anvil. He hurried to Sir Kay, who was waiting for
him on London bridge. Sir Kay knew that the weapon was the one
that had been fixed fast in the stone, but he said nothing to
Arthur, 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