e fast after
the sword, and when he came home, the lady and all were out to see the
jousting. Then was Arthur wroth, and said to himself, "I will ride to
the churchyard and take the sword with me that sticketh in the stone,
for my brother Sir Kay shall not be without a sword this day." So when
he came to the churchyard, Sir Arthur alit and tied his horse to the
stile, and so he went to the tent and found no knights there, for they
were at jousting; and so he handled the sword by the handles, and
lightly and fiercely pulled it out of the stone, and took his horse and
rode his way until he came to his brother Sir Kay, and delivered him the
sword.

As soon as Sir Kay saw the sword, he wist well it was the sword of the
stone, and 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 Sir Ector beheld the sword, he returned again and came to the
church, and there they alit, all three, and went into the church. And
anon he made Sir Kay to swear upon a book how he came to that sword.
"Sir," said Sir Kay, "by my brother Arthur, for he brought it to me."

"How gat ye this sword?" said Sir Ector to Arthur.

"Sir, I will tell you. When I came home for my brother's sword, I found
nobody at home to deliver me his sword, and so I thought my brother Sir
Kay should not be swordless, and so I came hither eagerly and pulled it
out of the stone without any pain."

"Found ye any knights about this sword?" said Sir Ector.

"Nay," said Arthur.

"Now," said Sir Ector to Arthur, "I understand ye must be king of this
land."

"Wherefore I," said Arthur, "and for what cause?"

"Sir," said Ector, "for God will have it so, for there should never man
have drawn out this sword, but he that shall be rightways king of this
land. Now let me see whether ye can put the sword there as it was and
pull it out again."

"That is no mastery," said Arthur, and so he put it in the stone;
therewithal Sir Ector essayed to pull out the sword and failed.

"Now essay," said Sir Ector unto Sir Kay. And anon he pulled at the
sword with all his might, but it would not be.

"Now shall ye essay," said Ector to Arthur.

"I will well," said Arthur, and pulled it out easily. And therewithal
Sir Ector knelt down to the earth, and Sir Kay. "Alas," said Arthur, "my
own dear father and brother, why kneel ye to me?"

"Nay, nay, my lord Arthur, it is not so. I was never your father nor o