Yvain after Yvain the Knight with the Lion by Chrétien de Troyes

The illustrated collection Great texts for children offers a first approach to the great classic authors for readers aged 7 to 10. The story is simplified, but stays true to the original text. Author: Isabelle Wlodarczyk Illustrator: Daniele Catalli Extract: As Yvain rides, a heart-rending cry pierces the silence of the forest. The knight sees a lion struggling with a snake. He hesitates to intervene, wonders which of the two he should help, and decides to rescue the lion. Yvain brandishes his sword, protects his face from the flames that the serpent spits and throws himself on him. He strikes down the animal. In the heat of the moment, he cuts the lion's tail and fears, wrongly, that the wounded beast will attack him in turn. The feline gets on its hind legs and lies down in front of him in recognition.