King Arthur and His Knights | Page 3

not far from
the north bank of the Thames. A churchyard surrounded it, filled with
yew trees, the trunks of which were knotted with age. The powerful
lords rode up in their clanking armor to the gate, where they
dismounted, and giving their horses into the care of their squires,
reverently entered the church.
There were so many of them that they quite filled the nave and
side-aisles of the building. The good archbishop, from where he stood
in the chancel, looked down on them all. Just behind him was the altar
covered with a cloth of crimson and gold, and surmounted by a golden
crucifix and ten burning candles. In front of him, kneeling under the
gray arches which spanned the church, were the greatest men in the
kingdom. He looked at their stern bronzed faces, their heavy beards,
their broad shoulders, and their glittering armor, and prayed God to

make the best man in the land king.
Then began the service. At the close of the first prayer some of the
knights looked out of the window, and there in the churchyard they saw
a great square stone. In the middle of it was an anvil of steel a foot high,
and fixed therein was a beautiful sword. On the sword was some
writing set in with gold which said:
"Whosoever pulls this sword out of this stone and anvil is the real king
of all England."
The knights who read this told the archbishop, but he said:
"I command you all to keep within the church and still pray to God. No
man is to touch the sword until all the prayers are said."
After the service was over, the lords went into the churchyard. They
each pulled at the sword, but none could stir it.
"The king is not here," said the archbishop, "but God will make him
known. Meantime, let ten good knights keep watch over this sword."
The knights were soon chosen, and then the archbishop said that on a
fixed day every man in the kingdom should try to pull the sword out of
the anvil. He ordered that on New Year's day all the people should be
brought together for a great tournament to be held on the south bank of
the Thames, near London bridge. After a few days spent in jousting
among the knights, each man should make the trial to find out whether
or not he was to be king.
The brave youth Arthur did not know of the contest that was to be
made for the sword. Sir Hector told him that he was to go to a
tournament, but he did not tell him the reason for holding the
tournament. So Arthur rode to London with Sir Hector; and Sir Kay,
who was Sir Hector's oldest son, was with them.
Sir Hector and Sir Kay rode soberly in front. They were tall, stalwart
men and rode black horses, their dark figures making shadows on the

light snow that had fallen. Arthur, riding behind them, felt exhilarated
by the crisp winter air which caused the blood to dance in his veins.
Sometimes he stood up in his saddle and flicked with his sword the
dead leaves on the oaks. Again he made his horse crush the thin crust of
ice that had formed in tiny pools on the road. He was so happy in the
thought of the tournament he was to see, that he could have sung for
joy.
The road was not very wide, for few carts passed upon it, but it had
been well worn by riders. Sometimes it wound through a bit of thick
woods; again it rose up over a gently rolling hill. From the hilltops the
riders could see London far in the distance. It looked at first like a gray
haze; then, as the three came nearer, the buildings, large and small,
grew plain to the sight. The castles and huts, barns and sheds, smithies,
shops and mills, stood out in the keen sunlight. A high wall surrounded
them, while on one side flowed the river Thames.
After they had entered the city, and had passed the churchyard, and had
almost reached London bridge, Sir Kay discovered that he had left his
sword at home.
"Will you go back for it?" he asked Arthur.
"That I will," said Arthur, glad of the chance to ride longer in the
delightful air.
But when he reached their dwelling, he could not get in. The
drawbridge was raised, and he could not make the warden hear his
calling. Then Arthur was disturbed and said to himself:
"I will hasten to the churchyard we passed, and take the beautiful sword
which I saw in the stone. It does not seem to belong to anyone, and my
brother