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CastlesKnights

CastlesA N DA N D

Knights

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DragonbragPoem by Jack Prelutsky

Once upon a happenstance

I met a knight in armour.

I fixed my flame upon his lance —

It was a four-alarmer!

Dragonbrag

The slowest way to capture a castle

1 0 4

Castles and Keeps by Christopher Maynard

During the Middle Ages, many rich and powerfullords lived in mighty castles. A castle protected its owner from bands of thieves, rival lords, andinvaders from other lands.

B E F O R E

R E A D I N G

What do you know

about castles and

knights already?

What would you

like to learn from

this article?

An ironcladwooden portculliswas lowered overthe door for extrasecurity.

High towers, called turrets,gave a good view ofthe enemy’s forces.

Soldiers could shoot out fromslits in the walls.

CastleL I F E

CastleL I F E♦♦♦ ♦♦♦

was to starve out the people inside.

1 0 5Castle Life

The castle gate wasguarded by strongtowers, a woodendrawbridge, and a portcullis.

The moat keptattackers fromdigging underthe main walls.

In safekeepingEarly stone castles often consisted of

just one tower, called a keep. Theyhad incredibly thick walls and

might be 35 m high. Prisoners keptin the keep very rarely escaped!

Fighting to the topIf the main door was built on thesecond floor, attackers had to forcetheir way up a flight of steps beforethey could try to break in.

1 0 6 CASTLES AND KNIGHTS

Growing up in a Spanish Castleby Chris & Melanie Rice

It is and Sancho is learningthe skills of war. Already he cansaddle a horse, wield a sword, andthrow a javelin. He lives with hisuncle, Don Pedro, who is a fiercewarrior. Sancho hopes that one dayhe, too, will become a “caballero,”or knight, and ride into battle.

Charging with a lanceIn jousts, knights fight one-on-one onhorseback, knocking each other to the groundwith lances. To practise, I aim my lance at a tilting post.

If I don’t ride by quicklyenough, the swinging weight will knock me off my horse.

SanchoSancho wears

a tunic, thigh-lengthleather boots,tights, and asimple felt

hat.

The CastleSancho lives in a castle high on a hill.The castle is surrounded by thickstone walls.

ArmourWhen fully armed, DonPedro is completely

covered in platearmour, from the steel

footwear on his feet tothe helmet on

his head.

Helping Don PedroSancho chooses theright saddle and bridlefor Don Pedro’s horseand then helps Don

Pedro put on hisarmour. Heknows how all

the parts of a suitof armour fit together.

Woodenlance

Shield

Steel helmet

Steel footwear

Castle Life 1 0 7

MusicMusic forms

an importantpart of castle

entertainment.Sancho is learning

to play the lute. This modern lute is

similar to the one he wouldhave played.

Hunting DogsIn my spare time, I go to see the huntingdogs. The kennel boy feeds and grooms the dogs and checks their paws for thorns. I like to feed them extra scraps.

SportsI like wrestling,stone putting,and acrobatics,but myfavourite sportis archery.

LearningFighting is onlyone part of aknight’s training.I am also taughtto read, write,and count bythe castle priest.

BedtimeI sleep on a bedof straw in thegreat hall withthe other boys.At dawn weget up formass.

MealtimesAt mealtimes,Sancho is expectedto carve the meatat the table, serveDon Pedro withhis wine cup anddinner plate, andwatch his manners!

Serving foodSancho servesthe foodwith broad-bladedknives like

these.

Entertainment While theknights eat, visiting

entertainers, called “minstrels”sing, play music, and tellstories.

Woodensaddles, decorated with carvings, usedfor specialoccasions,

such as parades.

Carvedfigure

Minstrels

Lute

Dinner plate

Broadblades


The Inside Storyby Philip Steele

In early castles, life was farfrom comfortable. The wind

whistled through wooden shutters inthe windows, and most people slept onbenches or on rough mattresses in thegreat hall. By the 1200s, castles hadwell-furnished bed chambers and livingrooms heated by large open fires and litby candles. The better rooms had glasswindows and plastered walls hung withfine tapestries. Floors were covered withsweet-smelling herbs or rush matting.

1 The wardrobeThe top room in the lord’stower was used by the lady’spersonal servants. Linen andclothes were stored in largechests.

2 Master bedroomThis had rush mats on thefloor and richly decoratedwalls. A lady-in-waitingcould sleep on the trundlebed, which was pulled outfrom under the main bed.

3 The solarThis was the lord’s privateliving room. After a heartymeal he might retire herefor a game of chess.

4 BasementA trapdoor from the solarled down to the basement.Weapons, coins, and othervaluables might have beenkept here.

Castle Life 1 0 9

The lady, the wife of the lord, usuallyplayed an important part in running thecastle. She organized the servants andentertained visiting noblewomen. Whenthe lord was away, she might inspect localfarms or manage supplies and repairs tothe castle. Even so, this was still a man’sworld. It was believed that women wereinferior to men. In some places, they could not own land or make a will.

Reading and writingFew people in theMiddle Ages knew howto read and write.There were not manyschools, and mostchildren never went toone. Boys had moreopportunity to learnthan girls, but therewere still some famouswomen writers, such asChristine de Pisan, wholived in France in the

Growing upFrom the age of six orseven, the children ofnobles were often sent tolive in another lord’scastle. Boys became pagesand learned how to fight.Girls learned how tomanage a household.

Marrying youngMarriages between nobleswere arranged when thechildren were still in theircradles. Most lords andladies were married by thetime they were fourteen.

s

Pastimes Travelling musicians often visited the castle to entertain guests. Lords and ladies also liked to play music, sing, and compose poetry themselves. Listening to storytellers’ tales of romance and chivalry, embroidering, and playing chess were other popular pastimes. lute player

harpist

R E S P O N D I N GR E S P O N D I N G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

to CASTLE LIFEto CASTLE LIFEF O L L O W

U P

Make a list of three

new things you

learned. Make

another list of three

questions you

would still like to

ask about castles,

knights, or life in

the Middle Ages.


Understanding the Art ic le

Keeping Up to CastlesCastles and Keeps

• How do you think each of these castle parts helped thepeople inside to defend themselves?

turrets the moat slits in the walls the staircasethe portcullis the drawbridge

Growing Up in a Spanish Castle

• What was Sancho’s goal in life?

• Sancho helped Don Pedro in many ways. Which of his jobs do you think would be the mostinteresting? Which would be the most difficult?

• Why do you think a young knight had to learn the following things?

jousting playing the luteputting on armour reading, writing, and counting

The Inside Story

• Why were early castles uncomfortable? What improvements were made later?

• What important jobs did the lady of the castle do?

• How do you think the children of the castle felt when they turned six or seven?

• Why do you think marriages were arranged in theMiddle Ages? Would you like your parents to selectyour marriage partner? Why, or why not?

Imagine!Imagine!You are a lady or a knight. You need a banner to fly

from the castle tower. What colours will you choose?

What symbols will you use?

Responding Activities 1 1 1

Castles Around the WorldOne thousand years ago, noble lords builtcastles all over Europe and the Middle East.About 400 years ago, nobles in Japan alsobuilt many castles. This picture showsHimeji Castle (1609). It provided a homeand protection for Japanese knights, whowere called samurai.

??Did You KnowThere are castles in Canada!

Casa Loma in Toronto was

built in 1911 by a rich

businessman named Sir

Henry Pellatt. It has 98

rooms,

21 marble fireplaces, and

30 bathrooms! It even has

two secret passages. It adds a

flavour of the Middle Ages to

Find Out

More About...

• how Japanese castles were built

• the lives of the samurai and

their families

Use the library and the Internet.

Present your information as a

display of pictures with captions.

Wooden shingles

Woodenupper story

Pagoda-likeroof

Gun loop

Narrow windowopenings

B E F O R E

R E A D I N G

Why do kings and

queens need an

heir? Who is the

present heir to the

British throne?


ONG, LONG AGO, in Britain,when the world was stillfull of magic, there was awise old wizard called

Merlin. He could see into the futureand work magic spells.

One wild and stormy winter’s nightMerlin was staying in a castle. It wasthe stronghold of his friend, KingUther. The queen had just given birthto Uther’s first and only son.

The king told Merlin he feared a plotto kill his son and that he had a planto keep him safe.

Just before midnight, Merlin opened a small, secret door and slipped out of the castle. Under his cloak he wascarrying a bundle, and in the bundlewas the baby boy.

L

Sword

StoneS t o r y b y

Angela WilkesP i c t u r e s b y

Peter Dennis

in the

T H E

1

The Sword in the Stone 1 1 3

The years passed andUther died. No one knewhe had a son to inherithis crown, so his knightsfought each other to winthe kingdom.

Far away in the Welshhills, Merlin heard ofthese fights for the crown.As only he knew thatUther had a son, he set offat once for London.

There Merlin said to thearchbishop, “The timehas come to find the newking. You must call allthe knights in the landto London.”

The archbishop summoned all theknights to come on Christmas Day.Hundreds came and they crowded intothe Abbey to pray. After the service, asthey were leaving, they stopped inamazement.

A huge block of stone had appeared inthe churchyard and in it was a sword.Round the stone were carved the words:WHOEVER PULLS THIS SWORD OUT OFTHIS STONE IS THE TRUE BORN KINGOF BRITAIN.

2 3 4

5


Knights, with their squires, families,and servants, rode to London from allover the land. They set up their tentson the field and practised for thetournament.

On New Year’s Day the knights went tothe Abbey churchyard. Each one triedto pull the sword out of the stone, butstruggle as they might, no one couldmove it.

Eagerly the knights leapt on to the stone and one after another theystruggled to pull out the sword. Even the strongest knights could not move it an inch. “The king is not here,” said the archbishop.

“Send messengers round the kingdom,”he ordered. “Tell every knight what iswritten on the stone. On New Year’sDay we shall hold a tournament.Perhaps the king will be amongst thosewho come to joust.”

6 7

8


Among the knights who came toLondon for the tournament were SirEctor and his two sons, Kay andArthur. Kay had just been knighted but Arthur was only sixteen and wastoo young to be a knight.

On the way to the tournament Sir Kaysuddenly found he had forgotten hissword. “I must have left it at the inn,”he said. “I will fetch it for you,” saidArthur and set off at a gallop for thetown.

When he reached the inn, the doorwas locked. Arthur knocked buteveryone had gone to the tournament.“I must find a sword,” he thought.“This is Kay’s first joust and he cannotfight without one.”

He rode away, wondering what to do.Passing the Abbey churchyard, he sawthe sword in the stone. Withoutreading the words on the stone, heleapt off his horse, ran to the stone and pulled out the sword.

9 10

11 12


Arthur galloped back to the tournament.“Here’s a sword,” he said, handing it toKay. Kay stared at it for a moment, thenlooked at Arthur. He knew where thesword came from and snatched it.

He hurried to Sir Ector. “Look, father,” heshouted. “Here is the sword from thestone. I must be the King of Britain.” ButSir Ector knew his son well. “Let us goback to the churchyard,” he said quietly.

In the Abbey, Sir Ector made his elderson swear on the Bible to tell the truthabout the sword. Kay bowed his headand said, “Arthur gave it to me.” ThenArthur told Sir Ector what he had done.

They went into the churchyard andArthur put the sword back into the stone. Sir Ector seized it but it would notmove. Then Kay tried but it still wouldnot move. “It is your turn, Arthur,” saidSir Ector.

13 14

15 16


Arthur gripped the sword, pulled and itslid easily out of the stone. Sir Ector andKay knelt down at once. Arthur looked at them in surprise. “What is the matter?Why are you kneeling?” he asked.

“Read the words on the stone,” said SirEctor. “I am not your real father,” heexplained. “When you were a baby,Merlin brought you to me so that youwould be safe from Uther’s enemies.

“Now we must tell the archbishop that we have found the king.” But the otherknights would not believe it. They wentback to their homes, agreeing to meetagain in London to settle the matter. They met at Whitsun and crowds

watched the knights try their luck. Only Arthur could pull out the sword.The crowds shouted, “Arthur is king!”And knights and people knelt to sweartheir loyalty.

17

19

18


to THE SWORD IN THE STONEto THE SWORD IN THE STONEF O L L O W

U P

In the story, the

true heir to the

throne could not be

found. How did the

sword in the stone

solve this problem?

Understanding the Story

In Days of Magic• Why did King Uther ask Merlin to take his son away?

• What trouble happened in Britain after King Uther died?

• Who do you think put a magic spell on the sword in the

stone?

• What did Kay do that showed he should not be king?

• Do you predict that Arthur will make a good king or

a bad king? Give reasons for your answer.

Story Structure

Complete this chart in your notebook.

place where the

story happened

time when the

story happened

a wizard

King of Britain

a knight

the knight’s son

the knight’s adopted son

Characters

The Sword in the Stone

1.2.3.4.5.

Setting

1.

2.

Problem to be Solved


Imagine!Imagine!You are Arthur, and you have �become king at the age of 16. �

Write a letter to Merlin, �telling him your plans �and asking for advice.

Responding Activities

The legends say that Arthur went on to becomea great king. He married Queen Guinevere, andthey lived in a castle called Camelot. He and his“Knights of the Round Table” vowed to be trueto the code of chivalry. They had wonderfuladventures, too. See page 143 to help you findmore stories about King Arthur.

The musical movie, Camelot, is based on the stories of King Arthur and his knights. The science fiction movie, Star Wars, is about“knights” of the future, whose adventures takeplace in space. When you watch it, compare the movie characters with the characters in The Sword in the Stone. Who has magic powerslike Merlin? Who carries a shining sword? Who is the enemy? Who is the young hero?

1 1 9

The Legend of

King ArthurMedia

Link


H arald lived with his mother, Helga, and his father,Walter, in the valley which spread beneath the castle.

The valley was owned by a baron who lived in the castle,surrounded by his knights. All the farmers in the valley hadto give the baron part of their crops.

He, in turn, allowed them to farm his land. Harald’s familyhad farmed the same land for as long as anyone could remember.

HARALDA N D T H E

GIANT KNIGHT

B E F O R E

R E A D I N G

Knights are

supposed to be

strong and brave,

and to protect the

lord and his people.

Read on to see how

the knights behave

in this story!

Story and

Pictures by

DonaldCarrick

Harald’s father was a weaver as well as a farmer. He wove eeltraps, screens, hats, fences, chairs, and every manner of basket.

One spring morning Harald climbed up to the castle withbaskets his father had woven for the castle kitchen. Haraldwent to the castle as often as he could.

After he delivered the baskets, he wandered through thepassageways, exploring the wondrous stone chambers. Manywere larger than his home.

Harald was especially fond of the baron’s knights. Knightswere different from other folk. They were huge, scarred men whowore leather and metal clothes covered by bright tunics. Theknights spoke with deep voices and their clothing creaked andclanked as they walked by. Harald burned to be one of them.

Harald loved the jousts when two knights fought. Best ofall were the tournaments. Then he could watch all thebaron’s knights clash with all the knights from another castlein a mock battle. Nothing made Harald happier than to seethe galloping horses and the swirling banners, and to hearthe clang of sword against shield.

On this particular morning the Baron announced that itwas time to begin training for the summer tournaments. A great cheer went up from the knights. They were restlessafter the long winter they had spent inside the castle.

As Harald walked home, he wished he could train withthem.


The next morning, a terrible racket woke Harald. He ranoutside to find his father in a fit. Men from the castle wereswarming all over their farm. Horns blew. Kettledrumsboomed. Tents were going up.

“What’s happening?” Harald asked.“The knights regular practice fields are flooded, so they’ve

come here to train,” his father said. Harald watched asknights strutted about, shouting a thousand orders.

“We are ruined,” groaned Walter. “With all this foolishpractice on our fields, how can we plant the spring crops?”

Harald understood how his father felt. Without a harvest,his family would have no food and could not pay the baronfor the use of his land. But at the same time, it was Harald’sdream come true. All the knights were right here on hisfamily’s farm.

Walter’s fields were transformed into a jousting arena inwhich the knights galloped about on large horses andpractised with their lances.

Since no farming could be done, Harald spent all his timeat the knights’ camp. Soon he was helping with the horsesand tending the fires. Perhaps there was a chance for him tobecome a knight after all.

1 2 3Harald and the Giant Knight

The knights’ presence changed everything on the farm.There were no more eggs to collect because the constantnoise caused the chickens to stop laying. The pigs grewnervous and lost weight.

Harald could not believe it when knights tested theirswords by chopping into his father’s carefully tended fruittrees. The stone boundary fences his grandfather had builtwere broken and scattered.

The knights had hugeappetites. To fill the campcookpots they simply tookwhat they wanted from Walterand the other valley farmers.Chickens, ducks, pigs, andgoats disappeared in theirstewpots and on the roastingspits.

Harald was shocked. Hehad always thought knightswere strong, brave men whospent their time helpingpeople. Instead, he saw themruin the land and plunder the farms like thieves.

Walter was pleased when Harald announced one day thathe was no longer going to the camp. Harald had lost his tastefor the knightly life.

To save what little food they had left, Helga gathered ittogether and put it in a sack. When it was dark, Harald wentwith his father to hide it. They carried the food down a smallpath past the knights’ camp to a secret cave. Harald haddiscovered the cave one day last summer while he waspicking berries. They hid the food on a high ledge.

When they returned home, no one could sleep so they sattogether around their small fire. There seemed to be no answerto their problem.

“If I were big, I’d thrash all the knights and send themrunning,” said Harald. “It’s the only thing they understand.”

“No one is big enough to do that,” answered Helga, “exceptanother knight.”

Walter said nothing, but hishands began weaving. The giantshadows his father cast on the wallgave Harald an idea.

“I know how we can get rid ofthe knights!” he said.

His father stopped weaving.“What do you mean, son?” he asked.

“Well, why can’t we make aknight to frighten them?”

“And just how would we do that,Harald?” asked Helga.

“Father is a master weaver, isn’the? He can weave anything. Whycan’t he weave a giant knight?”

A smile spread over Walter’s face.“Let’s hear more,” he said.

Excitedly they talked late into the night as idea led to idea.By morning they had a plan.

From the next day on, Harald’s family spent all their timeat the cave weaving their giant. Harald made trip after trip tothe cave, bringing Walter great bundles of reeds.One afternoon rabbit hunters from the camp almostdiscovered the cave as Harald was about to enter.

“Where are you bound with that bundle, lad?” called theleader, coming closer.


Harald knew that once the dogs got near the entrance tothe cave, all would be lost. “Oh, I’m on my way to build arabbit hutch,” he replied, thinking quickly.

“Rabbits! What rabbits?” demanded the hunters.“The rabbits in the thicket down the ravine. It’s full of

them,” said Harald.“Well lad, we’ll just take a look at this thicket of yours,”

said the leader, and the hunters marched off.With each bundle of Harald’s reeds, the basket knight

grew larger. Harald was very proud of his father’s skill. Hewas sure nothing this large had ever been woven.

“By daylight, he will probably look rather patchy,” Waltersaid. “But by night, after the knights have finished drinkingand are asleep, our knight should be very frightening.”

Helga decided to make a cape for him.Finally the giant basket knight was finished. He was

almost too large to squeeze through the cave entrance.Carefully they mounted the creature on Patience, their oldplow horse, and tied it down.

Walter led Patience down the narrow trail. The knightlooked huge but weighed so little that each draft from thevalley caught it like a sail. Harald clung to a rope to steadythe creature.



At one spot the trees were so close they almost pushedthe basket giant off Patience’s back. When the knightswayed back and forth it looked even more ghostlike.

“These paths were not made for giants,” Haraldwhispered.

Each small farm along the way had a dog that barkedas the giant drew near. Harald started to shiver. What ifthey were discovered? Fortunately no one woke.

When they arrived at the edge of camp, the knightswere all asleep.

It was Harald’s task to enter the camp and untie thehorses. He slipped quietly past the tents full of snoringknights. By day he knew the camp, but by night it allseemed different. One mistake could ruin everything.

At last he found the horses and with trembling handsuntied the knots. The freed horses began to wanderthrough the camp.

In the light of the early moon,Harald saw the giant loom abovethe trees.

The moment he appeared,Walter and Helga began a horrificclamour. She clanged pots whilehe made loud, moaning soundsthrough a long wooden tube.That was the signal for Harald todart from tent to tent, pulling uptent pegs. One after another, thetents collapsed on the sleepingknights.

The bewildered knights awoke in the dark, blanketed bythe heavy tents. As they groped free, they tripped over ropesand cracked their shins on tent poles. Once they were in theopen, the mob of bruised, half-clothed knights was startled bythe sight of the giant. It seemed to be walking over the trees.And it began to shout at them in a deep, creaky voice.

“AWAY WITH YOU. AWAY FROM THE GRAVES OF MYFOREFATHERS. BEGONE, ALL OF YOU, BEFORE THE NEWDAY DAWNS!”

Then, suddenly, the swaying knight seemed to disappearfrom the sky. The frightened knights were left standing in theshambles of the camp. Actually, the giant had fallen fromPatience’s back and she trotted away, dragging him behind.

Harald caught up with his parents who were close onPatience’s heels. They were busy picking up the bits and piecesthat were falling from the giant. There was no time to wonderif their plan had worked until they reached the cave.

Dumbfounded, the knights milled about the camp gathering theirwits and their horses. No trace of the ghostly giant could be found.

No one wanted to mention the ghost’s warning, but one knight hadthe courage to say, “This camp is a wreck. I think it’s time to leave.”

“Let’s go back to the castle,” said a second.A great sigh of relief came from all sides. Not one knight wanted to

stay on and risk seeing the giant again.Shortly after sunrise Harald, Helga, and Walter watched the band of

knights make their way slowly up the hill toward the castle. Helga andWalter hugged each other and cried with relief. Harald, who could notcontain himself, jumped for joy.


After a great deal of work, the three of them cleared their fields andplanted crops. That fall their harvest was not as big as usual, but it wasenough to pay the baron and feed themselves through the winter.

The next spring Harald and his father were planting once again.“Listen to what the wind brings us from down the valley,” said

Walter. They could hear a faint clanging from the knights at practice on the baron’s field. This time they were but pleasant tinkles to Harald’s ears.

Nearby stood a familiar figure. It was a scarecrow, fashioned from thegiant’s reeds. As it turned with the wind, it almost seemed to smile.



to HARALD AND THE GIANT KNIGHTto HARALD AND THE GIANT KNIGHTF O L L O W

U P

How did you feel

about the way the

knights behaved in

this story? Do you

think it could be a

true picture of life

in the Middle Ages?

A Story

In Harald and the Giant Knight, the author has reversed the roles of his characters. Knights are usually brave, kind,

and helpful — but in this story they are thoughtless and cowardly. Giantsin stories are usually mean and rough, but inthis story the giant helps the hero.

Think of a story (such as a fairy tale) inwhich there are good and wicked characters.Reverse the usual roles, then write your ownversion of the story in your notebook. To help you get started, make a list like this one.


1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

2.

Story Title

Snow Whitethe dwarfsthe prince

Good Characters

the stepmotherthe huntsman

Wicked Characters

Imagine!Imagine!You’ve been asked to organize �

an exciting but non-violent �tournament at your school. �

What activities will �you include?

Understanding the Story

• Why did the farmers have to give the baronpart of their harvest?

• Why did Harald admire the knights at first?• What happened to change Harald’s mind about

the knights?• How did Harald help his family to solve

the problem the knights created?• At the end, the scarecrow made from

the basket knight “almost seemed to smile.” If it could talk, what do you think it would say?

1 3 1Responding Activities

ActItOut!Try acting out the last scene (page 126-127), when thegiant knight scares the real knights away. You’ll need agroup to act as knights, plus sheets to substitute for theirtents. Another group can be the horses, tied to tables anddesks. Harald, our hero, will untie the horses. Helga andWalter need pots and pans and a long tube. One or twostudents can play Patience the horse, who carries the giantknight. And of course, you’ll have to build a giant knight!(Out of paper, perhaps?)


B E F O R E

R E A D I N G

Have you ever

wondered how an

animated film is

made? Follow the

process step by

step as you read

this article.

A r t i c l e b y

CatherineRondina

P i c t u r e s b y

Steve Attoe

AnimatingAnimatingHaraldHarald

S P O T L I G H T

MediaMedia

1 3 3Animating Harald

YOU’VE JUST FINISHED reading Harald and the GiantKnight. What a great story! Harald’s bravery andquick thinking saved his family’s farm. I guess you

could call him a hero.This got me thinking about other storybook heroes,

like Hercules and Wonder Woman. Then I had a coolidea. Like those two heroes, Harald could star in his owncartoon show! But how do you take a story from print toTV screen?


I decided to take my idea to the experts atNelvana, an animation company in downtownToronto. I’ll bet you’ve seen some of the cartoonshows Nelvana has made, such as Stickin’ Around,Care Bears, Inspector Gadget, or Babar.

There, I was introduced to Patricia Burns. Her jobas Production Vice President keeps her very busy. Shelooks after everything: finding interesting stories,hiring a director, and seeing that shows are finishedon time.

Ms. Burns thought Harald and the Giant Knightwould make an excellent cartoon show. Let’s pretendthat Nelvana decided to turn the story into a half-hour animated film. Ms. Burns explains how theywould do it.

STEP #1THE BOOK BECOMES...A SCRIPT

The first thing Nelvana does is contact the publisherand the author of the book. The company needs toget permission to use Donald Carrick’s story and itscharacters.

Next, a scriptwriter turns the story into a script. A script looks like a play. It gives all the dialogue theactors will speak, and all the directions the animatorswill need.

STEP #2THE SCRIPT BECOMES...A STORYBOARD

A director takes charge of the project. It is his job tosee that things run smoothly during the making ofthe film. The director takes the script to the storydepartment. Together, they brainstorm about how totransform Harald into an animated film.

Some camera directions

Cut — a direct change of scene from

one shot to another

Fade — the picture slowly fades to black

Zoom — a movement in or out, from a

close-up to a long shot

Animation: How does it work?

Animators make each drawing

slightly different from the one

before. The video projector shows

the drawings rapidly, one after the

other. So on your TV screen, the

characters appear to move. (To get

an idea, try the flip book activity

on page 142.)


Next, storyboard artists make rough drawings toshow how Harald and the other characters might look.There are hundreds of decisions to make — what thegiant’s face will look like, what colour Harald’s horsePatience will be, what his mother will wear. Soon thestory idea becomes a storyboard. A storyboard looks likea comic strip. Each frame contains a drawing, the wordsthe characters speak, and directions for the camera.

STEP #3THE STORYBOARD GETS A SOUNDTRACK

It’s time to give the characters their voices. The director hires good actors to play eachcharacter. They use lots of expression to readtheir lines. It can take up to four hours to record a single voice for a half-hour show.

Next, realistic sound effects are created,like the clanging noises the swords makeduring a joust. A composer writes musicto suit Harald’s adventures and the MiddleAges setting. Then a sound technicianrecords the voices, the sound effects, and themusic to make the soundtrack for the film.


These drawings are sent to thebackground artist. She drawsbackground scenes such as thecastle in the distance, the familyfarm, and the inside of the cave.It’s also her job to set the mood of the film.

Next the storyboard, thelayouts, and the backgrounddrawings are taken to theanimators. These key artists arethe ones who make the charactersmove.

It may take four or five pencildrawings just to show a knightwaving his sword! The chiefanimator makes the first and lastdrawings. The “in-betweeners”make — you guessed it! — thedrawings in between.

STEP #4THE ANIMATORS GET THINGS MOVING

Now the layout artists take over. They dodrawings that show where each charactershould be placed in a scene. (An example isthe scene where Harald and his father areweaving the giant knight in the cave.)


STEP #5HARALD BECOMES AN ANIMATED FILM...IN COLOUR!

It’s time to add colour to the drawings ofHarald and his pals. The ink and paintartists choose from two styles ofpainting. The classic style is to paintby hand onto celluloid film sheets.The newer way is to use a computer.This way, the painter scans thedrawings into a computer and paintsthem with a digital painter. He follows a chart which tells him whatcolours to use and where to click themonto the drawing. It’s almost like paint-by-numbers!

Once the painting has been completed, the drawingsare videotaped. The video is sent to the editingdepartment. The editors match the video and thesoundtrack so that pictures, voices, sound effects, andmusic fit together perfectly. Finally the film is finished!

If the show is popular, it will be shown on televisionstations all over the world. If it’s really popular, Haraldand the giant knight will turn up on T-shirts, games,and toys. This is called merchandising, and it makes lotsof money for the film producers.

Well, that’s how Harald and the Giant Knight wouldbe made into an animated cartoon. It wouldtake about six months to finish this show. The

animators would have to make between 14 000 and 25 000 drawings. It seems like a lot of work for just onehalf hour of cartoon fun, doesn’t it? But wouldn’t it beworth it if, one Saturday morning, you woke up to find Harald had come to life on your TV screen?!

F O L L O W

U P

Creating an

animated film is not

simple! That’s why

the author broke

down the process

into smaller steps.

“Step-by-step” is a

useful way to

explain how to do

something.

R E S P O N D I N GR E S P O N D I N G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .to ANIMATING HARALDto ANIMATING HARALD

PersonalResponse

Step-by-Step

Instructions

Think of something that you know how to do well, like:a skateboarding trick playing the guitarchoosing a good bookThen write a set of step-by-step instructions.Explain how to do the activity to someone who has never done it.


Step 1: The first thing you do is...Step 2: The next thing you do is...Step 3: When that’s done, the

next thing is...Step 4: One of the most important things is...

Use as many steps as you need to describehow the activity is done.

• Many people with differenttalents work for an animationcompany. How would each ofthese people help to turnHarald and the Giant Knightinto an animated film?

- the scriptwriter

- the storyboard artist

- the sound technician

- the background artist

- the animators

- the ink and paint artists

- the editor

• Which of these jobs wouldyou most like to do?


From Book to Animation

Do you think Harald

and the Giant Knight

would make a good animated film? Why or

why not?

Imagine!Imagine!You’re the sound technician for �

You’ve �been asked to record sound effects for

galloping horses, clashing swords, �clanging pots, moaning sounds, and �

the giant’s deep creaky voice.�How will you do it?

Harald and the Giant Knight.


Work in groups of four or fivestudents. Your task is to create a bigposter for the new animated show,Harald and the Giant Knight. Decidewhich scene from the story you want to illustrate. Then divide upthese jobs:

• background artist• ink and paint artists• writers

1. Paint the background onto a large piece of Bristol board.

2. Draw and paint the characters. Cut out the drawings and pastethem onto the background.

3. Add the words last using a marker pen. Write a poster title,information about where and when the show is playing, andquotes from reviews.

4. Display your poster in theclassroom.


B E F O R E

R E A D I N G

We wanted to know

if an animator

would change

anything about

Harald and the

Giant Knight before

making it into a film.

So Susan Hughes

talked to Gary

Pearson to find out.

Article by

Susan Hughes

Talking

with anAnimator

S P O T L I G H T

MediaMedia

Gary Pearson is an animator. He’s afunny, talented guy who draws cartoons and makes animated films. He works for the CBC (CanadianBroadcasting Corporation). He has doneanimation for children’s shows such asSesame Park and Mr. Dressup, as well asHockey Night in Canada and the OlympicGames. He talked to Susan about howhe became an animator and how hewould animate a story you know well —Harald and the Giant Knight.

How I Became an Animator“Sitting at a table and drawing cartooncharacters — that’s a pretty good job! It’s

fun to make my characters move andgive them personalities. It’s fun to makethem seem real when they are really justdrawings on a piece of paper.

“I’ve been interested in animatedfilms since I was a child. I watched a lotof cartoons on television. I liked to drawthe characters. I would draw, draw, drawall the time.

“When I was about 14, I startedmaking ‘flip’ books. I would drawcharacters in the margins of the pages.As I flipped the pages with my thumb,the characters would walk and jump and the rockets would take off. That’sanimation!

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1 4 1Talking with an Animator

“I studied graphic arts andillustration at Sheridan College forthree years. I remember making ananimated film in a film class. Was itgood? Well, let’s say that it taught mesome things! In fact, that’sstill true today. Every film Ido teaches me somethingmore. I watch my finishedfilm and I discover what I likeabout it — and what I don’tlike. That’s the way I learn.

“I love it best when I create a filmall on my own. I come up with theidea, I do the storyboard, and then I dothe drawings and the paintings. That’svery satisfying.”

How I Would Animate Harald“Sometimes the idea for an animatedfilm comes from a children’s book. Just look at Harald and the Giant Knight.I think it would make a good half-hourshow for television. But what works ona printed page doesn’t always work as afilm. There are some changes I wouldmake if I were making this story intoan animated film.

“In the story, Harald gets close to agroup of knights. When he discoverswhat the knights are really like, he’sdisenchanted. This works well as aprint story. But in a film, getting toknow one particular knight would have

more impact on an audience. I wouldcall the one knight, “Sir Knight.”Harald would still be fond of allknights, but Sir Knight would be hishero.

“It would be fun to makeSir Knight’s charactercomic — all puffed up withself-importance. Haralddoesn’t realize this until hegets to know him well.When Harald becomes

disenchanted with Sir Knight, he alsobecomes disenchanted with all theknights.

“Another thing — I would flesh outthe character of Harald’s father. There isan interesting triangle here. Wheredoes the boy’s heart belong? With hisfather, the hardworking farmer, or withthe flashy knight? The film couldemphasize the visual contrasts. Sir Knight would look like a hero,although he turns out not to be. Thefather could look rather plain and havea sense of humour about himself, butend up being the real hero.

“I would use humour all the waythrough. But I would especially enjoyrecreating the scene of Harald and hisparents scaring the knights with thegiant scarecrow knight. This is thecomic pay-off. I would make this a fun,slapstick sequence!”

I love it best when I create

a film all on myown.

“”

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F O L L O W

U P

Were you surprised

by any of Gary

Pearson’s ideas for

changing the story?

Would you change

anything else about

the story if you

were animating it?

Explain.

R E S P O N D I N GR E S P O N D I N G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .to TALKING WITH AN ANIMATORto TALKING WITH AN ANIMATOR


Make Your Own Flip BookMake Your Own Flip BookMedia

Link

Gary Pearson says he used to makeflip books. They are a good way tosee how animation works. Try creating your own animatedcartoon. Give it a title.

1. You’ll need a small notebook withlots of pages, and a pencil thatmakes strong, dark lines.

2. Start on the right side of the firstpage. Draw a simple cartooncharacter in the act of doingsomething — like running, diving,or kicking a ball. Press hard with your pencil.

3. On the next page, trace over themarks your pencil made, butchange your drawing slightly. Forexample, draw the kicking foot andball a little higher. Go on doing thison each page to the end of thenotebook.

4. Now flip through the pages withyour thumb — and watch yourcharacter move!


• How did Gary Pearson show his interest inanimation when he was young?

• How did he turn his early interest into a career?• Why do you think Gary Pearson would create a

character called “Sir Knight”?• Do you agree with Gary that the animated film of

Harald should be really funny? Why or why not?


Secrets of anAnimator Imagine!Imagine!

You’re the scriptwriter working on � The film �

producer comes to you and says, �“We need a girl in this story!” �

How would you solve �this problem?

Harald and the Giant Knight.

The White Stone in the Castle Wall by Sheldon Oberman

Casa Loma is a magnificentcastle in the middle of Toronto.In the wall there is one whitestone. How did it get there? Thisimaginative book tells the storyof a poor boy who brought thestone up the hill — and met thebuilder of the castle. (a picturebook)

A Samurai Castle by Fiona MacDonald

Castles in Japan look quitedifferent from European castles.But they also served as homesto knights, called samurai. Thisbeautifully illustrated bookshows how the castles werebuilt, how the samurai weretrained, and how their familieslived. (an information book)

The Adventures of King Arthur Retold by Angela Wilkes

If you enjoyed reading TheSword in the Stone, you mightwant to find out about King

Arthur’s other great adventures.With colourful pictures AngelaWilkes retells Arthur’sencounter with the lady of thelake, his gathering of the loyalKnights of the Round Table, andhis love for his QueenGuinevere. (legends)

Animationby Janine Amos

Like to know more aboutmaking animated films? Thisbook uses colourful cartoondrawings and easy-to-follow textto take you through the wholeprocess. It has fun activities,too! (an information book)

M O R EG O O DR E A D I N G

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