In a Castle

 

Once King Arthur came to a great forest. He was still in the forest when evening came. Then he saw a castle in front of him. As he came nearer, the great door of the castle opened and a lady came out. She said, "I am Queen Annoure and I ask you to stay in my castle. Night is near, and you must have food and bed."

"I thank you," said King Arthur, and he went in.

After they had eaten, Queen Annoure told one of her men to show the king his bedroom.

Next morning Queen Annoure said, "I'll show you my castle and all the beautiful things that I have in it. Please come with me."

They went from room to room, and each room was richer and more beautiful than the last. Queen Annoure was a magician, but King Arthur did not know that. Then the queen said, "See those beautiful gardens and all those green fields. They are all mine. And see that great wall on all sides. Stay here with me and be king of all this. You can't get away: the door of the castle is shut, and there is that great wall on all sides. And my men stand ready to makeyou stay or to kill you if I tell them to do so."

But King Arthur said, "Your men can't kill me and they can't make me stay." Then, with his sword in hand, Arthur went out of the castle. Nobody could stop him.

The Sword Excalibur

 

When some time passed, King Arthur brokehis sword in a fight. Merlin came to him and said, "Come with me, and you will get a better sword."

After a long time they came to a lake. As Arthur stood by the lake he saw an arm with a sword in its hand come up out of the water.

"Go and take it," said Merlin. "It is the sword Excalibur. It's a magicsword."

There was a boat at the side of the lake. King Arthur got into the boat and went and took the sword.

"No man can kill the man who has this sword," said Merlin.

There was a queen named Morgan le Fay. King Arthur did not know that she was a magician and a bad woman. He thought that she was good, not bad, and that she was his friend.

One day he went out riding in the forest. He took his spear, but he did not want to take his sword. He gave Excalibur to Queen Morgan le Fay, saying, "I will come and get it on my way back."

When night came, Arthur lost his way in the forest. He saw a little light and rode to it. Then he saw that the light was in a beautiful ship on a lake. The ship was near the side of the lake, so he went on to the ship, and he saw food and drink on the table and a bed, all ready.

"I'll stay here," he said. "In the morning I'll find my way back, and get Excalibur, and go home."

 

 

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

 

Part3