Sir Cleges by Maud Van Buren (1927)

Name: Sir Cleges
Author: Maud Van Buren

Sir Cleges, a beloved knight of King Uther’s Round Table, is renowned for bravery, cheerfulness, and boundless generosity. With his wife, Lady Clarys, he keeps an open house, especially at Christmas, feeding and entertaining poor people, friends, knights, and ladies. Yet his hospitality exhausts his money, goods, and lands. Once he can give no more, the friends who profited from him abandon him. Forgotten even at King Uther’s court, Sir Cleges, Lady Clarys, and their children retreat to a poor house near Cardiff. While King Uther holds a magnificent Christmas feast at Cardiff Castle, Sir Cleges sadly recalls the happier days he once gave to others. Lady Clarys comforts him, and the family finds contentment in its quiet home. On Christmas Day, after church, Sir Cleges prays under a cherry-tree in his garden. A bough strikes his head, and he discovers that the tree, though it is winter, bears ripe red cherries. Lady Clarys urges him to bring the miraculous fruit as a Christmas offering to the king. At the castle, Sir Cleges is treated contemptuously because of his shabby appearance. The porter, the usher, and the steward each refuse him entrance until he promises each one a third of whatever reward King Uther grants him. When the king sees and tastes the cherries, he marvels at cherries at Christmas and shares them with his court. He welcomes the humble giver to his feast and promises him any reward he asks. Sir Cleges requests twelve strokes from his staff, to be dealt to whomever he chooses in the castle. With the king’s permission, he gives four blows each to the steward, usher, and porter: the three “thirds” they demanded for allowing him to present his gift. He explains that their greed made it hard for a poor man to reach the king and hopes the lesson will make them more generous. Summoned back to the hall, Sir Cleges hears a minstrel singing of the generous knight who spent his substance helping others and was then lost and forgotten. King Uther mourns Sir Cleges—until the poor stranger reveals his identity. Overjoyed to recover his old friend, the king embraces him and gives him Cardiff Castle, lands, and fees enough to live honorably. Sir Cleges and Lady Clarys live there happily for many years, ensuring that no selfish officer keeps poor people from entering their home.

By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Arthurian romance, Chivalric romance, Medieval romance · 4,596 words

First lines

_George Philip Krapp_

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Sir Cleges is listed on Textopian as a short story by Maud Van Buren, dated 1927 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Maud Van Buren
Date: 1927 CE
Language: English
Genres: Arthurian romance, Chivalric romance, Medieval romance, Christmas tale, Moral tale
Length: 4,596 words
Structure: 1 section, 54 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Work identity for Sir Cleges by Maud Van Buren
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Genres

Arthurian romance — The narrative is set in the legendary world of King Uther and the Round Table, centering on a knight whose identity, service, and restoration depend on royal Arthurian court culture.
Chivalric romance — Sir Cleges is defined by knightly virtues—bravery, generosity, loyalty, and honor—and the plot tests and rewards those virtues through courtly encounters.
Medieval romance — Adapted from a Middle English tradition, the work employs the characteristic romance pattern of a noble figure fallen into hardship, a marvel, a journey to court, comic justice, and restoration of status.
Christmas tale — Christmas governs the setting, imagery, action, and moral atmosphere: miraculous cherries appear on Christmas Day, a royal feast frames the story, and generosity is reaffirmed.