Knights lived in the Middle Ages, around one thousands years ago. A knight fought in the service of a lord. His job was to fight. A knight was more than a soldier. He was a warrior on horseback. His charger, or war-horse, was strong and courageous. And very expensive. But that didn't matter because a knight was well rewarded for fighting.
If the lord won a battle he gave his knights money and horses. Sometimes a knight even received land and a house. Or a wife! That way the knight became wealthy, too.
In fact, after a while everyone wanted to become a knight. Poets composed wonderful stories about knights. They made up adventures and wrote them down. Have you heard of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? They probably never existed. But knights of the Middle Ages wanted to be like them.
A knight had to always behave well. It was called being "chivalrous". A real knight was pious, which meant he tried to live a good Christian life. Courage, strength, and loyalty were very important. A knight was not allowed to lie or steal or cheat anyone. He shared what he had and protected the weak.
You couldn't simply become a knight. You started off a page and then became a squire, which is a knight's assistant. Every knight had one. A squire looked after the charger and groomed it. He polished the weapons, helmet, and chain mail, and carried the shield. He did everything the knight asked.
What Dog Knows, P54-57
Sylvia Vanden Heede, illustrated by Marije Tolman
ISBN 978-1-776570-37-9
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