name of two of his swords. One of these tremendous weapons Arthur
pulled from the stone in which it was imbedded, after all other
knights had failed. This showed that Arthur was the proper king. The
other Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake--she
reached her hand above the water, as told in the story, and gave the
sword to the king. When Arthur was dying, he sent one of his Knights
of the Round Table, Sir Bedivere, to throw the sword back into the
lake from which he had received it.

The Knights of the Round Table were so called because they customarily
sat about a huge marble table, circular in shape. Some say that
thirteen knights could sit around that table; others say that as many
as a hundred and fifty could find places there. There sat Sir Galahad,
who would one day see the Holy Grail. Sir Gawain was there, nephew of
King Arthur. Sir Percivale, too, was to see the Holy Grail. Sir
Lancelot--Lancelot of the Lake, who was raised by that same Lady of
the Lake who gave Arthur his sword--was the most famous of the Knights
of the Round Table. He loved Queen Guinevere.

All the knights were sworn to uphold the laws of chivalry--to go to
the aid of anyone in distress, to protect women and children, to fight
honorably, to be pious and loyal to their king.




CHAPTER ONE

Allan Finds A Champion