[awakening music]
[fanfare music]
[dramatic music]
[metal clanging]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music]
[fanfare music]
[dramatic music]
- [Arthur] Rise, my Lord Everard.
- Welcome, Sire.
Welcome, my lady to Radnor Abbey.
And a special welcome to wise Merlin.
- I salute the keeper of the crown jewels.
My Lord, shall we proceed
to the business at hand?
- As you can see,
everything is in readiness.
All we require is the ruby,
and the display will be complete.
- Sir Lancelot.
[regal music]
- Every year it looks more beautiful.
- [Everard] Its beauty is unimportant.
To the people of the
realm, it is a symbol.
- I now decree
that the annual display of the regalia,
the crown jewels, and the
Ruby of Radnor shall commence
tomorrow and continue for three days.
- I will publish the decree, Sire.
- Thank you, Merlin.
Is there anything you require
to carry out your task?
- I would like to double the guard, Sire,
during the three-day period.
- Very well.
You shall have six of
my stoutest men at arms.
Come, my dear.
[regal music]
- You may go.
[subdued regal music]
[cautious music]
- By St. Dunston, what a treasure!
- [henchman] Come on, get on now.
[tense music]
- Stand back.
Open the chest.
Now, start loading the rest.
You'll remain in the crypt
until the moon is down.
Then you'll make for my castle.
All right, get on with it.
[dramatic music]
[regal music]
[gentle music]
- Lancelot.
Lancelot, wake up!
- Oh, what is it?
It's barely dawn.
- This squire of yours, Brian.
When I agreed to tutor
him as a favor to you,
I had no idea it was
going to be like this.
I can't stand it for another day!
You will have to take him back.
- What's the matter now?
- What's the matter?
What's the matter?
When I got up this morning and
went to wash my face, look!
[Lancelot laughing]
It may seem funny to you,
but he's a terrible trial to me.
He's nothing but a bundle
of pranks and mischief!
He doesn't even look
after my pigeons properly.
- He's only a boy, Merlin.
- Oh.
- You were
a boy yourself once.
- Never.
- Eh?
- This boy, as you call
him, he needs a firm hand.
- All right, say no more.
I'll come and see him.
- Good.
[gentle music]
[exciting music]
[gentle music]
[footsteps approaching]
[gentle music]
[suspenseful music]
[air whooshing]
You see what I mean?
- Well, what have you
got to say to yourself?
- I didn't know it was you.
I thought it was-
- What did I tell you?
- We'll have no more of this.
It's a great privilege for you to be
under Merlin's charge,
and you're abusing it.
You'll have to be punished.
- Yes, and I know the thing.
I'll teach him to make up
for neglecting my pigeons.
Two birds must be taken
to Giles of Coventry.
- Giles of Coventry?
That's a full day's journey.
- For you, yes.
For the bird, no.
By means of the pigeons,
I get news from Giles in under an hour.
- I-
- Don't argue.
Pick up those pigeons and get
yourself off to the north.
- Sir Lancelot, Merlin,
King Arthur summons you to
the round table at once.
- And where do you think you are going?
- If there's trouble, Sir
Lancelot might be needing me.
- The pigeons, boy.
The pigeons.
- Pigeons.
- Lancelot, Merlin,
I've summoned you here on a
matter of the utmost urgency.
Just before dawn, thieves
broke into Radnor Abbey
and stole the crown
jewels, including the ruby.
- The Ruby of Radnor?
A powerful w*apon in the hands
of anyone who might wish to
challenge your authority.
- How did they get in, Sire?
- Tunnel through the crypt.
Only my cousin Everard
was on guard inside,
and I'm afraid all he got
for his courage was a rather bad b*ating.
- I would gladly have laid down
my life to protect the ruby.
- Well spoken, sir.
- You acted bravely and with honor.
But now is the time to talk
of what we must do to recover the stone.
- I overheard them say that
they were heading to the south.
- Good.
With your permission,
Sire, we'll get started.
- Granted.
[tense music]
[adventurous music]
[peaceful music]
[exciting music]
[surprised music]
- Hands off!
- Get down!
- I won't.
[dramatic music]
Leave me alone.
[fists pounding]
[driver grunting]
[perilous music]
- Get up there.
[cautious music]
- This is better than walking, isn't it?
- We wouldn't have been walking
if that cart horse hadn't gone lame.
- We've lots of time to make up.
- Yeah. Get up there.
[surprised music]
[intrigued music]
[lid slams]
- What was that?
- By the saints, you're a fine one.
I thought I told you to cover it good.
- I did cover it!
- I'll do it myself this time.
[dramatic music]
- Gee up now.
[dramatic music]
Gee up there.
[dramatic music]
- My Lord Everard, just in time.
My Lord Everard, that's one
of the Radnor robbers back there.
The treasure's in the back of the cart.
- You're a clever boy.
You'll be well rewarded.
Tie him up.
I'll deal with you later.
[dramatic music]
[regal music]
- This is very strange.
[peaceful music]
Have you any idea who might
have dispatched this bird?
Young Brian,
Sir Lancelot's squire,
left with two pigeons
for Coventry this morning.
This is one of them.
- Coventry?
But that's to the north.
- Yes, sire.
Your knights are searching
in the wrong direction.
- I'll send a courier to recall them.
This boy Brian, he must be
in the hands of the thieves.
We must find him.
He's a good lad.
- Yes, he's a good lad.
[tense music]
[gentle music]
- They're hanging me on Thursday.
When's your day?
- Hanging?
- That's right.
- That's terrible.
Isn't there something you can do?
- Nothing.
Or you either.
- What do you mean me?
- Nobody gets out of this cell.
Not until the day of his hanging.
- They're not going to hang me.
I'm going to send for help.
I've got a pigeon here
that'll fly to Camelot.
And then Sir Lancelot
will come and rescue me.
- Sir Lancelot?
Do you know him?
- Of course I do.
I'm his squire.
I don't suppose you know how to write?
- No.
- I can't either.
- Here, why don't you send
a button off your tunic,
and then they'll know it come from you.
- Yes, but they won't know where I am,
and that's what I've got to tell them.
- Did you ever see a piece
of ivy like that before?
- No.
- And you surely never will,
for this is the only place
in England where it grows.
No, that's no good.
- Why?
- Well, people round here know this ivy,
but nobody else will.
- You don't know Master Merlin.
He knows everything.
[gentle music]
I'll put in a button as well.
[gentle music]
- I can't make head nor tale of it.
It's beyond my powers,
considerable though they are.
- Merlin, if we are right
in supposing this message is from Brian,
then the boy's in trouble.
We've got to understand
what he's trying to tell us.
- If your young squire had paid attention
to what I told him,
he'd be able to write by now
and there wouldn't be any need for charms.
Ah!
[smoke bangs]
- [air blows] Is that really necessary?
- I suppose not.
- I thought as much.
- But it's fun, isn't it?
Look, there is your ivy leaf.
You'll find your squire
eight leagues northward
of Dunsmuir Hill.
- Are you sure, Merlin?
- Positive.
- Good.
Dunsmuir Hill.
That's an extraordinary coincidence.
- What?
- Dunsmuir Hill is where the
castle of Lord Everard is,
the king's cousin.
- If I had any suspicion
about the king's cousin
I shouldn't mention it to anyone,
unless I had absolute proof.
- Thank you for your advice, Merlin.
But at the moment, I'm more interested
in Brian than I am in proof.
Well, I must get started
for Dunsmuir Hill.
- Why not let me look for a while?
- There's someone coming.
- Ah, it's a sheep herder.
Sit down and eat something.
Brian, we're both to
be hanged on Thursday,
but since you got here,
I have a strange feeling
that we're not gonna be hanged at all.
- Right, Hugo, but if help
doesn't come by sunset,
we'll have to try something else.
- Like what?
- Trick the jailer, dig
a hole in the floor.
- Look!
- A knight on horseback.
Sir Lancelot.
- What did I tell you?
I knew we'd get help.
Ha ha!
[door opening]
- What goes here?
- A knight.
- Who is he?
We'll soon find out.
[gentle music]
[door opening]
Nevermind.
You can watch if you like,
but if you make the least little sound,
I'll cut your throats.
Those are my orders.
Now, go on enjoying yourselves.
[tense music]
[gentle music]
- You say he spoke of a proposal?
Sounds friendly.
- It does, Sire.
- Perhaps he wishes to join our cause.
- Just what I was thinking, My Lord.
- He'd be a good man to have on our side.
- But he has always been a
loyal supporter of Arthur.
No, I don't think we could
really trust his proposal.
However, we shall listen
to what he has to say.
Bring him in.
- Yes, My Lord.
- You two wait behind there.
My dear Lancelot, how good to see you.
- My Lord.
- [Everard] Sit down.
- [Lancelot] Thank you.
- [Everard] I trust
you bring good tidings?
- I'll waste no words, My Lord.
You and I know that the
king's ruby was not stolen
by any common thief.
- That's quite true.
I should hate to think
that I was defeated in my
charge by a common thief.
- The man who holds the
ruby holds more than wealth.
- More?
- Power.
If the nobles opposing
King Arthur held that ruby,
they could lay claim to the throne.
- I suppose they could.
But what is all this leading to?
- To the conclusion that
the time may well have come
to reconsider allegiances.
- You mean abandon the king?
- What is a king without power?
- I believe the word for
what you suggest is treason.
You have miscalculated,
sir, in expecting me
to welcome such a proposal
against my cousin Arthur.
- It seems I have indeed miscalculated.
I'm glad to see that the
king has such a loyal cousin.
- And now, was there
anything further you wished
to speak to me about, Sir Lancelot?
- I think that was all, My Lord.
- In that case, you are
welcome to refresh yourself,
and then I would be
obliged if you would leave.
- Forgive me if I decline
your kind invitation
and leave at once.
- As you wish.
I'm sure you have most
important matters to attend to.
- As no doubt, My Lord, have you.
[tense music]
[gentle music]
- He's leaving.
[suspenseful music]
[surprised music]
- I've changed my mind, My Lord.
I think I'll take advantage
of your invitation.
- I'm sorry you've changed your mind.
- Why?
- Because now you will
not leave here alive.
[swords clanking]
- Oh!
- After him!
- A friend!
- All right!
[swords clanking]
Brian!
Find Everard!
He'll try to get away!
- [Hugo] He should be in the great hall.
[guard grunting]
- Everard's gone.
- He's taken the ruby.
We must find him.
[swords clanking]
Brian, find Everard!
[swords clanking]
- [Brian] Lancelot!
Help, Sire!
- Here, catch.
[adventurous music]
[dramatic music]
[punch thudding]
[serious music]
[cheerful 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 ♪
[awakening music]