The Adventure of the Nameless Knight
Weekly Reading: Sir Knight of the Splendid Way Chapter Seven
Once, in a distant land, there stood a lonely outpost nestled in the hills, far from the sun’s warmth and the roads where knights rode to glory. Here, an old Keeper, known as the Keeper of the Well, tended his post. Faithfully, he watched over the water that sustained weary travelers. He had not always been old. Once, he had been a young man, eager-hearted and full of dreams, burning with the desire to serve his King in mighty ways. But on his journey, he had come across one of the King’s wells, left untended, its life-giving water at risk of being tainted and lost.
He would take up watch here until someone else came to do so. Surely, a warden would be sent soon, he thought. Surely, his duty here would be temporary. But as summers turned to winters and winters melted into spring, no warden ever came. He watched as others passed by on great quests, marching toward battles, fulfilling noble missions. The call to adventure never came for him, though he longed to unsheathe his sword in the name of the King! Though lonely, not once did he abandon his post. Not once did he leave the well unguarded.
One day, Sir Constant, the hero of our story, arrived at the outpost, weary from his own journey. He paused to drink from the well, served by the Keeper’s weathered hands and open heart. As he rested, he watched the old man and marveled at the dedication and joy he took in such a humble task—offering nothing more than a cup of cold water, always with the same blessing: “Drink in the King’s Name!”
Sir Constant could not help but wonder why the King had never called the Keeper to a greater purpose. Surely one so faithful could have been a noble knight, leading charges and fighting battles. Yet as he considered this, a thought struck him: Was this man’s cry—“In the King’s Name!”—so different from the battle cry of a knight in the heat of combat? Both were acts of service. Both required unwavering devotion.
Years had already passed, and the Keeper had grown weaker, his steps slower. On what would be his final day, he still made his way to the well, leaning on a staff for support. That afternoon, a Shepherd arrived and sat with him and Sir Constant, telling stories of the valley below—the Place of Fair Waters. He spoke of how the river running through it was so pure and noble that one could see the King’s reflection smiling upon its surface.
The Keeper listened with quiet wonder. This land had once been barren, and having never left his post, he did not know what had become of it. But now, at the end of his life, he learned that the waters he guarded all those years had flowed beyond his sight, transforming the valley into something beautiful. His faithfulness, though unseen and uncelebrated, had not been wasted.
Then the Shepherd revealed something more: the Keeper’s name had never been recorded. It was not necessary, for all who drank from the well, remembered only the King. At this, the old man smiled and said,
“And that is enough… it is ten thousand times more than enough.”
Many long for great callings, for grand purposes that will make a mark on the world. It is easy to wonder why some dreams remain unfulfilled, why certain paths seem closed while others are opened. Yet in the quiet places, in the unseen acts of faithfulness, the King is watching.
In the final moments of this chapter, the King’s voice speaks at last:
“Never for an hour wast thou forgotten, for I came often to see him who kept the well… For the King forgets none who are faithful.”
This story lingers in the mind, a reminder that no service is small when done in the King’s name. Some are called to battle, some to adventure, and some to a quiet outpost, where the work seems unseen and forgotten. But the King sees. He never forgets. And one day, every faithful servant will understand just how much their quiet obedience has meant—because when you have given a drink to the thirsty, you have quenched the thirst of the King.
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’” (Matthew 25:40).
Memory Verse(s): Matthew 10:42
“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
Sir Knight of the Splendid Way
Deep into the Vale of Promise ventures Sir Constant, a young knight who desires nothing more than to be in the service of the Great King. Though unworthy of this high calling, he sets forth on the Splendid Way—the perilous road that all who desire to serve the King must take. His faith and valor will be tested, his strength and endurance will be challenged, and his allegiance to the one true King will be proven. A rich allegory wrought with biblical truth.
