Character Of Cambalo In The Handmaid's Tale

As the travelers rode on their way, they entertained, preached or just annoyed their accompanying persons with tales learned over the years. The young squire steered his horse at the front of the procession, fluting a tune that spoke of ardor to the ladies of the group. He guided his jaunty steed to trot behind his father, in between the prioress and the popular wife of Bath. Like many unpracticed storytellers, the squire leapt into a tale he had heard at a tournament without the slightest introduction. He spoke to the ladies with a charming arrogance. "Cambalo was a great knight as well as Canace's brother, you see. He was a handsome man, revered for his passion in all manners, not just jousting., though he won a great deal of champions' mounts. …show more content…
If you have difficulty seeing the prince with your mind's eye, you need only look to me; I have been told I am a reflection of the hero in almost every way. "At a banquet one evening, Cambalo heard the news of a king whose castle stood in the neighboring woods. It was a fairy king, a master of both white and black magic, that lived alone in his vast palace except for his daughter. It was said that he could take the form of animals, his favorite being a lion or an owl. The girl was the most beautiful of anything and any man that happened to see her was, at once, intent on making her his wife, no matter what his status currently was. The Fairy King became tired of the men he despised so much constantly begging to suit his beloved daughter and, for her own good, (or so he claimed) transformed her into a lowly …show more content…
"After many long hours of wandering the empty trails (not once did the knight catch reason to believe there was a living beast among these trees) he sat to rest his sore self against a massive tree. To soothe his weariness, he took out his flute and began to play a light melody. With the airy tune came a sweet voice humming a harmony. It was slow and sad yet beautiful. Cambalo ceased his fluting to listen to the voice. "'It is her! It must be!' He exclaimed. He removed Canace's ring from his finger and the humming he heard before was replaced by the song of a bird. Replacing the ring, he said, 'I am right in my assumption! There is no other bird in this wretched forest, besides. I must find her.' "The prince scanned the treetops looking for sight of the bird but found nothing. He played a few notes on the flute to which the bird replied with her song. Cambalo listened to the sound of her voice and determined it came from behind him. When he turned, he noticed a strange formation in the trees that he hadn't seen before. "They grew so thick here, no man would be able to squeeze between two. It was as if they were growing into each other,