two knights. 'Now all the
seats at our table will be filled,' he said gladly. For it pleased
the King when the circle of his knights was unbroken.

Then all the King's household went to service at the minster, and
when they came back to the palace they saw a strange sight.

In the dining-hall the Round Table at which the King and his
knights always sat seemed strangely bright.

The King looked more closely, and saw that at one place on this
Round Table were large gold letters. And he read, 'This is the seat
of Sir Galahad, the Pure-hearted.' But only Sir Lancelot knew that
Sir Galahad was the boy-knight he had left behind him in the quiet
old abbey.

'We will cover the letters till the Knight of the Pure Heart
comes,' said Sir Lancelot; and he took silk and laid it over the
glittering letters.

Then as they sat down to table they were disturbed by Sir Kay, the
steward of the King's kitchen.

'You do not sit down to eat at this festival,' Sir Kay reminded the
King, 'till you have seen or heard some great adventure.' And the
King told his steward that the writing in gold had made him forget
his usual custom.

As they waited a squire came hastily into the hall. 'I have a
strange tale to tell,' he said. 'As I walked along the bank of the
river I saw a great stone, and it floated on the top of the water,
and into the stone there has been thrust a sword.'

Then the King and all his knights went down to the river, and they
saw the stone, and it was like red marble. And the sword that had
been thrust into the stone was strong and fair. The handle of it
was studded with precious stones, and among the stones there were
letters of gold.

The King stepped forward, and bending over the sword read these
words: 'No one shall take me away but he to whom I belong. I will
hang only by the side of the best knight in the world.'

The King turned to Sir Lancelot. 'The sword is yours, for surely
there lives no truer knight.'

But Sir Lancelot answered gravely, 'The sword is not mine. It will
never hang by my side, for I dare not try to take it.'

The King was sorry that his great knight's courage failed, but he
turned to Sir Gawaine and asked him to try to take the sword.

And at first Sir Gawaine hesitated. But when he looked again at the
precious stones that sparkled on the handle, he hesitated no
longer. But he no sooner touched the sword than it wounded him, so
that he could not use his arm for many days.

Then the Ki