?
- A prince from the North Lands.
- Do I really look like him?
- Yes.
In the right clothes, you
could easily be taken for him.
- I could?
Ah, but what would a prince
be doing so far from home?
In my country, princes
only travel to make w*r or
find themselves wives.
[bells tolling]
What's that?
- The beginnings of the
celebration for my wedding.
- You don't look very happy about it.
- I'm not.
I'm being forced to marry a man I detest.
- Ah.
This prince, er,
does he have a wife?
- [Sella] No.
He is unmarried.
- I don't suppose he'd find
it particularly difficult
to get one, though, eh?
- No.
Under our laws, a prince of royal blood
can marry any maiden he wishes.
She can't refuse even if she wants to.
- Oh, suppose she's already
been chosen by another?
- Even then she couldn't refuse.
- Splendid.
Ah, but this prince will
be known by everyone here.
- No.
Only my handmaiden and
myself have seen him.
It was last year when we
went to visit my grandfather
in the north.
- What's his name?
- Prince Leif.
- My Lady, I think I can help you.
- How?
- I am going to be Prince Leif
and you are not going to marry.
Well, not today, at any rate.
- There.
The disguise is complete.
The helmet makes all the difference.
No one will ever recognize you now.
- Well, My Lady, with
some luck we should manage
to outwit them this time.
But if we do,
where will you go?
- Once I'm free of Horg,
what does it matter?
- To the North Lands?
- Well, perhaps.
But the main thing is
that you should be free.
- And what about the others?
We must think of a plan for rescuing them.
- That won't be so easy.
- No.
Your guards will attend
your wedding celebration,
won't they?
- Yes.
- With something strong to drink?
- Yes!
I'll see that Inga keeps
them well supplied.
- My lady!
Go now and enter as Prince Leif.
Good luck.
- Sella, my dear, you
look lovely. [laughs]
Are you ready for the ceremony?
- Father, I must beg you once again,
please release me from this
marriage before it's too late.
- Horg is rich!
You don't seem to realize
what that means, Sella.
- To me, it seems that he has bought me,
just as you buy a sl*ve.
- Oh, Sella,
I don't want to hear that
kind of talk from you.
- But I don't respect all your ideas,
simply because you're my father!
- I see.
And I suppose that means you
still herd your strange notions
about setting slaves free
and things like that?
- Yes.
Why not?
Why not set them all free?
- Give up my wealth?
Wish poverty on myself?
- So it is your wealth that worries you
and not Woden's will.
- Here you are.
Drinks for the wedding.
[guards chattering]
[a* banging]
- I'll go alone from here.
You!
Go and tell your master that Prince Leif
of the North Lands calls upon him.
- Yes, Your Highness, yes, Your Highness.
- Does your master know you drink on duty?
- Young Lady of the
castle is to be married.
She sent this herself.
- Oh, I see.
Hm.
This wine is known to
attract Woden's thunderbolts.
See you drink it quickly
before Woden sees you.
- You can rely on us, Your Highness.
- These slaves.
Are they British?
- That's right, Your Highness.
- Hmm.
Boy, come here.
Oh, you look strong enough.
- Sir Lancelot--
- Shh!
Tell the men when I give the signal
to run for the beach.
- How long will we have to wait?
- The guards are drinking now.
We have to wait for the
wine to take effect.
[dramatic music]
[guests laughing and chattering]
- [Guest] Come on, more drinks here!
[guests laughing and chattering]
- [Guest] More drinks here, more wine!
[guests laughing and chattering]
- Father, Prince Leif of
the North Lands is here.
- Prince Leif!
How wonderful!
Great chiefs, nobles, and guests,
I have great news.
I have the honor to present Prince Leif
from the North Lands,
who condescends to call upon us.
[guests chattering]
- Prince Leif from the North Lands!
- Your Highness.
[horns trumpeting fanfare]
We are exalted by your
presence, Your Highness.
This is my future
son-in-law, the noble Horg.
- This is a most unexpected
visit, Your Highness.
I'm surprised.
We've received no word from your couriers.
- On this occasion, I
have chosen to travel
without ceremony.
I am here on a personal matter.
- This is my daughter,
Sella, Your Highness.
- Ah, yes, Sella.
It is your daughter, my friend,
who is the cause of my
visiting you so unexpectedly.
- Sella?
- I have only seen her
once before in my life,
but the vision of her beauty
has remained in my heart
from that moment.
When I heard that she was to be married,
I decided the time had come to act.
I, Prince Leif of the North Lands,
do claim Sella as my bride.
- Sella, a princess?
- You are too late, Your Highness.
- But...
But he is a prince.
And he's rich.
- Sella is to be my wife.
- Impossible.
I have already chosen her for myself.
It is my right as a prince.
Would you disobey the law?
- I challenge you to combat.
Sella belongs to the victor.
- A prince is not provoked by such as you.
- Horg, you shall not
incite a prince in my house
- We shall see whether a
prince can be provoked or not.
[thrilling music]
k*ll him!
- Brian!
Dragon head!
[swords clang]
- Dragons head!
[thrilling music]
[swords clanging]
[thrilling music]
- This is no prince from the North Lands!
It's just an escaped sl*ve!
Oh!
Guards, seize him!
[sword clangs]
[thrilling music]
Come out of there, you swine!
Come out and fight!
[tense music]
- Brian!
- Sir Lancelot!
- Listen!
I'm going to show myself now.
Run to the beach, all of you!
- But they'll k*ll you!
- Do as I say!
[dramatic music]
Horg!
[dramatic music]
[swords clanging]
[dramatic music]
- Go now, while you have the chance.
- Join us in England, Sella.
- No.
This is my home.
Hurry now and join your friends.
We will meet again at a better time.
[triumphant music]
[bright music]
♪ Now listen to my story ♪
♪ Yes, listen while I sing ♪
♪ Of days of old in England ♪
♪ When Arthur was the king ♪
♪ In days of old ♪
♪ When knights were bold ♪
♪ This story's told ♪
♪ Of Lancelot ♪
[dramatic music]