He would be the best squire ever for his brother! Arthur ran back to the house. What great news! Arthur had never been more than a few miles from home. He set down a pile of seeds for the birds, and a pile for the squirrels. Arthur was once again by the woods, feeding birds from his hand. Sir Kay heard the news when he was polishing his helmet. At last, word got to the far-away home of Sir Ector. From castle to village, to every far corner of the land. At last there was something to feel happy about! News of the tournament traveled fast. Then we will have a king again, at last!” All we need is one knight who is so strong he can pull that sword from the stone. Yet – this was most odd – the rest of the blade was buried deep into the stone. At the very top of the stone there was a golden sword handle and a few inches of the blade, shining in the sun. Resting on the block was a giant stone the size of a very large rock. A block of white marble stood in the middle of the town square. There in front of them was something most odd. The next morning at dawn, people started to arrive at the market. That night, when the nighttime was at its most dark, Merlin the Magician came to London’s market square. One day at lesson time, Merlin looked away. He kept great care of his brother’s tunic and helmet, his spears and lances. Arthur loved nothing more than to serve his brother as a squire. He could see that the boy had a very big and strong heart.īy the time Arthur was 16, his brother Kay had become a knight. Merlin saw how the birds, foxes and deer followed Arthur. He said what mattered most was to have a heart that was big and strong. Arthur was a thin lad, not strong like his big brother Kay.

Merlin would sit with Arthur for hours and teach him about the world. I bet you have guessed by now who that stranger was – none other than Merlin the Magician!Īt the end of each day when Arthur finished his chores, that was time for the lessons. Kay could not sit still for lessons and he stopped coming. He could read and write, and so Sir Ector hired him to teach his two sons.

When Arthur was ten years old, the same stranger returned to Sir Ector’s home. He named the baby Arthur, and raised the child as his own.

The old knight took the baby in his arms, glad for a second child. He asked if Sir Ector would raise the child. Years before, a stranger had come to Sir Ector with a baby. His younger son Arthur had been adopted as a baby. A good knight, Sir Ector, lived in peace with his two sons. Travelers on the roads were jumped and robbed. Evil men broke into houses and took what they wanted. Robbers and bands of wild men ruled the streets of London. Men of high rank fought each other to be king. But the baby was gone!įor years, there was no king to sit on the throne. Alas, an empty crib! In fear, the nurse, the nobles and servants looked everywhere. The next morning, the royal nurse went into the nursery.

The sword in the stone novel