Therefore, said Arthur unto Sir Bedivere, take thou Excalibur, my good
sword, and go with it to yonder water side, and when thou comest there
I charge thee throw my sword in that water, and come again and tell me
what thou there seest. My lord, said Bedivere, your commandment shall be
done, and lightly bring you word again.

So Sir Bedivere departed, and by the way he beheld that noble sword,
that the pommel and the haft was all of precious stones; and then he
said to himself: If I throw this rich sword in the water, thereof shall
never come good, but harm and loss. And then Sir Bedivere hid Excalibur
under a tree. And so, as soon as he might, he came again unto the king,
and said he had been at the water, and had thrown the sword in the
water. What saw thou there? said the king. Sir, he said, I saw nothing
but waves and winds. That is untruly said of thee, said the king,
therefore go thou lightly again, and do my commandment; as thou art to
me lief and dear, spare not, but throw it in. Then Sir Bedivere returned
again, and took the sword in his hand; and then him thought sin and
shame to throw away that noble sword, and so eft he hid the sword, and
returned again, and told to the king that he had been at the water, and
done his commandment. What saw thou there? said the king. Sir, he said,
I saw nothing but the waters wap and waves wan. Ah, traitor untrue,
said King Arthur, now hast thou betrayed me twice. Who would have weened
that, thou that hast been to me so lief and dear? and thou art named a
noble knight, and would betray me for the richness of the sword. But now
go again lightly, for thy long tarrying putteth me in great jeopardy of
my life, for I have taken cold. And but if thou do now as I bid thee,
if ever I may see thee, I shall slay thee with mine own hands; for thou
wouldst for my rich sword see me dead.

Then Sir Bedivere departed, and went to the sword, and lightly took it
up, and went to the water side; and there he bound the girdle about the
hilts, and then he threw the sword as far into the water as he might;
and there came an arm and an hand above the water and met it, and caught
it, and so shook it thrice and brandished, and then vanished away the
hand with the sword in the water. So Sir Bedivere came again to the
king, and told him what he saw. Alas, said the king, help me hence, for
I dread me I have tarried over long. Then Sir Bedivere took the king
upon his back, and so went with him to that w