1: Reading six articles: 2: Finish a charting 3: Write a short essay( 500 words)

He c o uld n ot e nte r fo r th e d ra gon's fla m e.

Beow ulf w as a ngry , th e lo rd o f th e G eats , he w ho s to rm ed in b attle .

He y e lle d in to th e c a ve .

The h oard -k e eper p erc e iv e d a m an's v o ic e a nd did n't p la n to a sk fo r fr ie ndsh ip .

Fla m es s h ot o ut fr o m a m ong th e s to nes, hot b attle -s w eat.

The g ro und d in ned.

The h ero r a is e d h is s h ie ld again st th e d re adfu l s tr a nger.

Then th e c o ile d th in g so ught b attle .

The w ar k in g d re w h is s w ord , an a ncie nt h eir lo om wit h e dges u nblu nt.

Each o f th em in te nded horro r to th e o th er.

Sto uth earte d s to od th at w ar-p rin ce wit h h is s h ie ld u pra is e d, wait e d in h is w ar-g ear.

The d ra gon c o ile d to geth er, went fo rth b urn in g, glid in g to w ard h is fa te .

1/6 His s h ie ld p ro te cte d lif e a nd b ody fo r a s h orte r tim e th an th e p rin ce h ad h oped.

That w as th e fir s t d ay he w as n ot g ra nte d glo ry in b attle .

The lo rd o f th e G eats ra is e d h is a rm , str u ck th e h orrib le th in g wit h h is a nce str a l s w ord , but th e e dge g ave w ay:

th at b rig ht s w ord bit le ss o n th e b one th an th e w ar-k in g n eeded.

Afte r th at s tr o ke th e c a ve -g uard ia n was in a s a va ge m ood.

He th re w d eath -fir e -- wid ely s p ra ye d battle fla sh es.

The g old -fr ie nd o f th e G eats wasn 't b oastin g o f v ic to ry .

His w ar-s w ord h ad fa ile d, not b it te n h om e as it s h ould h ave , th at ir o n w hic h h ad alw ays b een tr u stw orth y.

This w asn 't a p le asa nt tr ip :

th at fa m ous k in g, B eow ulf , would h ave to le ave th is e arth , would h ave , a gain st h is w ill, to m ove e ls e w here .

(S o m ust e ve ry m an giv e u p th ese tr a nsit o ry d ays.) It w asn 't lo ng b efo re th e te rrib le o nes met a gain -- The h oard -k e eper to ok h eart, heave d h is fir e a new .

He w ho o nce r u le d a n atio n was e ncir c le d b y fir e ; no tr o op o f fr ie nds, str o ng p rin ce s, sto od a ro und h im :

th ey r a n to th e w oods to s a ve th eir liv e s.

Yet in o ne o f th em welle d a s o rro w fu l h eart.

That tr u e-m in ded o ne did n't fo rg et k in sh ip .

Wig la f h e w as c a lle d, th e s o n o f W oehsta n, a b elo ve d s h ie ld -w arrio r, a lo rd o f th e S cylf in gs, a k in sm an o f A elt h ere .

2/6 He s a w h is lo rd su ffe rin g fr o m h eat under h is h elm et.

He r e m em bere d th e g if ts , a r ic h h om e a m ong th e W aegm undin gs, th e r ic h in herit a nce , th at h is fa th er h ad h ad.

Wig la f c o uld n ot r e fr a in , but g ra bbed h is s h ie ld , dre w h is a ncie nt s w ord th at a m ong m en w as k n ow n as th e h eir lo om o f E anm und, th e s o n o f O th ere .

(E anm und, a fte r a q uarre l, was k ille d b y W eohsta n wit h th e s w ord 's e dge.

Weohsta n b eca m e a fr ie ndle ss e xile .

To E anm und's o w n k in sm en he b ore th e b urn is h ed h elm et, th e r in g-lo cke d m ail, th e o ld s w ord m ade b y g ia nts .

Onela h ad g iv e n E anm und th at, th e w ar-e quip m ent, and d id n ot m entio n th e fe ud, th ough h is bro th er's c h ild w as k ille d.

Weohsta n h eld th e tr e asu re many y e ars , th e s w ord a nd m ail, until h is s o n c o uld do h ero ic d eeds as h is fa th er h ad d one.

He g ave th e w ar-d re ss to W ig la f and a g re at m any tr e asu re s, th en d eparte d th is e arth old o n h is jo urn ey.

But th is w as th e fir s t tim e th e y o ung c h am pio n had g one in to th e w ar-s to rm .) His s p ir it d id n ot fa il, nor h is h eir lo om : th at th e d ra gon d is co ve re d when th ey m et in b attle .

Wig la f s p oke w ord s a bout d uty , sa id in s o rro w to h is c o m panio ns:

"I r e m em ber th e tim es we d ra nk m ead a nd h ow we p ro m is e d o ur lo rd th ere in th e b eer-h all, he w ho g ave u s g if ts , th at w e w ould r e pay all h is la rg ess, th e h elm ets a nd h ard s w ord s, if th e n eed sh ould e ve r b efa ll.

3/6 He c h ose h is b est m en fo r th is e xp edit io n, gave u s h onor a nd th ese tr e asu re s b eca use he c o nsid ere d u s b est am ong s p ear fig hte rs , th ough h e p ro pose d to do th e jo b a lo ne b eca use he h ad p erfo rm ed th e m ost fa m ous d eeds a m ong m en.

Now h as th e d ay c o m e th at o ur lo rd is in n eed o f fig hte rs , of g ood w arrio rs .

Let u s g o to h im , help th e w ar-c h ie f in th is fir e -h orro r.

God k n ow s, to m e, my lo rd m eans m ore th an m y s kin .

Wit h h im I w ill em bra ce th e fir e .

It is n 't p ro per th at w e b are s h ie ld s back to o ur h om es befo re w e c a n defe nd o ur lo rd and k ill th e e nem y.

He d oesn 't d ese rv e to s u ffe r a lo ne.

We tw o s h all s h are th e s w ord a nd h elm et, th e m ail a nd w ar-g arm ent." Then W ig la f a dva nce d th ro ugh th e d eath -fu m es, wore h is h elm et to h elp h is lo rd .

He s p oke th ese w ord s:

"D ear B eow ulf , m ay y o u acco m plis h a ll w ell, as y o u d id in y o uth , as I h ave h eard te ll.

Don't s u rre nder th e g lo ry of y o ur lif e . D efe nd n ow , wit h a ll y o ur s tr e ngth , yo ur b ra ve d eeds.

I w ill h elp ." Afte r th ese w ord s th e d ra gon a ngrily c a m e; th e te rrib le s p ir it anoth er tim e a tta cke d wit h s u rg in g fir e .

Fir e w ave s b urn ed Wig la f's s h ie ld dow n to th e h andle , his m ail c o uld n ot 4/6 pro te ct th e y o ung sp ear-w arrio r.

He d ucke d b ehin d his k in sm an's s h ie ld .

Then th e w ar-k in g re m em bere d p ast d eeds, str u ck m ig htily w it h h is s w ord so th at it s tu ck in th e d ra gon's h ead; Naeglin g, th e g re at s w ord o f B eow ulf , ancie nt a nd s h in in g, bro ke , fa ile d in b attle .

Fate h ad n ot g ra nte d th at th e ir o n s w ord w ould h elp .

(I'v e h eard th at B eow ulf 's sw in g w as to o s tr o ng fo r a ny s w ord , ove rs tr a in ed a ny b la de, anytim e h e c a rrie d a b lo od-h ard ened s w ord in to b attle .) Then th e te rrib le d ra gon a th ir d tim e r u sh ed, hot a nd b attle -g rim .

He b it B eow ulf 's n eck wit h s h arp tu sks--B eow ulf was w et w it h lif e 's b lo od; blo od g ush ed in w ave s.

Then, I'v e h eard , Wig la f s h ow ed c o ura ge, cra ft a nd b ra ve ry , as w as h is n atu re --h e w ent not fo r th e th ought- s e at, but s tr u ck a lit tle lo w er, help ed h is k in sm an th ough h is h and w as b urn ed.

The s w ord , s h in in g and o rn am ente d, dro ve in s o th at th e fir e a bate d.

Then th e k in g c o ntr o lle d his s e nse s, d re w h is battle k n if e , b it te r and b attle s h arp , w hic h he c a rrie d o n h is m ail, and c u t th e d ra gon th ro ugh th e m id dle .

The e nem y fe ll- -s tr e ngth had d riv e n o ut lif e ; th e tw o k in sm en, to geth er, had c u t d ow n th e e nem y.

So s h ould a w arrio r d o.

That w as B eow ulf 's la st v ic to ry ; his la st w ork in th is w orld .

5/6 end o f e pis o de e le ve n * * * In e p is o de t w elv e B eo w ulf m eets h is maker.

[ Retu rn t o M ain P ag e ] [ Retu rn t o C ult u re C afe ] 6/6