JIGSAW READING

TEXT 1
Across the hot, dusty courtyard, the figure appeared tall and menacing. Except for the
heavy breathing of the horse and his pounding heart, there was the silence of death.
He could feel the eyes of the spectators as he urged his horse forward into battle.
As the horse reached a full gallop, the squire steadied his lance on the target. Nearer
they charged. With murderous intent, the lance struck with a crushing force hurling the
enemy to the ground. With his iron glove, he held his shield, on which was painted his
familys coat-of-arms.
Turning the horse, the rider looked at the faces of the spectators for approval. He
removed the heavy helmet from his head, covered in sweat. He felt satisfied with his
show of skill; it had been developed by long hours of practice. He was the best of the
squires in combat and none of the other warriors could defeat him with sword and
shield. Filled with confidence in his ability, he was anxious for real battle.


TASK 1
In the text, find six different
weapons and parts of the
armour of a knight
Label the following picture of a medieval knight with
the words you have just found (add arrows for extra
scaffolding.)
KEY. The words to find are:
Shield
Lance
Sword
Helmet
Iron glove
Coat of arms






TEXT 2
Tired, the squire sat to watch the practice session. Since he had left his home, eleven
years had passed. At first the separation had been hard. His father had told him that as
a son of a lord, it would be necessary for him to earn knighthood through years of
difficult training. He had felt special. Only the sons of noblemen could be trained; only
nobles could afford the expense.
At the age of seven, he had arrived at the castle; there, as a page, he learned proper
manners, waited on the ladies, served at mealtime, and took care of the armour and
horses. As he grew and became stronger, he had learned to ride and to fight. He
learned quickly and by the age of fourteen, he could handle a lance and sword on
horseback. At fifteen, he had become a squire, and learned to control a war horse and
to use the other weapons. Once he went with his knight into battle leading the extra
horse. He remembered the sounds of battle and how excited he had become.
In his imagination, he saw himself dressed as a knight. With a sword, he would be
ready to serve God and king, defend the realm, and protect the innocent.


TASK 2
What are the duties of a page and a squire?
Fill in the following matrix with information from your text.
Duties of a squire Duties of a page Duties of a knight

KEY
Serve a knight
Control of war
horses
Care of knights
weapons
Extra horse for
knight at war





KEY
Serve at mealtime
Care of horses
Wait on ladies
Learn proper
manners
Learn to ride and
fight


KEY
Serve god
Serve king
Taking part in wars
Defend the realm
Protect the
innocent
Put in order the steps to become a knight: knight page squire
KEY 1. Page 2. Squire 3. Knight
Who could be trained to be knight?
KEY Only the sons of noblemen could be trained; only nobles could afford the
expense





TEXT 3
Now, almost nineteen, he dreamed of the day that he would be knighted by the lord; it
would be a ceremony by which he would enter adulthood. It would begin with the ritual
bath and then a night of prayer before the church altar on which his sword would lay.
In the morning, the priest would bless his weapon. Then dressed in full armour, he
would kneel before the lord to receive his dubbing into knighthood. Conduct yourself
as a true knight, were the words that he would hear as the flat side of the sword would
slap against his neck. He would swear an oath to defend the Church, fight only for his
lord, and honour the code of chivalry.
The noise from a rearing horse brought him back to activity in the courtyard. Rubbing
his eyes, he thought, One day I will be a true knight . . . one day soon.




TASK 3
1. The following are the events of the ritual to become a knight. Put them in
order according to the information of your text.
KEY
1. Ritual bath
2. Night of prayer sword on church altar
3. Priest bless weapons
4. Dressing in full armour
5. Kneeling before lord to recive dubbing into knighthood
6. Swearing an oath to honour the code of chivalry
2. What are the exact words the lord says to invest a knight?
KEY Conduct yourself as a true knight

3. Mimic the exact movements and say the precise words to dub your partner as
a knight. You can use a ruler as a sword. What part of the body must you touch
with your sword?
KEY The neck