The Black Knight and King Alfred's Army

Sir Gus and his men rode north. They reached the Old Stone Bridge just as the sun began to set. There they rested. Meanwhile the Black Knight waited in the Fields of the West. He had taken Sir Tom and Sir Ed prisoner. He was sure King Alfred would send the rest of his army to try to free them. He was sure that King Alfred’s army would come charging across the shallow waters of the Misty River and attack him in the Field. The Black Knight placed his men along the banks of the river. He kept them on high alert all day. They waited and waited. But King Alfred’s army never came. Late in the afternoon, the Black Knight told his men to stand down. “It appears that King Alfred has given up!” he told his men. “Let us march back to the palace.” Then he spoke to his prisoners, Sir Tom and Sir Ed. “King Alfred must not care about you,” said the Black Knight. “We will take you back to King Henry and let him decide what to do with you.” The Black Knight and his men began their march. They felt the fighting was finished. They took off their helmets. They tossed their shields and weapons into the supply wagons. The men began to smile and relax and pat each other on the back. They were not expecting what happened next. Sir Gus and his men charged at them. This was as much of a shock for Sir Gus as it was for the Black Knight. Sir Gus had not expected to find King Henry’s army quite so easily. He had not expected his men to charge into battle on their own. But that was what they did. When Sir Gus saw that his men were charging, he shouted, “Charge!” and rode after them. The Black Knight and his men were not expecting an attack and they were not prepared. They tried to fight as best they could. Some of them were able to grab spears. Others used sticks and stones. However, it soon became clear that it was no use. The Black Knight’s men panicked and ran. King Alfred’s army cheered as they chased the retreating men. When the battle was won, the men cried, “King Alfred is the greatest king, and Sir Gus is the bravest knight of all!” They grabbed Sir Gus and tossed him high in the air, shouting “Hooray for Sir Gus! Hooray for Sir Gus!”

• I listened to the story.

• I didn't listen to the story.

How did the Black Knight feel when he realized King Alfred's army was not coming? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

How did the men celebrate after the battle was won? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

What happened after the Black Knight told his men to stand down? Select TWO correct answers.

• Sir Gus and his men reached the Old Stone Bridge.

• The Blank Knight’s men tossed their shields and weapons aside.

• The Black Knight waited in the Fields of the West.

• Sir Gus and his men rested.

• Sir Gus and his men fought King Henry’s army.

Read the dictionary entry for bank.

bank /baNGk/ noun 1. the rising ground at the edge of a lake, river, or sea 2. a business that lends, exchanges, takes care of, or issues money 3. a storage place 4. a piled-up mass of cloud or fog.

What is the meaning of banks as used in paragraph 3?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Defintion 3

• Definition4

How was Sir Tom and Sir Ed’s conflict resolved?

• Sir Gus and his men won the battle.

• The Black Knight let them go.

• They fought the Black Knight and his men.

• Sir Gus and the Black Knight talked.

What word best describes Sir Gus? Sir Gus is -

• timid.

• silly.

• lazy.

• lucky.

The author wrote "The Final Battle" most likely to -

• share facts about a battle.

• persuade the reader to become a knight.

• entertain the reader with a story about a battle.

• inform the reader of how knights battle.