King Arthur and His Knights | Page 4

and the two soon overtook Sir Hector, who had ridden slowly to the field where the tournament was taking place. Sir Kay immediately told his father what had happened.
The good knight at once spoke with great respect to Arthur.
"Sir," he said, "you must be the king of this land."
"What mean you, sir?" asked Arthur.
Sir Hector told the wondering youth the reason why he was destined to be king. Then he said:
"Can you put this sword back in its place and pull it out again?"
"Easily," replied Arthur.
The three returned to the great stone, and Arthur put back the sword. Sir Hector tried to take it out, but failed.
"Now, you try," he said to Sir Kay.
But Sir Kay, in spite of great efforts, also failed. Then Arthur, at Sir Hector's bidding, tried, and at once pulled forth the sword. At that Sir Hector and Sir Kay knelt before Arthur.
"Alas," said Arthur, raising them from the ground, "my own dear father and my brother, why do you kneel to me?"
"Nay, my lord Arthur," said Sir Hector, "I am not your father. You are of higher blood than I am. Long ago, when you were a little baby, Merlin brought you to me to take care of, telling me that you were to be the king."
"Then whose son am I?" cried Arthur.
"There are two stories: the one that Merlin tells, and the one that old Bleys, the master of Merlin, tells. Merlin brought you to me, saying that you were the son of King Uther and Yguerne his wife. But because the king was dead and the lords powerful and jealous, he told me to guard you in secrecy lest your life be taken. I did not know whether the story was true or false then, but you were a helpless child, and Merlin was a wise sage, and so I took you and brought you up as my own."
Arthur was so astonished that he did not ask to hear the tale that Bleys told. He stood gazing at Sir Hector, who said:
"And now, my gracious lord, will you be good to me and mine when you are king?"
"I will, indeed," replied Arthur, "for I am more beholden to you than to any one else in the world, and also to my good lady and foster mother, your wife, who has reared me as if I were her own child. If it be God's will that I shall sometime become king, ask of me then what you will."
"Sir," said Sir Hector, "I ask that you make my son Sir Kay, your foster brother, the steward of all your lands."
"That shall be done," said Arthur, "and more. He shall have that office as long as I live."
Then the three went to the Archbishop of Canterbury and related to him the story of Merlin and all that had occurred. At his request they told no one else.
At the command of the archbishop on Twelfth day, which is the sixth of January, all the great lords assembled in the churchyard. Each tried to draw forth the sword, and each failed. Then the untitled people came and tried. Everyone failed until at last Arthur stepped forward. He hardly more than touched the sword when it came away in his hand.
At this many of the great lords were angry.
[Illustration: "He hardly more than touched the sword"]
"He is but a boy," they said, "and not of high blood."
They refused to believe the story of his birth told by Merlin and Sir Hector. And because of all the quarreling, it was decided to have another trial at Candlemas, which fell in the month of February. Again Arthur was victorious. Then the great lords decreed that there should be another trial at Easter, and again Arthur succeeded. Next they decided to have a final trial at the feast of the Pentecost, which fell in May.
Meanwhile, Merlin advised the archbishop to see that Arthur had a bodyguard. So the archbishop selected several knights whom the former king, Uther, had trusted. These were Sir Ulfius and Sir Brastias and Sir Bedivere; Sir Geraint and Sir Hector and Sir Kay were also chosen. These brave men formed a bodyguard for Arthur until the feast of the Pentecost.
At this time Arthur again drew out the sword from the anvil. Then the common people, who had so far let the lords have their will, cried out:
"We will have Arthur for our king, and we will have no more delay, for we see that it is God's will that he shall be our ruler."
Then all the people knelt down, high and low, rich and poor, and begged Arthur's pardon for the delay he had undergone. Arthur forgave them, and taking his sword, reverently placed it on the great altar beside which the archbishop stood. This was a sign