Then he rode straight to Sir Kay, and gave it to him.

Sir Kay knew instantly that it was the sword of the stone, and he rode off
at once to his father and said, "Sir, lo, here is the sword of the stone;
I must be king of the land." But Sir Ector asked him where he got the
sword. And when Sir Kay said, "From my brother," he asked Arthur how he
got it. When Arthur told him, Sir Ector bowed his head before him. "Now I
understand ye must be king of this land," he said to Arthur.

"Wherefore I?" said Arthur.

"For God will have it so," said Ector; "never man should have drawn out
this sword but he that shall be rightwise king of this land. Now let me
see whether ye can put the sword as it was in the stone, and pull it out
again."

Straightway Arthur put the sword back.

Then Sir Ector tried to pull it out, and after him Sir Kay; but neither
could stir it. Then Arthur pulled it out. Thereupon, Sir Ector and Sir Kay
kneeled upon the ground before him.

"Alas," said Arthur, "mine own dear father and brother, why kneel ye to
me?"

Sir Ector told him, then, all about his royal birth, and how he had been
taken privily away by Merlin. But when Arthur found Sir Ector was not
truly his father, he was so sad at heart that he cared not greatly to be
king. And he begged his father and brother to love him still. Sir Ector