Lesson 21:Who Are the Three Musketeers

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

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The Adventure BeginsBooks are like time machines. They can takereaders back in time or far into the future. One of themost famous books of all time takes place in 1625. Itstitle is The Three Musketeers.In this novel, a young swordsman namedD’Artagnan (DAHR tan yuhn) has just arrivedin Paris. He wants to be a soldier who protects theking and queen. Thesespecial soldiers are knownas musketeers. They carryguns called muskets.D’Artagnan has hada hard journey. Thievesattacked him and stole hismoney. Even worse, theystole an important letter.It was the letter he hadplanned to present to theleader of the musketeers.In books, just as inreal life, events can oftentake an abrupt turn.D’Artagnan gets a lucky break. His father is friendswith the leader of the musketeers.The young swordsmanD’Artagnan hopes tobecome a musketeer.2

D’Artagnan must duel each of the three musketeers!The leader of the musketeers offers to sendD’Artagnan to the Royal Academy. There, he can learnthe skills he needs to become a musketeer. It seems thatD’Atagnan’s dream is about to come true. But then hisluck takes another turn — this time for the worse!D’Artagnan encounters three different men. Hemanages to insult each of them. Each man challengesD’Artagnan to a duel. He must fight three duels in thesame day! Even worse for D’Artagnan, these men arenot ordinary swordsmen. They are Porthos, Athos, andAramis, the fiercest of all the musketeers.3

Alexandre DumasThe Three Musketeers was written by AlexandreDumas (doo MAH). His novel is considered amasterpiece in French literature. Dumas wrote othernovels, too. The Count of Monte Cristo also becamepopular. Dumas had many children. One of them, ason, became a famous writer, too.4

Dumas wanted to create a thrilling story about soldiersof the past.Other soldiers call them “the inseparables.” Thisis because they always stick together. They are muchbetter known as “The Three Musketeers.”In his novel The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumasintroduced the world to one of the most famous triosever. Porthos, Athos, and Aramis are action heroes.They have style, skill, and a sense of humor.5

At the time, royalty often had arranged marriages.Kings and queens did not often marry for love.Instead, they married for other reasons. A royalmarriage might try to unite two nations. If thebride and groom loved each other, it was a bonus!France became very powerful. As a result,some people schemed to control the throne. Someeven attempted murder. The king needed constantprotection. That’s where the musketeers come in!A Novel of AdventureThe author used these real-life power struggles asinspiration for The Three Musketeers. In the book, themusketeers are assigned to protect the royal family.Of course, the three musketeers find themselves in themiddle of the power struggle. Their loyalty to the kingand queen is tested.Part of the novel tells about a plot against the queen.She has fallen in love with the Duke of Buckingham.She gives the duke a diamond necklace. The diamondswere originally a gift from her husband, the king.7

In battle, the musketeers show their bravery and skill.In the book, the cardinal learns that the queenhas given the king’s gift away. He tries to use thisinformation to embarrass her. He convinces the kingto ask the queen to wear the necklace. Of course,the cardinal knows that the queen has already givenit away. He hopes the king will be angry with her.D’Artagnan and the three musketeers come to thequeen’s rescue. They get the necklace back and savethe queen’s honor.8

Soon, the musketeers must swing into actionagain. As a spiteful act, the cardinal’s men kidnapConstance. She is one of the queen’s servants. She alsohappens to be the woman with whom D’Artagnanhas fallen in love. The musketeers ride to rescueConstance. They pursue the villains on horseback.The musketeers show off their courage, loyalty, andwit. Their heroic acts seem more like light-heartedadventures than deadly battles.The motto of the Three Musketeers is“All for one, and one for all!”9

Athos is the oldestand most serious ofthe musketeers.All for One,and One for AllDumas put a lot ofthought into the threemusketeers. He made hischaracters seem realistic andbelievable. Like most friends,they share some traits. Inmany ways, though, theyare very different. Porthos,Athos, and Aramis all sharea love of swordplay. Theyalso share a duty to protectthe king and queen. In thenovel, the musketeers’ mottois “All for one, and one forall.” This meant that all themusketeers would fight to protect one of their ownmembers. It also meant that they would fight as oneforce to protect all the people of France.Meet the Three MusketeersAthos is the oldest of the three musketeers.Serious and steadfast, he serves as a kind of oracleto his younger companions. He is wise, but he has anegative view of life.10

Athos is also quiet when itcomes to his personal life. Hehides a painful secret about alost love. Athos would neverhave blurted his feelings.Like the other musketeers,Athos isn’t afraid to put hislife in jeopardy. When thereader first meets him, hehas been gravely woundedby the cardinal’s guards. Yetwhen D’Artagnan offendshim, Athos doesn’t hesitateto challenge him to a duel.Soon after the duel begins,the cardinal’s guards once againappear. Athos is weak from hisPorthos wears fineclothes and lovesto boast.wounds, but he does not surrender. He prepares tofight them to the death. It’s no surprise his friendslook up to him.Porthos is almost the exact opposite of Athos. Hehas a very loud personality. Porthos talks constantly ina booming voice. He brags about his skill in swordplay.When there’s no one else around, Porthos still doesn’tstop talking. He feels quite comfortable braggingto himself!11

Porthos also revealshis brash personality in theclothes he wears. Othermusketeers scroungedto put together a decentwardrobe. But Porthosbuys the finest clothes.He likes to let people knowhow much his outfits cost.The idea that boastingis rude is beyond hiscomprehension. He strutsaround as if everyone iswatching him. Peopleusually are!Aramis, like Athos andPorthos, is also very brave inAramis hopes tobecome a Catholicpriest some day.battle. He is loyal to those he serves. In fact, Aramisis the ideal musketeer. His handsome features catchpeople’s attention. His looks might cause others tomisjudge him, though. He looks younger — andless dangerous — than he really is. But those whounderestimate him do so at their own risk!12

Aramis fears no one in combat. But his dreams ofthe future have nothing to do with fighting. Aramisintends to leave military life. He wants to becomea Catholic priest. Like Athos, Aramis hides detailsabout his personal life. He also has fallen in love witha married woman. He must do his best to keep this alla secret.The Secret of Their SuccessThe personalities of the musketeers make theiradventures even more enjoyable. Their differencesalso make them an even stronger team. One person’sweakness is another one’s strength. The musketeerslaugh and enjoy each other’s company in times ofpeace. But each one would fight to the death to defendhis friends in battle.Today, you can still read about the threemusketeers. You can also “watch” them in action!About 100 years ago, people were able to experiencethe exhilaration of the musketeers in a new way.That’s when the famous trio first appeared on themovie screen. Films of The Three Musketeers beganto appear in the early 1900s. Many other moviesfollowed. Audiences seem to love the combination ofaction and romance.13

Heroes Then and NowThe Three Musketeers is a great story for readersof all ages. They get a front row seat to incredibleaction. Readers get to see the musketeers accomplishheroic acts — and make human mistakes. Through itall, the themes of courage, loyalty, and friendship filterthrough the novel.The phrase “the three musketeers” is commonlyheard today. It is a nickname sometimes given to threefriends. They might have differences among them.But these differences might just make them an evenstronger team. The loyalty and friendship they shareis unbreakable — just like that of Athos, Porthos,and Aramis!To many people, it is an honor to be comparedwith this famous trio. After more than 150 years,people all over the world still consider the threemusketeers real heroes!14

TARGET VOCABULARYabruptblurtedcomprehensioneventuallyexhilarationjeopardyoraclescroungedspitefulstableTARGET STRATEGY Infer/Predict Use text cluesto figure out what the author means or what mighthappen in the future.A musketeer, when able, makes sure theking’s life is very _____________.16