ESPECIALLY FOR CLASSES IV. AND V.

ARTHUR AND THE SWORD[1]

[Footnote 1: Adapted from Sir Thomas Malory.]


Once there was a great king in Britain named Uther, and when he died the
other kings and princes disputed over the kingdom, each wanting it for
himself. But King Uther had a son named Arthur, the rightful heir to the
throne, of whom no one knew, for he had been taken away secretly while he
was still a baby by a wise old man called Merlin, who had him brought up
in the family of a certain Sir Ector, for fear of the malice of wicked
knights. Even the boy himself thought Sir Ector was his father, and he
loved Sir Ector's son, Sir Kay, with the love of a brother.

When the kings and princes could not be kept in check any longer, and
something had to be done to determine who was to be king, Merlin made the
Archbishop of Canterbury send for them all to come to London. It was
Christmas time, and in the great cathedral a solemn service was held, and
prayer was made that some sign should be given, to show who was the
rightful king. When the service was over, there appeared a strange stone
in the churchyard, against the high altar. It was a great white stone,
like marble, with something sunk in it that looked like a steel anvil; and
in the anvil was driven a great glistening sword. The sword had letters of
gold written on it, which read: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this
stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all England."

All wondered at the strange sword and its strange writing; and when the
archbishop himself came out and gave permission, many of the knights tried