Chapter I: Camelot

by Mark Twain

　　"Camelot -- Camelot," said I to myself. "Idon't seem to remember hearing of it before.Name of the asylum, likely."It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovelyas a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. The air wasfull of the smell of flowers, and the buzzing of insects,and the twittering of birds, and there were no people,no wagons, there was no stir of life, nothing going on.The road was mainly a winding path with hoof-printsin it, and now and then a faint trace of wheels oneither side in the grass -- wheels that apparently had atire as broad as one's hand.Presently a fair slip of a girl, about ten years old,with a cataract of golden hair streaming down over hershoulders, came along. Around her head she wore ahoop of flame-red poppies. It was as sweet an outfitas ever I saw, what there was of it. She walked indolently along, with a mind at rest, its peace reflected inher innocent face. The circus man paid no attentionto her; didn't even seem to see her. And she -- shewas no more startled at his fantastic make-up than ifshe was used to his like every day of her life. Shewas going by as indifferently as she might have goneby a couple of cows; but when she happened to noticeme, then there was a change! Up went her hands,and she was turned to stone; her mouth droppedopen, her eyes stared wide and timorously, she wasthe picture of astonished curiosity touched with fear.And there she stood gazing, in a sort of stupefiedfascination, till we turned a corner of the wood andwere lost to her view. That she should be startled atme instead of at the other man, was too many for me;I couldn't make head or tail of it . And that sheshould seem to consider me a spectacle, and totallyoverlook her own merits in that respect, was anotherpuzzling thing, and a display of magnanimity, too,that was surprising in one so young. There was foodfor thought here. I moved along as one in a dream.As we approached the town, signs of life began toappear. At intervals we passed a wretched cabin, witha thatched roof, and about it small fields and gardenpatches in an indifferent state of cultivation. Therewere people, too; brawny men, with long, coarse, uncombed hair that hung down over their faces and madethem look like animals. They and the women, as arule, wore a coarse tow-linen robe that came well belowthe knee, and a rude sort of sandal, and many worean iron collar. The small boys and girls were alwaysnaked; but nobody seemed to know it. All of thesepeople stared at me, talked about me, ran into the hutsand fetched out their families to gape at me; but nobody ever noticed that other fellow, except to makehim humble salutation and get no response for theirpains.In the town were some substantial windowless housesof stone scattered among a wilderness of thatchedcabins; the streets were mere crooked alleys, and unpaved; troops of dogs and nude children played in thesun and made life and noise; hogs roamed and rootedcontentedly about, and one of them lay in a reekingwallow in the middle of the main thoroughfare andsuckled her family. Presently there was a distant blareof military music; it came nearer, still nearer, andsoon a noble cavalcade wound into view, glorious withplumed helmets and flashing mail and flaunting bannersand rich doublets and horse-cloths and gilded spearheads; and through the muck and swine, and nakedbrats, and joyous dogs, and shabby huts, it took itsgallant way, and in its wake we followed. Followedthrough one winding alley and then another, -- andclimbing, always climbing -- till at last we gained thebreezy height where the huge castle stood. There wasan exchange of bugle blasts; then a parley from thewalls, where men-at-arms, in hauberk and morion,marched back and forth with halberd at shoulderunder flapping banners with the rude figure of a dragondisplayed upon them; and then the great gates wereflung open, the drawbridge was lowered, and the headof the cavalcade swept forward under the frowningarches; and we, following, soon found ourselves in agreat paved court, with towers and turrets stretchingup into the blue air on all the four sides; and all aboutus the dismount was going on, and much greeting andceremony, and running to and fro, and a gay displayof moving and intermingling colors, and an altogetherpleasant stir and noise and confusion.