When Uther Pendragon, King of all Brittain, died, the realm for a long while stood in great danger, for every lord wished to be king. For King Uther's own son Arthur, who should have succeded him, was but a child, and Merlin had hidden him away.
Now a strange thing had happened at Arthur's birth. Some time before, Merlin had done Uther a great service, on the condition that the King should grant him whatever he wished. This the King swore a solemn oath to do. Then Merlin made him promise that when his child was born it should be delivered to Merlin to bring up as he chose, for this would be to the child's own great advantage. The King had given his promise so he was obliged to agree.
On the night the baby was born, King Uther commanded two knights and two ladies to take it, wrapped in a cloth of gold, and deliver it to a poor man whom they would find waiting at the postern gate of the castle. This poor man was, of course, Merlin in disguise. So the child was delivered unto Merlin and he carried him to Sir Ector, and named him Arthur, and Sir Ector's wife loved him as her own child.
Within a short time King Uther was wounded in battle and for three days and nights he lay on his death bed and could not speak. All the Barons were in sorrow, and asked Merlin what should be done.
"There is no remedy," said Merlin,"The King will die. But look all ye Barons, come before King Uther tomorrow and he will speak."
So the next day Merlin and all the Barons came before the King, and Merlin said aloud to King Uther:
"Sir, after your days shall your son Arthur be King of the realm and all that belongs to it?"
Then Uther Pendragon turned and said in hearing of them all: "My son Arthur shall righteously and honorably claim the crown." And with that the King died.
But Arthur was still only a baby, not even a year old, and Merlin knew it would be no use yet to proclaim him king. For there were many powerful nobles in Brittain in those days, who were all trying to get the kingdom for themselves, and perhaps they would kill Arthur. So there was much strife and debate in the land for a long time.
When several years had passed, Merlin called forth all the lords and knights of the realm, and bade them come together in London on the Winter Solstice and there a miracle would show who would rightly be King of all the realm. So all the lords and knights made themselves ready and gathered in London on the morning of the Winter Solstice.
When they got there, there was seen before them a large stone, four-square, like marble, and in the midst of it was an anvil of steel, a foot high. In this was stuck by the point a beautiful sword and there were letters written in gold about the sword which said thus:
Then the people marveled and all the lords who wished to be king went to behold the sword in the stone; when they read the writing some of them tried to pull the sword out of the anvil. But no one could make it stir.
"The man is not here, that shall achieve the sword!" said Merlin, "But soon he will be known." So, ten knights were appointed to keep guard over the sword and it was ordained, and proclamation was made that everyone who wished might try to win the sword. And upon the new year the Barons arranged to have a great tournament, in which all knights who might try to win the sword might take part.
on New Year's Day the baron's rode to the field, some to joust, and some to tourney, and so it happened that Sir Ector, who had large estates near London, also came to the tournament; and with him rode Sir Kay, his son, with young Arthur, his foster brother.
As they rode, Sir Kay found he had lost his sword, for he had left it at his father's lodging, so he begged young Arthur to go and fetch it for him.
"That I will do gladly," said Arthur, and he rode fast away. But when he came to the house, he found no one at home to give him the sword, for every one had gone to see the jousting. Then Arthur was angry and said to himself: "I will ride to London and take the sword with me that sticketh in the stone, for my brother, Sir Kay, shall not be without a sword this day."
When he came to London he alighted, and tied his his horse to the stile, and went to the tent. But he found there no knights, who should have been guarding the sword, for they were all away at the joust. Seizing the sword by the handle he lightly and fiercely puleed it out of the stone, then took his sword and rode away, till he came to Sir Kay, to whom he delivered the sword.
As soon as Kay saw it, he knw well it was the sword of the Stone, so he rode to his father Sir Ector and said:
"Sir, lo, here is the sword of the Stone, wherefore I must be king of this land."
When Ector saw the sword he turned back and came to the field where the Stone and Anvil stood, and there all three alighted and Ector made his son swear truly how he got the sword.
"By my brother Arthur," said Kay,"For he gave it to me."
"How did you get this sword?" said Ector to Arthur.
And the boy told him.
"Now," said Ector,"I understand you must be king of this land."
"Why me?" said Arthur.
"Sir," said Ector,"because the gods would have it so; for never man could draw out this sword but he that shall rightly be King. Now let me see whether you can put the sword there as it was and pull it out again."
"There is no difficulty," said Arthur as he put the sword back into the stone.
Then Sir Ector tried to pull out the sword, and failed; and Sir Kay also pulled with all his might, but it would not move.
"Now you shall try," said Ector to Arthur.
"I will, well," said Arthur and pulled the sword out easily.
At this Ector and Kay knelt down on the ground. "Alas," said Arthur,"mine own dear father and brother, why do you kneel to me?"
"Nay, nay, my lord Arthur, it is not so; I was never your fathe, nor of your blood; but I know well you are of higher blood than I thought you were."
Then Ector told him all, how he had taken him to bring up, and by whose command; and how he had recieved him from Merlin. And when he understood that Ector was not his father, Arthur was deeply grieved.
"Will you be my good, gracious lord when you are King?" asked the knight.
"If not, I should be to blame," said Arthur,"for you are the man in the world to whom I am the most beholden, and my good lady and mother your wife, who has fostered and kept me as well as her own children. And if it be true that I will be King as you say, you shall desire of me what I shall do, and I shall not fail you."
"Sir," said Ector,"I will ask no more of you but that you will make my son, your foster brother Kay, seneschal of all your lands."
"That shall be done," said Arthur,"and by my faith, no other man shall have that office while he and I live."
Then they went and told the Barons of how the sword was achieved and by whom. But the Barons would not believe that this boy was to be thier king. So the sword was placed into the anvil once more. This happened several times. Until the spring when Arthur was at last crowned King of all Brittain.
