Merlin and the king of Britain

In those years, there reigned in Britain a king whose name was Constans.  He had two young sons, Munk and Uter Pendragon.  When King Constans died, his majordomo, Vortigern by name, usurped the throne, after the boy Munk was slaughtered by his henchman.  The old king’s most senior minister had left the city disguised as a shepherd, taking young Uter Pendragon with him, the prince disguised as a shepherd’s boy.  This act saved his life.

As soon as he had all the strings of power firmly in his hands, Vortigern decided he wanted to build a tower so big and strong that it would withstand a siege for many years.  He chose a suitable (or so he thought) site and sent his masons to start building.  They worked hard, but no sooner was the wall twenty feet high than it collapsed.  The king scolded his masons, telling them to rebuild, using only the best mortar and the hardest stone.  They did, but to no avail: The tower collapsed a second and a third time.  The king now consulted his sages and astronomers, who answered that the tower would not stand unless a black-haired boy without a father were sacrificed on the spot.

The king at once sent messengers to all the towns and villages in the country. Finally they arrived in the village where Merlin was playing with other boys.  As soon as he saw them, he went up to them, saying: “I am the boy you are looking for.  People say I have no father.”  He was taken to the king at once.  On the way, they saw a man walking up the path to his house.  “Watch that man!” said Merlin, “that man is going to die!”  He was right.  A few moments later, the fellow stumbled and hit a stone with his head as he fell.  He was dead by the time they came near him.

The king’s messengers were so impressed by Merlin’s knowledge of the future that they agreed when he asked them to tell the king what they had seen and to propose that he should tell the king why his tower could not be built on that spot.  When they were admitted to the king’s presence, the messengers told Vortigern how clever the boy was and assured him that he knew where to build the tower.  They did not mention that he was the boy whose blood should be sacrificed for the tower.

The king believed the men and questioned Merlin about the building.  Young Merlin spoke: “Sire, under the spot you chose for your tower there live two dragons, one white and one red, in two subterranean chambers separated by a wall and covered by two enormous flat stones.  As soon as they feel the weight of your tower, the dragons shake themselves and the tower collapses.