April 17, 2025 • 26 mins
A retelling of the classic Arthurian legends, this collection of twelve tales captures the grandeur, mystery, and moral depth of King Arthur’s court and the quest for the Holy Grail. Designed for young readers and educators, it brings timeless ideals to life.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The story of King Arthur in twelve Tales by Winona
Caroline Martin Tale three, how Arthur won his sword EXCaliber,
his bride, and his round table. But Arthur, looking downward
as he passed, felt the light of her eyes into
his life smite. On the sudden Tennyson's coming of Arthur,
(00:24):
the commoners had indeed shouted joyfully, long live the King,
and many of the nobles also had been glad to
see the end of the long struggle for the crown.
But there were others, strong and mighty warriors who were
not yet willing to submit to the rule of a
beardless boy. The first year of Arthur's reign, therefore, was
(00:46):
a turbulent one, for between the rebellion of his own
subjects on the one hand and the raids of the
Saxons on the other, he scarcely knew what it was
to lay aside his armor for so much as a
single day. Gradually, however, the young king's bravery and nobility
of character began to call forth the respect of those
(01:06):
who were watching his career, so that one by one
the knights of his realm conquered, either by force of arms,
or better still, by admiration came to pay him homage,
and very soon even those robber barons found themselves being
transformed under the chivalric influences that prevailed at that court.
(01:27):
Soon after his coronation, Arthur appointed his officers at the
request of the good Sir Ector, whom the young king
would always regard as a father. He appointed his foster
brother Sir Kay Senesial of all Britain. Then he remembered
old friends of his real father, Uther Pendragon, and made
(01:47):
Sir Baldwin constable, Sir Opheus Chamberlayne, and Sir Brastias Warden
of the country north of the River Trent. This done,
he fought twelve great battle to bring into subjection the
tributary kings who still held out against him. Then he
felt that his realm was in about as good order
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as he could well expect it to be in those
wild and lawless times. In all these battles, the sword
that he had drawn from the anvil served him well,
but strange to say, one day, when he was jousting
with a single knight, the latter's stronger weapon cut Arthur's
sword in two, leaving the young king defenseless, so that
(02:29):
he was severely wounded, and would probably have been killed
had it not been for Merlin, who bore him away
to a hermitage, where he lay ill for three days.
During that time, however, it was not so much by
his suffering that he was troubled as by the discovery
of the loss of his sword. But when he made
his anxiety known to Merlin, the wise man merely smiled
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one of those mysterious smiles of his, and said.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
That, sir, king, is perhaps the best thing that ever
happen to you. As soon as you are strong enough
to wield it, you shall have a far better weapon,
I promise you by the third day. Therefore, no entreaties
could prevail upon him to remain under the care of
the kindly hermit any longer. I must be up and
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a way to find that sword, said he. So Merlin answered,
very well, follow me. Then off they rode up hill
and down dale through a strange and wonderful country, until
at last they came to the shores of a broad
and beautiful lake, over which a fairy vale of light
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morning mist was still hanging. They drew rein in silence
and watched the sun gradually rise from behind the distant
hilltops presently under the gentle warmth. The mist began to lift,
so that very soon the waters lay before them, clear
as crystal and shimmering in the glow glorious morning light.
(04:02):
Then a strange thing happened up from the bosom of
the lake. Rose in arm, clothed in white samite, in
whose hand was clasped a sword and scabbard. And the
hilt of that sword was ten times more beautiful and
twinkling with far richer jewels than the weapon whose loss
(04:24):
Arthur was mourning. How I wish it were mine, he
whispered to Merlin. Tremulously, Hush was the only reply. Looked
toward the other side of the lake, Arthur obeyed, and
saw gliding toward them what at first appeared to be
a column of white mist, not yet dispelled by the
sun's rays, but which gradually resolved itself into the form
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of a beautiful maiden, whose feet skimmed the waves as
lightly as if they had been the floating petals of
a pond lily. That Merlin whispered, is the lady the lake.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
When she comes near, ask her for the sword, for
it is hers and belongs to her. Wonderful palace under
the water. Arthur then leapt from his horse, and, stepping
to the very brink of the waves, bowed low, saying,
fair damsel, you see before you a knight who has
been so unfortunate as to lose his sword. If you
(05:24):
will give me yours, I will promise you to do
all in my power to make this land so safe
that no maiden will ever after need to own a weapon,
for there will be enough brave and chivalrous knights to
fight the battles of all the weak and oppressed. You
may have the sword, King, Arthur, replied the lady, to
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do with as you have promised. Take the barge that
you will find hidden in yonder rushes, and row out
to claim it. It is yours to use for many
years to come. Having said this, the form of the
maiden grew more and more mislike and ethereal, until finally
Arthur's wandering eyes could no longer distinguish the faintest trace
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of her. Then he and Merlin rode out to the
middle of the lake, and Arthur, almost fearing to see
it vanish, too, firmly grasped the sword, whereupon the arm
clothed in white samite was immediately withdrawn and the waters
closed over it. The moment that the weapon touched the
young King's hand, a strange thrill seemed to pass through
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his whole being, and he felt within himself the strength
of ten men. Curiously, he drew it from its scabbard,
and saw the blade flash in the sunlight, so that
he was almost blinded. Merlin, meanwhile, had been watching him
with interest, and now he put a strange question to him,
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which would you rather have? Said he the sword or
the scabbard? Then, Arthur Brave Knight that he was, answered,
almost scornfully, what a question, Merlin. The sword? To be sure,
it is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen.
When I hold it in my hand, I feel that
(07:12):
no enemy could ever again prevail against me. It is
a wonderful weapon, indeed, replied Merlin gravely. The name of
it is excalibur, which is to say, cut steel. And
it is given to you, whom men will call the
White King, that you may fight, and not to win
glory for yourself, but to right the wrongs of the
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weak and the oppressed, as you have promised, and that
you may drive the heathen from the land. Yes, it
is a wonderful sword. But the scabbard is more wonderful still,
For while it is in your possession, you can never
be killed in battle. And though you may be wounded,
your wounds will never bleed, and you will lose no strength.
(07:57):
Guard it well. They were silent for a while as
Merlin rode back to shore, and Arthur stood lost in
thought examining his treasure. See, said he at last. On
each side of the blade, there is an inscription in
a foreign tongue. Can you read them? From me? Merlin?
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The words are ancient Hebrew, was the reply. One side
says take me, and the other side says cast me away.
Then which ought I to do? Asked Arthur, puzzled. Take
it and strike, was the firm answer. The time to
cast it away will come, but it is still far distant. Yes,
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take the sword and strike with all your might. Now
it happened that, not long after his adventure, Arthur had
an opportunity of testing the powers of this wonderful excalibur.
As he sat in his throne room one day in
the castle at Camelot, two messengers arrived and were ushered
into his presence. We come, said they from King Theodogran
(09:03):
of Camilliard, who pays tribute to you as he paid
it to your royal father, Uther Pendragon. Our king is aged,
and his knights too are well advanced in years, so
that they can no longer fight as in the days
of old. And now our kingdom is threatened by one Rance,
King of north Wales, for he has sent a message
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to our Master saying that he has in preparation a
mantle whose only trimming shall be the beards of kings.
Eleven of these beards he has already, but he needs
one more, and he incidently demands that our good Master
send him his. Otherwise, he says he will come and
take it, along with the head to which it belongs.
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Therefore have we come to you, o young white King
of the noble Heart and mighty arm, because you have
made it known that you ever stand ready to render
aid to the weak and the oppressed. At these words,
Arthur's heart leapt within him, so glad was he of
this opportunity of using excalibur in another's cause. Then he
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looked about among his knights and saw the fire of
his own enthusiasm leap into the eyes of first one,
and then another. The next moment, the whole room presented
the appearance of a forest of glittering swords, for every
weapon had been drawn from its scabbard and was being
pointed upward as a sign that its owner was ready
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to follow his liege lord into battle, while a cry
arose from all as from one man the quest sir king.
In an incredibly short time, the army was on the
march northward through the deep snows, for it was winter. Nevertheless,
it so happened that, by Merlin's aid, it reached Cameliard
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even before the return of the messengers from Leodogran had sent.
Strangely unwearied by the journey, it arrived at the gate
of the city one evening when the sun was sinking
in the west, and found, as was but natural in
time of war, that all was tightly closed. Ride straight on,
said Merlin, as if there were no obstacle in your way,
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and you will find no difficulty. And so it was,
for when Arthur's horse came abreast, the gates swung wide,
and the whole army passed through and started on its
way to the castle, where Leodogran was holding a council
of war. The young king's intentions were so good that
he had scarcely realized what the effect of such an
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entrance into the town would be upon the people. Now, however,
he saw them come trooping from their homes to stand
in the streets, silent with amazement and pale with fear,
while every roof was crowded with terrified women and children,
even to the battlements of the palace itself, where some
of the ladies of the court, having heard a rumor
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of strange happenings, had climbed and were looking down upon
the invading hosts. It was at this moment that Arthur
chanced to raise his eyes, and what he saw was
a vision that never faded for him through all the
days of his life. This was the face of a girl,
the glory of whose golden hair was lighted by the
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setting sun, so that it appeared to the young man
like the halo of a saint. Who is that, Merlin,
he asked breathlessly, That replied the wise one, whose gaze
did not even have to follow Arthur's to learn of
whom he spoke. That is, the Princess Guinevere, the only
daughter of Theodogran and cherished by him as the apple
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of his eye. The young man said no more. But
at that moment he made a mighty resolve to fight
in the cause of the old King as he had
never fought before, and he suddenly felt his arm strengthened
as it had not been even by that first time.
Much of Excalibur. He Merlin, and a few of the
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chief nobles now passed into the council chamber, where the
news of their sudden and mysterious arrival had created even
more terror than their march through the streets. It was
Arthur's plan to keep his identity a secret until after
the battle, and this was an easy matter for Leodogran
could not imagine it possible that aid could have reached
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him from Camelot so soon. But it proved a harder
matter to make the old King feel that he could
trust these strangers. No one could ever look long into
Arthur's face, however, without coming to believe in his truth
and sincerity. So before the council closed, it was arranged
that Leodogran, while waiting the return of his messengers, should
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accept the help of these strange visitors. The next morning, therefore,
the two armies were on the march toward the plain
just outside the city walls, where Ryance, himself, a man
twice the size of ordinary men, was encamped with his
giant knights. Merlin bore before his sovereign the mystic standard
with the golden dragon that had belonged to Uther Pendragon,
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but which now that it was Arthur's ensign, was beginning
to show more wonderful qualities than ever. For as the
battle waxed hotter and hotter, it seemed that the dragon
was spouting fire from his nostrils, so that the young
king's position was easily distinguished by the anxious spectators on
the city walls, and especially by the ladies on the
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battlements of the castle, among whom was the Princess Guinevere.
All day long the battle raged, but wherever Arthur appeared
with the strange standard. The enemies giants, though they were,
either fled, terror stricken, or fell lifeless under the mighty
strokes of Excalibur, until gradually they were driven farther and
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farther from the walls, and it seemed that the victory
was well nigh in sight. Then a terrible thing happened. Leodogran,
exhausted by the struggle, but feeling secure in his young
champion's strength, had withdrawn himself to a quieter part of
the field. This, however, was the very opportunity for which
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Ryance had been waiting, leaving Arthur. Therefore, still in the
thick of the fight, he and a dozen or more
of his knights wheeled their horses about and bore down
upon the old king, with the intention of dragging him
off a prisoner. To the princess, from her point of
vantage on the tower, it seemed that her father was
now lost indeed, and she had almost fainted in despair
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when she saw the young strangers stop fighting, disentangle himself
from the fray, and speed across the plain. There he
charged with such a mighty shock against the giants that
were bearing Leodogran away, that they dropped their prisoner and
fled for their lives. A moment later, the whole army
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of Ryance was in confused retreat, with our her and
his knights in pursuit. Thus the day was won for
King Leodogran, and that evening, at the feast that was
made for the victors, the beautiful Princess, to show her gratitude,
served the valiant young stranger with her own fair hands,
and thanked him simply and modestly for saving her father's
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life that night, if ever in his life, Arthur had
expected to sleep soundly, But he found to his surprise
that even the weariness of his body was not sufficient
to overcome this strange new agitation of his heart. At dawn, therefore,
he arose and sought the counsel of Merlin. Merlin said,
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he trying to pretend that it was a matter of
state that had been disturbing his rest. My lords have
long advised me to take a wife. What have you
to say on this subject? Is there any damsel in
particular that you have in mind? Asked the wise man,
endeavoring to look very sober, Yes, said Arthur. The Princess
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Guinevere is the fairest maiden in all the world, as
any man with eyes can see. If I might win
her for my bride, I should be the happiest man
on earth. And if I were to counsel you not
to try to win her, would that make any difference,
asked Merlin quietly. Not the slightest, was the firm reply.
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Then why are you asking my advice? And the wise
ones smiled. I do not ask it, Merlin, admitted Arthur.
This is a matter that I settle for myself. But
I do beseech you to go to King Leodogrand for
me and ask for his daughter's hand. I may have
to make your identity known, said Merlin, that you have
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my permission to do if necessary. Arthur agreed. A little
later in the day, therefore, when King Leodogran and his
ministers were assembled in the throne room, Merlin came before
them and made a formal request for the hand of
the princess in the name of his young master. When
he had finished speaking, a deep silence fell upon the room. Presently,
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the old king began to speak. Your master said, he
is a brave knight and a valiant gentleman, and to
the care of such a one I would gladly give
the jewel of my court. Moreover, my debt of gratitude
to him is greater than I can ever repay. And yet,
and yet, and yet, what inquired Merlin. My child is
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the daughter of a long line of kings. Therefore it
is not fitting that I should bestow her hand upon
one whose rank is not equal to her own. And
yet and yet then the wise man smiled. Have you
any idea, my lord, said he who the young knight is,
who fought so valiantly in your cause. No, replied Theodogran.
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He seemed unwilling to tell me, so by the laws
of courtesy, I was bound to ask no questions. Then,
Sir King, let me inform you. And Merlin's voice rang
out clear and strong that he is Arthur himself, your
liege lord, who by my aid, was able to reach
you even before the return of your own messengers. And
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you are Merlin, cried the old king in joy. You
are welcome in my court, o wise man, as welcome
as the news that you bring me. For what greater
happiness could come to me in my old age than
that Arthur, the son of my friend and overlord Uther Pendragon,
should seek my daughter in marriage. You and he are welcome. Indeed,
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the following day, therefore, when Arthur and his army set
out on their homeward journey, he and the princess were
already betrothed, and it was all arranged that when the
winter snows had melted, making it fit for her to travel,
he would send for her that they might be married
in his own capital city of Camelot. So Arthur returned
to his own land and fought many a brave battle
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with his strong arm and excalibur while he waited impatiently
for the first signs of spring. At last, however, the
sun began to take on a new warmth. The snow
gradually disappeared from hillside and plain, and the tender emerald
Hayz silently enveloped the landscape. Then Arthur called to his
side a young knight lately come to his court, Launcelot
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of the Lake, by name, between whom and the king
there existed the tenderest bond of friendship based upon mutual admiration.
Launcelot said, he, I am a king, the servant of
my people. Therefore I cannot, as other men, leave my
post of duty to seek my bride. Go then for me,
my most trusted friend, Take Merlin with you, lest you
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should need his aid, and bring me the beautiful Princess Guinevere.
So the embassy set through the soft april green and returned,
when the woods were white with may, southward towards the
city of Camelot. At Launcelot's side, roade Guinevere, the flower
of the May, seated on a cream white mule and
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wearing a gown of grass green silk fastened with a
golden clasp. When they neared the mystic city upon whose
gates Arthur's wars were prophetically rendered, the young king himself
rode out to meet his bride, and the next day
they were married in the church at Camelot, the Holy
Archbishop himself pronouncing the words that bound them together for life.
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As they turned from the altar and passed homeward through
the streets of the city, which the little children had
strewn with flowers, they were met by a band of
white garbed knights who blew upon golden trumpets and joyfully sang,
blow trumpet, for the world is white. With may blow trumpet.
The long night hath rolled away, Blow through the living world.
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Let the king reign shall roam or heathen rule in
Arthur's realm. Flash brand and lance fall battle axe on helm.
Fall battle axe and flash brand. Let the King reign.
Strike for the king and live his knights have heard
that God hath told the king a secret word. Fall
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battle axe and flash brand. Let the King reign, blow trumpet.
He will lift us from the dust. Blow trumpet, live
the strength and die the lust, cling battle axe and
clash brand. Let the king reign. Strike for the king
and die. And if thou diest, the king is king
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and ever wills the highest, claying battle axe and clash brand.
Let the king reign. Blow for our son is mighty
in his may. Blow for our son is mightier day
by day, cling battle axe and clash brand, Let the
king reign. The king will follow Christ and we the
king in whom high God hath breathed a secret thing. Fall,
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battle axe and flash brand. Let the King reign. Such
were the glories of Arthur's wedding day. Yet these were
not all. There remained yet a greater wonder. As the
young king with his bride entered the chamber where the
banquet was spread, a strange sight met his eyes. In
the center of the room stood an immense round table
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of rare workmanship. What is that, Merlin, he inquired, surprised,
and why is it here? That, replied the wise man,
is a mystic table that I myself made many years
ago for your father, Uther Pendragon. It comes to you
now was a wedding gift from King Liodogran, in whose
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keeping it has been since Uther's death about it. As
you see are places for a hundred and fifty knights.
Your father in law, as part of his gift, has
sent you one hundred. The other fifty seats or sieges.
You are to fill yourself with the young men of
your own age, as they proved themselves worthy. But remember
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that none must ever take his place until his name
appears of its own accord upon the siege that he
is to occupy. An odd hush fell upon the company,
while each man present was secretly wondering if he would
be among the chosen ones. Then the archbishop stepped forward
and raised his arms over the table in blessing. As
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his words died away, a strange thing happened upon one
siege after another, as if a mysterious flame were leaping
from place to place. Golden letters spelling the names of
knights began to appear, until there were but twenty two
unclaimed places. In reverent silence, the men thus called took
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their seats, and while they yet waited, one more siege
began to glow with a mysterious writing. This time, however,
instead of a name, there appeared these words, this is
the siege perilous in which no man may sit until
the coming of the best knight in all the world.
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Then Arthur, reading this inscription, turned to Merlin in surprise,
surely said he this is the place of Launcelot, For
where could we ever find a knight that is better
than he? But the wise man shook his head sadly, saying,
let him never dare to take that place, lest he
be consumed by fire from heaven. The knight who is
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to sit there will surely come some day, but that
time is still far distant. With these knights, you must
now found the Order of the Round Table, whose members
are to be mystically chosen from among the flower of men,
and whose vows shall be the noblest that ever knights
took upon them. Then each of the chosen ones came forward, and,
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kneeling before the throne, where Arthur sat, with his beautiful
young queen beside him, layaid his hand and his sovereigns,
and took the vow of the order to reverence the
King as if he were their conscience, and their conscience
as their king, to break the heathen and uphold the Christ,
to ride abroad, redressing human wrongs, to speak no slander, no,
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nor listen to it. To honor his word, as if
his gods to lead sweet lives in purest chastity, to
love one maiden, only cleave to her and worship her
by years of noble deeds until they won her. So
the sun went down in golden glory upon Arthur's wedding day.
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End of Tale three
The story of King Arthur in twelve Tales by Winona
Caroline Martin Tale three, how Arthur won his sword EXCaliber,
his bride, and his round table. But Arthur, looking downward
as he passed, felt the light of her eyes into
his life smite. On the sudden Tennyson's coming of Arthur,
(00:24):
the commoners had indeed shouted joyfully, long live the King,
and many of the nobles also had been glad to
see the end of the long struggle for the crown.
But there were others, strong and mighty warriors who were
not yet willing to submit to the rule of a
beardless boy. The first year of Arthur's reign, therefore, was
(00:46):
a turbulent one, for between the rebellion of his own
subjects on the one hand and the raids of the
Saxons on the other, he scarcely knew what it was
to lay aside his armor for so much as a
single day. Gradually, however, the young king's bravery and nobility
of character began to call forth the respect of those
(01:06):
who were watching his career, so that one by one
the knights of his realm conquered, either by force of arms,
or better still, by admiration came to pay him homage,
and very soon even those robber barons found themselves being
transformed under the chivalric influences that prevailed at that court.
(01:27):
Soon after his coronation, Arthur appointed his officers at the
request of the good Sir Ector, whom the young king
would always regard as a father. He appointed his foster
brother Sir Kay Senesial of all Britain. Then he remembered
old friends of his real father, Uther Pendragon, and made
(01:47):
Sir Baldwin constable, Sir Opheus Chamberlayne, and Sir Brastias Warden
of the country north of the River Trent. This done,
he fought twelve great battle to bring into subjection the
tributary kings who still held out against him. Then he
felt that his realm was in about as good order
(02:08):
as he could well expect it to be in those
wild and lawless times. In all these battles, the sword
that he had drawn from the anvil served him well,
but strange to say, one day, when he was jousting
with a single knight, the latter's stronger weapon cut Arthur's
sword in two, leaving the young king defenseless, so that
(02:29):
he was severely wounded, and would probably have been killed
had it not been for Merlin, who bore him away
to a hermitage, where he lay ill for three days.
During that time, however, it was not so much by
his suffering that he was troubled as by the discovery
of the loss of his sword. But when he made
his anxiety known to Merlin, the wise man merely smiled
(02:52):
one of those mysterious smiles of his, and said.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
That, sir, king, is perhaps the best thing that ever
happen to you. As soon as you are strong enough
to wield it, you shall have a far better weapon,
I promise you by the third day. Therefore, no entreaties
could prevail upon him to remain under the care of
the kindly hermit any longer. I must be up and
(03:18):
a way to find that sword, said he. So Merlin answered,
very well, follow me. Then off they rode up hill
and down dale through a strange and wonderful country, until
at last they came to the shores of a broad
and beautiful lake, over which a fairy vale of light
(03:38):
morning mist was still hanging. They drew rein in silence
and watched the sun gradually rise from behind the distant
hilltops presently under the gentle warmth. The mist began to lift,
so that very soon the waters lay before them, clear
as crystal and shimmering in the glow glorious morning light.
(04:02):
Then a strange thing happened up from the bosom of
the lake. Rose in arm, clothed in white samite, in
whose hand was clasped a sword and scabbard. And the
hilt of that sword was ten times more beautiful and
twinkling with far richer jewels than the weapon whose loss
(04:24):
Arthur was mourning. How I wish it were mine, he
whispered to Merlin. Tremulously, Hush was the only reply. Looked
toward the other side of the lake, Arthur obeyed, and
saw gliding toward them what at first appeared to be
a column of white mist, not yet dispelled by the
sun's rays, but which gradually resolved itself into the form
(04:48):
of a beautiful maiden, whose feet skimmed the waves as
lightly as if they had been the floating petals of
a pond lily. That Merlin whispered, is the lady the lake.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
When she comes near, ask her for the sword, for
it is hers and belongs to her. Wonderful palace under
the water. Arthur then leapt from his horse, and, stepping
to the very brink of the waves, bowed low, saying,
fair damsel, you see before you a knight who has
been so unfortunate as to lose his sword. If you
(05:24):
will give me yours, I will promise you to do
all in my power to make this land so safe
that no maiden will ever after need to own a weapon,
for there will be enough brave and chivalrous knights to
fight the battles of all the weak and oppressed. You
may have the sword, King, Arthur, replied the lady, to
(05:45):
do with as you have promised. Take the barge that
you will find hidden in yonder rushes, and row out
to claim it. It is yours to use for many
years to come. Having said this, the form of the
maiden grew more and more mislike and ethereal, until finally
Arthur's wandering eyes could no longer distinguish the faintest trace
(06:08):
of her. Then he and Merlin rode out to the
middle of the lake, and Arthur, almost fearing to see
it vanish, too, firmly grasped the sword, whereupon the arm
clothed in white samite was immediately withdrawn and the waters
closed over it. The moment that the weapon touched the
young King's hand, a strange thrill seemed to pass through
(06:30):
his whole being, and he felt within himself the strength
of ten men. Curiously, he drew it from its scabbard,
and saw the blade flash in the sunlight, so that
he was almost blinded. Merlin, meanwhile, had been watching him
with interest, and now he put a strange question to him,
(06:50):
which would you rather have? Said he the sword or
the scabbard? Then, Arthur Brave Knight that he was, answered,
almost scornfully, what a question, Merlin. The sword? To be sure,
it is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen.
When I hold it in my hand, I feel that
(07:12):
no enemy could ever again prevail against me. It is
a wonderful weapon, indeed, replied Merlin gravely. The name of
it is excalibur, which is to say, cut steel. And
it is given to you, whom men will call the
White King, that you may fight, and not to win
glory for yourself, but to right the wrongs of the
(07:35):
weak and the oppressed, as you have promised, and that
you may drive the heathen from the land. Yes, it
is a wonderful sword. But the scabbard is more wonderful still,
For while it is in your possession, you can never
be killed in battle. And though you may be wounded,
your wounds will never bleed, and you will lose no strength.
(07:57):
Guard it well. They were silent for a while as
Merlin rode back to shore, and Arthur stood lost in
thought examining his treasure. See, said he at last. On
each side of the blade, there is an inscription in
a foreign tongue. Can you read them? From me? Merlin?
(08:17):
The words are ancient Hebrew, was the reply. One side
says take me, and the other side says cast me away.
Then which ought I to do? Asked Arthur, puzzled. Take
it and strike, was the firm answer. The time to
cast it away will come, but it is still far distant. Yes,
(08:40):
take the sword and strike with all your might. Now
it happened that, not long after his adventure, Arthur had
an opportunity of testing the powers of this wonderful excalibur.
As he sat in his throne room one day in
the castle at Camelot, two messengers arrived and were ushered
into his presence. We come, said they from King Theodogran
(09:03):
of Camilliard, who pays tribute to you as he paid
it to your royal father, Uther Pendragon. Our king is aged,
and his knights too are well advanced in years, so
that they can no longer fight as in the days
of old. And now our kingdom is threatened by one Rance,
King of north Wales, for he has sent a message
(09:25):
to our Master saying that he has in preparation a
mantle whose only trimming shall be the beards of kings.
Eleven of these beards he has already, but he needs
one more, and he incidently demands that our good Master
send him his. Otherwise, he says he will come and
take it, along with the head to which it belongs.
(09:47):
Therefore have we come to you, o young white King
of the noble Heart and mighty arm, because you have
made it known that you ever stand ready to render
aid to the weak and the oppressed. At these words,
Arthur's heart leapt within him, so glad was he of
this opportunity of using excalibur in another's cause. Then he
(10:09):
looked about among his knights and saw the fire of
his own enthusiasm leap into the eyes of first one,
and then another. The next moment, the whole room presented
the appearance of a forest of glittering swords, for every
weapon had been drawn from its scabbard and was being
pointed upward as a sign that its owner was ready
(10:30):
to follow his liege lord into battle, while a cry
arose from all as from one man the quest sir king.
In an incredibly short time, the army was on the
march northward through the deep snows, for it was winter. Nevertheless,
it so happened that, by Merlin's aid, it reached Cameliard
(10:51):
even before the return of the messengers from Leodogran had sent.
Strangely unwearied by the journey, it arrived at the gate
of the city one evening when the sun was sinking
in the west, and found, as was but natural in
time of war, that all was tightly closed. Ride straight on,
said Merlin, as if there were no obstacle in your way,
(11:13):
and you will find no difficulty. And so it was,
for when Arthur's horse came abreast, the gates swung wide,
and the whole army passed through and started on its
way to the castle, where Leodogran was holding a council
of war. The young king's intentions were so good that
he had scarcely realized what the effect of such an
(11:34):
entrance into the town would be upon the people. Now, however,
he saw them come trooping from their homes to stand
in the streets, silent with amazement and pale with fear,
while every roof was crowded with terrified women and children,
even to the battlements of the palace itself, where some
of the ladies of the court, having heard a rumor
(11:55):
of strange happenings, had climbed and were looking down upon
the invading hosts. It was at this moment that Arthur
chanced to raise his eyes, and what he saw was
a vision that never faded for him through all the
days of his life. This was the face of a girl,
the glory of whose golden hair was lighted by the
(12:18):
setting sun, so that it appeared to the young man
like the halo of a saint. Who is that, Merlin,
he asked breathlessly, That replied the wise one, whose gaze
did not even have to follow Arthur's to learn of
whom he spoke. That is, the Princess Guinevere, the only
daughter of Theodogran and cherished by him as the apple
(12:42):
of his eye. The young man said no more. But
at that moment he made a mighty resolve to fight
in the cause of the old King as he had
never fought before, and he suddenly felt his arm strengthened
as it had not been even by that first time.
Much of Excalibur. He Merlin, and a few of the
(13:04):
chief nobles now passed into the council chamber, where the
news of their sudden and mysterious arrival had created even
more terror than their march through the streets. It was
Arthur's plan to keep his identity a secret until after
the battle, and this was an easy matter for Leodogran
could not imagine it possible that aid could have reached
(13:25):
him from Camelot so soon. But it proved a harder
matter to make the old King feel that he could
trust these strangers. No one could ever look long into
Arthur's face, however, without coming to believe in his truth
and sincerity. So before the council closed, it was arranged
that Leodogran, while waiting the return of his messengers, should
(13:45):
accept the help of these strange visitors. The next morning, therefore,
the two armies were on the march toward the plain
just outside the city walls, where Ryance, himself, a man
twice the size of ordinary men, was encamped with his
giant knights. Merlin bore before his sovereign the mystic standard
with the golden dragon that had belonged to Uther Pendragon,
(14:09):
but which now that it was Arthur's ensign, was beginning
to show more wonderful qualities than ever. For as the
battle waxed hotter and hotter, it seemed that the dragon
was spouting fire from his nostrils, so that the young
king's position was easily distinguished by the anxious spectators on
the city walls, and especially by the ladies on the
(14:31):
battlements of the castle, among whom was the Princess Guinevere.
All day long the battle raged, but wherever Arthur appeared
with the strange standard. The enemies giants, though they were,
either fled, terror stricken, or fell lifeless under the mighty
strokes of Excalibur, until gradually they were driven farther and
(14:52):
farther from the walls, and it seemed that the victory
was well nigh in sight. Then a terrible thing happened. Leodogran,
exhausted by the struggle, but feeling secure in his young
champion's strength, had withdrawn himself to a quieter part of
the field. This, however, was the very opportunity for which
(15:13):
Ryance had been waiting, leaving Arthur. Therefore, still in the
thick of the fight, he and a dozen or more
of his knights wheeled their horses about and bore down
upon the old king, with the intention of dragging him
off a prisoner. To the princess, from her point of
vantage on the tower, it seemed that her father was
now lost indeed, and she had almost fainted in despair
(15:37):
when she saw the young strangers stop fighting, disentangle himself
from the fray, and speed across the plain. There he
charged with such a mighty shock against the giants that
were bearing Leodogran away, that they dropped their prisoner and
fled for their lives. A moment later, the whole army
(15:57):
of Ryance was in confused retreat, with our her and
his knights in pursuit. Thus the day was won for
King Leodogran, and that evening, at the feast that was
made for the victors, the beautiful Princess, to show her gratitude,
served the valiant young stranger with her own fair hands,
and thanked him simply and modestly for saving her father's
(16:19):
life that night, if ever in his life, Arthur had
expected to sleep soundly, But he found to his surprise
that even the weariness of his body was not sufficient
to overcome this strange new agitation of his heart. At dawn, therefore,
he arose and sought the counsel of Merlin. Merlin said,
(16:40):
he trying to pretend that it was a matter of
state that had been disturbing his rest. My lords have
long advised me to take a wife. What have you
to say on this subject? Is there any damsel in
particular that you have in mind? Asked the wise man,
endeavoring to look very sober, Yes, said Arthur. The Princess
(17:00):
Guinevere is the fairest maiden in all the world, as
any man with eyes can see. If I might win
her for my bride, I should be the happiest man
on earth. And if I were to counsel you not
to try to win her, would that make any difference,
asked Merlin quietly. Not the slightest, was the firm reply.
(17:20):
Then why are you asking my advice? And the wise
ones smiled. I do not ask it, Merlin, admitted Arthur.
This is a matter that I settle for myself. But
I do beseech you to go to King Leodogrand for
me and ask for his daughter's hand. I may have
to make your identity known, said Merlin, that you have
(17:41):
my permission to do if necessary. Arthur agreed. A little
later in the day, therefore, when King Leodogran and his
ministers were assembled in the throne room, Merlin came before
them and made a formal request for the hand of
the princess in the name of his young master. When
he had finished speaking, a deep silence fell upon the room. Presently,
(18:03):
the old king began to speak. Your master said, he
is a brave knight and a valiant gentleman, and to
the care of such a one I would gladly give
the jewel of my court. Moreover, my debt of gratitude
to him is greater than I can ever repay. And yet,
and yet, and yet, what inquired Merlin. My child is
(18:28):
the daughter of a long line of kings. Therefore it
is not fitting that I should bestow her hand upon
one whose rank is not equal to her own. And
yet and yet then the wise man smiled. Have you
any idea, my lord, said he who the young knight is,
who fought so valiantly in your cause. No, replied Theodogran.
(18:53):
He seemed unwilling to tell me, so by the laws
of courtesy, I was bound to ask no questions. Then,
Sir King, let me inform you. And Merlin's voice rang
out clear and strong that he is Arthur himself, your
liege lord, who by my aid, was able to reach
you even before the return of your own messengers. And
(19:17):
you are Merlin, cried the old king in joy. You
are welcome in my court, o wise man, as welcome
as the news that you bring me. For what greater
happiness could come to me in my old age than
that Arthur, the son of my friend and overlord Uther Pendragon,
should seek my daughter in marriage. You and he are welcome. Indeed,
(19:39):
the following day, therefore, when Arthur and his army set
out on their homeward journey, he and the princess were
already betrothed, and it was all arranged that when the
winter snows had melted, making it fit for her to travel,
he would send for her that they might be married
in his own capital city of Camelot. So Arthur returned
to his own land and fought many a brave battle
(20:02):
with his strong arm and excalibur while he waited impatiently
for the first signs of spring. At last, however, the
sun began to take on a new warmth. The snow
gradually disappeared from hillside and plain, and the tender emerald
Hayz silently enveloped the landscape. Then Arthur called to his
side a young knight lately come to his court, Launcelot
(20:25):
of the Lake, by name, between whom and the king
there existed the tenderest bond of friendship based upon mutual admiration.
Launcelot said, he, I am a king, the servant of
my people. Therefore I cannot, as other men, leave my
post of duty to seek my bride. Go then for me,
my most trusted friend, Take Merlin with you, lest you
(20:46):
should need his aid, and bring me the beautiful Princess Guinevere.
So the embassy set through the soft april green and returned,
when the woods were white with may, southward towards the
city of Camelot. At Launcelot's side, roade Guinevere, the flower
of the May, seated on a cream white mule and
(21:07):
wearing a gown of grass green silk fastened with a
golden clasp. When they neared the mystic city upon whose
gates Arthur's wars were prophetically rendered, the young king himself
rode out to meet his bride, and the next day
they were married in the church at Camelot, the Holy
Archbishop himself pronouncing the words that bound them together for life.
(21:29):
As they turned from the altar and passed homeward through
the streets of the city, which the little children had
strewn with flowers, they were met by a band of
white garbed knights who blew upon golden trumpets and joyfully sang,
blow trumpet, for the world is white. With may blow trumpet.
The long night hath rolled away, Blow through the living world.
(21:53):
Let the king reign shall roam or heathen rule in
Arthur's realm. Flash brand and lance fall battle axe on helm.
Fall battle axe and flash brand. Let the King reign.
Strike for the king and live his knights have heard
that God hath told the king a secret word. Fall
(22:14):
battle axe and flash brand. Let the King reign, blow trumpet.
He will lift us from the dust. Blow trumpet, live
the strength and die the lust, cling battle axe and
clash brand. Let the king reign. Strike for the king
and die. And if thou diest, the king is king
(22:34):
and ever wills the highest, claying battle axe and clash brand.
Let the king reign. Blow for our son is mighty
in his may. Blow for our son is mightier day
by day, cling battle axe and clash brand, Let the
king reign. The king will follow Christ and we the
king in whom high God hath breathed a secret thing. Fall,
(22:58):
battle axe and flash brand. Let the King reign. Such
were the glories of Arthur's wedding day. Yet these were
not all. There remained yet a greater wonder. As the
young king with his bride entered the chamber where the
banquet was spread, a strange sight met his eyes. In
the center of the room stood an immense round table
(23:21):
of rare workmanship. What is that, Merlin, he inquired, surprised,
and why is it here? That, replied the wise man,
is a mystic table that I myself made many years
ago for your father, Uther Pendragon. It comes to you
now was a wedding gift from King Liodogran, in whose
(23:42):
keeping it has been since Uther's death about it. As
you see are places for a hundred and fifty knights.
Your father in law, as part of his gift, has
sent you one hundred. The other fifty seats or sieges.
You are to fill yourself with the young men of
your own age, as they proved themselves worthy. But remember
(24:04):
that none must ever take his place until his name
appears of its own accord upon the siege that he
is to occupy. An odd hush fell upon the company,
while each man present was secretly wondering if he would
be among the chosen ones. Then the archbishop stepped forward
and raised his arms over the table in blessing. As
(24:26):
his words died away, a strange thing happened upon one
siege after another, as if a mysterious flame were leaping
from place to place. Golden letters spelling the names of
knights began to appear, until there were but twenty two
unclaimed places. In reverent silence, the men thus called took
(24:46):
their seats, and while they yet waited, one more siege
began to glow with a mysterious writing. This time, however,
instead of a name, there appeared these words, this is
the siege perilous in which no man may sit until
the coming of the best knight in all the world.
(25:08):
Then Arthur, reading this inscription, turned to Merlin in surprise,
surely said he this is the place of Launcelot, For
where could we ever find a knight that is better
than he? But the wise man shook his head sadly, saying,
let him never dare to take that place, lest he
be consumed by fire from heaven. The knight who is
(25:32):
to sit there will surely come some day, but that
time is still far distant. With these knights, you must
now found the Order of the Round Table, whose members
are to be mystically chosen from among the flower of men,
and whose vows shall be the noblest that ever knights
took upon them. Then each of the chosen ones came forward, and,
(25:54):
kneeling before the throne, where Arthur sat, with his beautiful
young queen beside him, layaid his hand and his sovereigns,
and took the vow of the order to reverence the
King as if he were their conscience, and their conscience
as their king, to break the heathen and uphold the Christ,
to ride abroad, redressing human wrongs, to speak no slander, no,
(26:18):
nor listen to it. To honor his word, as if
his gods to lead sweet lives in purest chastity, to
love one maiden, only cleave to her and worship her
by years of noble deeds until they won her. So
the sun went down in golden glory upon Arthur's wedding day.
(26:42):
End of Tale three
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